Thoughtful with Long Fuse
This thoughtful film got lost in its theatrical release, because it was compared with another Sun Dance Film, Little Miss Sunshine. I don't mean to dis the latter film, but Quinceanera is of an altogether different order. Its honesty probably offended two potential markets, because it is frankly critical of the commercialization and hypocrisy of the Quinceanera rite of passage as it is currently practiced in the Latino/American community and because it is very forthright in portraying the influence of Gay gentrifiers moving into a neighborhood. The ending is also a bit of a let-down, when the heroine gets her Quinceanera after all with all the gaudy trimmings, simply because she has proven to her family that she is still technically a virgin. Perhaps this was intended as ironic, but it doesn't come off that way.
Nevertheless, the character portrayals, particularly that of the grandfather and the girl are worth the trip by themselves. Its brutal honesty which wrecked it at the box office will in the long run vindicate it. This is a film that manages to be sweet, thoughtful, and tough all at once. It has grown in my memory since I first saw it to the point where I now own a copy. I feel that time will show it to have strong critical staying power.
HIGHLY recommended.
