Selena (1997)

The true story of Selena Quintanilla-Perez, a Texas born tejano singer who rose from cult status to performing at the Astrodome, as well as having chart topping albums on the Latin music charts.

Director:

Gregory Nava

Writer:

Gregory Nava

Stars:

Jennifer Lopez, Jackie Guerra, Jon Seda

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 8 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jennifer Lopez	...	Selena Quintanilla
Jackie Guerra	...	Suzette Quintanilla
Constance Marie	...	Marcela Quintanilla
Alex Meneses	...	Sara (as Alexandra Meneses)
Jon Seda	...	Chris Perez
Edward James Olmos	...	Abraham Quintanilla
Jacob Vargas	...	Abie Quintanilla
Pete Astudillo	...	Himself - Dinos 1990's
Rueben Gonzáles	...	Joe Ojeda - Dinos 1990's (as Ruben Gonzalez)
Ricky Vela	...	Himself - Dinos 1990's
Don Shelton	...	Stage Dancer
Richard Emanuelle	...	Concert Reporter (as Richard Emanuele)
Panchito Gómez	...	Young Abraham - Dinos 1961 (as Panchito Gomez)
Richard Coca	...	Bobby - Dinos 1961
George Perez	...	Seff - Dinos 1961

Storyline

The film tells the story of life of Mexican "Tejano" style singer Selena and the progress of her career resulting in No.1 US album.

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Plot Keywords:

singer | tejano | texas | marriage | racial segregation | 

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Taglines:

For One Brilliant, Shining Moment...The American Dream Came True.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some mild language and thematic elements

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Warner Bros.

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

21 March 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Selena: The Movie

Filming Locations:

Corpus Christi, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$11,615,722 (USA) (21 March 1997)

Gross:

$35,422,828 (USA) (27 June 1997)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Q Productions, Esparza / Katz Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

To prepare for her role, Jennifer Lopez lived with Selena's family

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Goofs

When Selena's parents are talking after their kids perform for the first time other than at the restaurant, the mother's hair changes from in front to in back a few times.

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Quotes

Selena Quintanilla: I may not be street wise and all that, but at least I'm not that dumb!

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Crazy Credits

The producers wish to thank The Quintanilla Family

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Connections

References The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992)

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Soundtracks

"We Belong Together"
(1958)
Written by Johnny Mitchell, Robert Carr and Hy Weiss
Published by Longitude Music Co. & Maureen Music
Performed by Jennifer Peña

User Reviews

Good Movie, Great Music

Not expecting to enjoy this movie, I was very pleasantly surprised. Jennifer Lopez, Edward Olmos and the rest of the ensemble cast do a marvelous job in bringing the close-knit Quintanilla family to life. The screenwriters and director skillfully lead the viewer from the father's failed attempts at rock 'n roll in the early 60s through Selena's childhood and her eventual rocket to the top of the Tejano music charts as a young woman. Thankfully her murder is not addressed as a major plot item, its almost irrelevant. And the concert scenes are fantastic. Its Selena's voice and Lopez does an incredible job. Definitely worth a rental regardless of your musical tastes.