Color, PG-13 (language, sexual situations, mature themes), 86 min. VHS rental, DVD $24.98
DVD: director/actors' commentary, additional scenes
Street: April 22, Prebook: April 1
First Run: L, Dec. 2002, $5.8 mil.
Cast: America Ferrera, Lupe Ontiveros (Chuck & Buck), Ingrid Oliu (Flatliners), George Lopez (Bread and Roses), Brian Sites (The Newman Shower)
Director: Patricia Cardoso
HBO/WARNER
Story Line: Ana (Ferrera), an intelligent Mexican-American from a working-class family, has the chance to be the first in her family to attend college. First, however, she must battle the traditional beliefs of her mother (Ontiveros), who would rather she work in a factory and get married.
Bottom Line: This charming coming-of-age tale won the audience award at Sundance last year, which says everything about its appeal to the general public. The inevitable comparison is to last year's blockbuster My Big Fat Greek Wedding, considering not only the titles, but also the subject matter of a young woman trying to walk the line between old cultural beliefs and modern life. However, whereas Wedding was a full--out comedy with plenty of laughs, Real Women is more melodramatic, tackling very serious subject matter such as women's self--esteem, the conflicts that arise in mother/daughter relationships and the financial struggles of a blue-collar family. Don't expect this film to reach the same numbers as Wedding, but it should do quite nicely on its own--which it deserves. Women everywhere will embrace its empowering message and be captivated by the very real Ferrera. Positioned correctly, the crossover appeal for the film, HBO Film's first theatrical release, is high. --Mayna Bergmann