Star Maps | |
---|---|
Directed by | Miguel Arteta |
Produced by | Matthew Greenfield |
Written by | Miguel Arteta Matthew Greenfield |
Starring |
Douglas Spain Efrain Figueroa Kandeyce Jorden Martha Veléz Robin Thomas Zak Penn |
Cinematography | Chuy Chavez |
Edited by |
Jeff Betancourt Tom McArdle Tony Selzer |
Production
company |
|
Distributed by | Fox Searchlight Pictures |
Release date
|
July 23 1997 |
Running time
|
86 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English Spanish |
Star Maps is a 1997 American drama film co-written and directed by Miguel Arteta and starring Douglas Spain. The film is the directorial debut of Miguel Arteta, and it was first presented at the Sundance Film Festival. It was a critical hit, receiving five Independent Spirit Award nominations, including Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay.
This allegorical tale concerns the gap that exists between East and West Los Angeles as Latino kids try to pursue the American Dream. After five years of living in Mexico, an 18-year-old youth returns to Los Angeles with aspirations of becoming a movie star. At the urging of his father, a pimp who sells maps to stars' homes as a cover, the young man turns to hustling as a way to meet Hollywood insiders. Things start to look up when he hooks up with the producer of the popular daytime soap opera Carmel County. However his overbearing father and his mentally unstable mother threaten to get in the way of his dreams.