Selena (1997)

Director:

Gregory Nava

Writer (WGA):

Gregory Nava (written by)

Release Date:

21 March 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music

Tagline:

The story of a girl who had the spirit to believe in a dream and the courage to make it come true.

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Tejano | Texas | Marriage | Racial Segregation

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 8 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Jennifer Lopez	...	Selena Quintanilla-Pérez
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
Brian Fallteen	...	Club Owner
Carmen Martínez	...	Irate Club Goer
Elisabeth Gonzalez	...	Irate Club Goer
Richard Iglesias	...	Irate Club Goer
Everett Sifuentes	...	Lerma's Club Owner
Gil Glasgow	...	Police Officer - 1961
Rebecca Lee Meza	...	Young Selena
Victoria Elena Flores	...	Young Suzette
Rafael Tamayo	...	Young Abie
Carl William Holler	...	Neighbor
Bel Hernandez	...	Delores Quintanilla
Gail Cronauer	...	Women Customer
Elia Ortiz	...	Waitress
Fernando Cubillas	...	Eddie Quintanilla
Sal Lopez	...	Juan Luis
Richard William Hughes	...	MC (as Richard Williams Hughes)
Erick Carrillo	...	First Cholo
Frank Mendez	...	Second Cholo
Seidy Lopez	...	Deborah
Francisco J. De La Fuente	...	Hotel Manager
Don Cass	...	Security Guard
Keith Kaslow	...	Hotel Manager
Peter P. Montejano	...	Chris' Friend
Michael Guerrero	...	Chris' Friend
Ronald Gonzales	...	Chris' Friend
Chris Doughton	...	Chris' Friend (as Chris Doughten)
León Singer	...	Concert Promoter (as Leon Singer)
Marta Flores	...	Monterrey Reporter (as Martha Flores)
Terry Elena Ordaz	...	Monterrey Reporter
Marcos Padilla	...	Concert Official
Valerio Longoria Sr.	...	Accordian Player
Philip Raybourn	...	Bungie Jump Attendant
Mark Carrillo	...	Manuel
Darline Tigrett	...	Mexico City Reporter
Donnie Neubauer	...	Record Executive
John Verea	...	Jose Behar
Joe Stevens	...	Record Producer
Lupe Ontiveros	...	Yolanda Saldivar
Marika Baca	...	Pedicurist
Michelle McManus	...	Pedicurist
Barbara Petricini-Buxton	...	Saleslady
Leonardo Martinez	...	Boutique Worker
Molly Moroney	...	Store Manager
Desi McGill	...	Blonde Teenager
Tom Christopher	...	Grammy Presenter
Cora Cardona	...	Head Seamstress
Amin Mery	...	Paramedic
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lori Berlanga	...	Auditorium Announcer (uncredited)
Larry Cashion	...	Grammy Presenter #2 (uncredited)
Jeff Dylan Graham	...	Young Selena's Friend (uncredited)
Jason Bradley Jacobs	...	Record Company Executive (uncredited)
Raven Kaylor	...	Background (uncredited)
Ray Melendez	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Rick Olmos	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
Xavier Ramirez	...	VIP Crew (uncredited)
Marc Kenneth Robinson	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Darlene Tygrett	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Andie X	...	News Photographer (uncredited)
Nicole Young	...	Girl at Grammy Awards (uncredited)

Directed by
Gregory Nava

Writing credits (WGA)
Gregory Nava		(written by)

Produced by
Carolyn Caldera	....	associate producer
Nancy De Los Santos	....	associate producer
Moctesuma Esparza	....	producer
Henry J. Golas	....	associate producer
Steven M. Kalb	....	associate producer
Robert Katz	....	producer
Peter Lopez	....	co-producer
Abraham Quintanilla Jr.	....	executive producer (as Abraham Quintanilla)
David Wisnievitz	....	co-executive producer

Original Music by
Dave Grusin

Cinematography by
Edward Lachman

Film Editing by
Nancy Richardson

Casting by
Roger Mussenden

Production Design by
Cary White

Art Direction by
Ed Vega

Set Decoration by
Jeanette Scott

Costume Design by
Elisabetta Beraldo

Makeup Department
Corrina Duran	....	key hair stylist (as Corina Duran)
Tonantzin Esparza	....	makeup assistant
Natasha Ladek	....	wigs
Terry Ann Machado	....	assistant hair stylist
John McBurney	....	makeup assistant
Sergio J. Moreno Jr.	....	assistant hair stylist
Rod Ortega	....	assistant hair stylist (as Rod 'Biscuits' Ortega)
Mark Sanchez	....	hair stylist supervisor
Mark Sanchez	....	makeup supervisor
Terrie Velasquez	....	key hair stylist (as Terrie Velazquez)
Jay Wejebe	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Rosa Gonzalez	....	post-production manager (as Rosa González)
Patricia Serafina Madiedo	....	production supervisor
Helene Mulholland	....	post-production supervisor
David Wisnievitz	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Walter T. Falls III	....	second second assistant director (as Tres Falls)
Randall LaFollette	....	second assistant director (as Randy LaFollette)
Barbara Martinez Jitner	....	second unit director
Chemen Ochoa	....	first assistant director: second unit
Kaaren F. Ochoa	....	first assistant director (as Kaären F. Ochoa)
Daniel Ramos	....	second second assistant director (as Danny Ramos)

Art Department
Stanford Gilbert	....	property master
David Hack	....	lead person
Caitlin Maloney	....	art department coordinator
Ron Merriam	....	construction foreperson
King Orba	....	assistant property master (as Mark Wallace)
Darren Patnode	....	on-set dresser
David Phillip	....	greens person (as David Martin Phillip)
Alan R. Serotta	....	construction foreperson (as Alan Serotta)
David Wilt	....	construction coordinator
Kevin Berve	....	assistant props (uncredited)
Raul V. Carrera	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Jack Colmenero	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Rami Rivera Frankl	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Joe McCusker	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Adele Plauche	....	set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Joaquin Gonzalo Avellán	....	assistant sound editor (as Joaquin Avellan)
Bob Beemer	....	sound re-recording mixer
Beth Bergeron	....	adr editor
Dean Beville	....	supervising sound editor
Bayard Carey	....	production sound mixer
Dominique Decaudain	....	foley artist
Robert Fitzgerald	....	sound editor (as Bob Fitzgerald)
Linda Folk	....	supervising adr editor
Kimberly Gibson	....	dialogue editor
Warren Hamilton Jr.	....	sound editor (as Warren Hamilton)
Greg Hedgepath	....	sound editor (as Gregory Hedgepath)
Marcia Henke	....	cable person (as Marcia A. Henke)
William Jacobs	....	sound editor
Michael Jonascu	....	sound editor
Nicholas Vincent Korda	....	adr editor (as Nick Korda)
Edmund J. Lachmann	....	adr editor (as Ed Lachman)
Jeffrey R. Payne	....	foley editor (as Jeff Payne)
Sergio Reyes	....	sound re-recording mixer
Joe Schiff	....	assistant sound editor (as Joe Shiff)
B. Tennyson Sebastian III	....	sound re-recording mixer
Joel Shryack	....	first assistant sound editor
Frank Smathers	....	foley editor
D. Chris Smith	....	sound editor (as Chris Smith)
David A. Smith	....	boom operator (as David Allen Smith)
Edward M. Steidele	....	foley artist (as Ed Steidele)
Bruce Stubblefield	....	supervising sound editor
Robert Troy	....	dialogue editor
Bob Wishnefsky	....	assistant sound editor
Gary Coppola	....	foley mixer (uncredited)
Elizabeth Kenton	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Earl Martin	....	foley recordist (uncredited)
Scott Reed	....	head sound manager (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Scott Prescott	....	special effects supervisor (as M.E. Prescott)

Visual Effects by
David M. Garber	....	visual effects supervisor
Robert Yano	....	visual effects editor (as Robert W. Yaho)
Cosmas Paul Bolger Jr.	....	visual effects (uncredited)
Megan Bryant	....	digital camera supervisor (uncredited)
D. Walt Cameron	....	digital artist (uncredited)
Glen Gustafson	....	film recorder operator: Warner Digital (uncredited)
Lindsay Hallett	....	visual effects producer (uncredited)
John Charles Kohn	....	Inferno artist (uncredited)
Peter W. Moyer	....	digital compositor: Digital FilmWorks (uncredited)
Christopher Savides	....	imaging color lead (uncredited)
Ken D. Smith	....	titles and opticals supervisor (uncredited)

Stunts
Laura Cordova	....	stunt performer
Johnny Echavarria	....	stunt performer (as Juan Echevarria)
Toby Holguin	....	stunt performer
Ben Loggins	....	stunt coordinator
Jimmy Ortega	....	stunt performer
Mary Torres	....	stunt performer
Russell Towery	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Tony Arnaud	....	second company grip
Russell Caldwell	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Manolo Campion	....	additional second assistant camera
James L. Carter	....	director of photography: second unit (as James Carter)
Rafael 'Rafa' Castro	....	camera assistant (as Rafael Castro)
Rafael 'Rafa' Castro	....	video assistant (as Rafael Castro)
John W. DeBlau	....	chief lighting technician
Kirk R. Gardner	....	Steadicam operator
Kirk R. Gardner	....	camera operator
Kirk R. Gardner	....	director of photography: second unit
James Glennon	....	director of photography: second unit
Michael Hall	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Emil Hampton	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
James Hawkinson	....	camera operator: second unit
Curtis Herbert	....	dolly grip
Steve Hurson	....	additional first assistant camera
James McMillan	....	first company grip (as Jim McMillan)
Danny Navarette	....	rigging electrician (as Danny Navarrette)
Philip C. Pfeiffer	....	director of photography: second unit (as Phil Pfeiffer)
Justin Quach	....	additional second assistant camera
Rico Torres	....	still photographer
Michael R. Wohlfield	....	additional first assistant camera (as Michael Wohlfeld)
Nathan Bishop	....	tape operator: Warner Digital (uncredited)
Stephen Carmona	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Glenn Dunn	....	grip (uncredited)
Greg Lomas	....	grip (uncredited)
Michelle Madison	....	additional second assistant camera (uncredited)
Mike Sheeren	....	dolly grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Sally Jackson	....	extras casting
Elisabeth Rudolph	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Steve Constancio	....	set costumer
Austin Myers	....	wardrobe supervisor
Jessica Pazdernik	....	costumer
Julie Ramirez	....	set costumer
Yvonne Wilburn	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Dexter N. Adriano	....	assistant editor (as Dexter Adriano)
Steve Armstrong	....	additional editor (as Steven Armstrong)
Robert Berman	....	assistant editor
Curtiss Clayton	....	film editor
Stacey S. Clipp	....	assistant editor
Daniel Craven	....	assistant editor
Rolf Fleischmann	....	first assistant editor
Claudia Guerrero-Zalokar	....	assistant editor (as Claudia E. Guerrero-Zalokar)
Robert J. Lemos	....	assistant editor
Theresa Repola Mohammed	....	negative cutter
James Stellar Jr.	....	assistant editor
Arthur Tostado	....	color timer (as Art Tostado)
Sean Valla	....	assistant editor
James Durante	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
J. Scott Harvey	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Philip Pucci	....	first assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Ellen Burke	....	music consultant
Todd Carlon	....	music coach
Robert Garrett	....	music editor
Michael George	....	music coach
James Henken	....	music coach
James Henken	....	song mixer
Sidney James	....	music coach
Sidney James	....	music supervisor
Sidney James	....	song producer
Brian Moore	....	song mixer
Donald Murray	....	music scoring mixer (as Don Murray)
Paula Rich	....	music coach
John Richards	....	music scoring mixer
Curtis Roush	....	music editor
Carl Zittrer	....	music editor
Jon Charles	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
George Doering	....	musician (uncredited)
David Pack	....	music producer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
George Bolton	....	transportation co-captain
Billy Cude	....	transportation co-captain (as Billy Jack Cude)
Zelda Mattox	....	transportation captain
Mario Simon	....	transportation coordinator
Russell E. Scott	....	driver: picture cars (uncredited)

Other crew
Matt Agan	....	set assistant
Carla Aucoin	....	production office supervisor
Moses Berban	....	office assistant
Lori Berlanga	....	production secretary (as Lori A. Barrera)
James Borrego	....	set assistant
Liz Bowie	....	set assistant
Luis Brito	....	craft service
Thom Buckley	....	set production assistant
Raul Cadena	....	office assistant
Vanessa Camarena-Arredondo	....	office assistant
Robert C. Campion	....	production accountant
Kristie J. Canavan	....	assistant choreographer (as Kristie Canavan)
Fernando Cano	....	office assistant
Linda Casaves	....	set assistant
Liz Chavez	....	unit publicist
Fernando Cubillas	....	assistant: Edward James Olmos
James Currier	....	set assistant
Linda DaSilva	....	assistant production office supervisor
Michael Dellheim	....	location manager
Virginia Díaz	....	co-location manager (as Virginia Diaz)
Tony Eguia	....	set assistant
Steven J. Escobar	....	archive video clips
Tonatiuh Esparza	....	set assistant
Julia Favela	....	office assistant
Lelah Foster	....	office assistant
Miranda Garrison	....	choreographer
Isaac Garza	....	archive video clips (as Isaac Garza Jr.)
Erica Gomez	....	set assistant
Leticia Gonzalez	....	set assistant
Andrew Gutierrez	....	set assistant
Francisco Hernández	....	assistant: Gregory Nava (as Francisco Hernandez)
David Infante	....	set assistant
Susan Jasso	....	office assistant (as Susie Jasso)
Veronica Lozano	....	office assistant
Ben Magliochetti	....	set assistant
Lisa Marquez	....	office assistant
Barbara Martinez Jitner	....	alternate media supervisor
Margie Meurer	....	office assistant
Ralph Millero	....	office assistant: Los Angeles
Liliana M. Molina	....	script supervisor (as Liliana Molina)
Jesse Moreno	....	craft service
Michelene Mundo	....	key set assistant
Ignacio Olivero	....	office assistant: Los Angeles
Maura Osborne	....	set assistant (as Maura E. Osborne)
Suzanne Parham	....	studio teacher
Allyn Partin	....	dialect coach (as Allyn Partin-Hernandez)
Alex Ramirez	....	set assistant
Patty Rivers Schisler	....	first assistant accountant
Arlene Rodriguez	....	assistant: Jennifer Lopez
Laura Marie Salinas	....	office assistant
Xavier C. Salinas	....	assistant: Esparza/Katz
Vincent Solis	....	set assistant
Mike Stokes	....	set medic
Laura Varela	....	office assistant
Cindy Vargas	....	set assistant
Jose Vasquez	....	office assistant
Gloria Vela	....	archive video clips (as Gloria R. Vela)
Conchita Villa	....	assistant: Esparza/Katz
Greg Woodruff	....	set medic
Luis Zavala	....	office assistant
Alitzah	....	adr loop group (uncredited)
Joseph Bearman	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Lamonte Bell	....	payroll accountant (uncredited)
Leighton Chapman	....	assistant location manager (uncredited)
Bill Daly	....	post-production accountant manager (uncredited)
Maeve Mannion	....	first assistant accountant (uncredited)
Molly Murray	....	payroll accountant (uncredited)
Daniel Ramos	....	location scout (uncredited)
Lonnie Smalley	....	head trainer (uncredited)
Francisco Vasquez	....	assistant choreographer (uncredited)
Michael Wardlow	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Johnny Canales	....	the producers wish to thank
Carmen Lomas Garza	....	the producers wish to thank
Chris Perez	....	the producers wish to thank
Selena	....	dedicatee (as Selena Quintanilla Perez)

Production Companies

• Q Productions
• Esparza / Katz Productions

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1997) (USA) (theatrical) (a Time Warner Entertainment Company)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1999) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Warner Bros. Entertainment (1997) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (VHS)
• Warner Bros. Television (????) (USA) (TV)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• 525 Post Production (digital compositing)
• Digital Filmworks (digital film services)
• Warner Digital Studios (digital effects)

Other Companies

• American Humane Association, The  animals monitored by
• Banc One  the producers wish to thank
• C.I.T. 'Music Mania' Series  the producers wish to thank
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• City and the People of San Antonio, Texas, The  the producers wish to thank (as The City of San Antonio)
• City of Corpus Christi, The  the producers wish to thank
• City of Poteet, The  the producers wish to thank
• Coast to Coast Catering  location catering (as Coast to Coast Caterers)
• Consolidated Film Industries (CFI)  color
• EMI Records  soundtrack on: CDs and Cassettes (as EMI Latin)
• El Paso Community College  the producers wish to thank
• Far West Rodeo  the producers wish to thank
• Handy Andy Supermarkets  the producers wish to thank
• Houston Livestock Rodeo  the producers wish to thank
• Kodak  motion picture products
• Marcella C. Public Relations  DVD publicity (uncredited)
• National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS)  the producers wish to thank
• Optimo PACE Productions  the producers wish to thank
• Pacific Title  title and opticals
• Palace Costume and Prop Co.  select wardrobe (as Palace Costume Company)
• Promotional Management Group  the producers wish to thank
• Protele - A Division of Univisa  the producers wish to thank
• SRH Group  the producers wish to thank
• Sam Riddle Productions  the producers wish to thank
• San Antonio Express News  the producers wish to thank
• Sound Satisfaction  foley recording facility (uncredited)
• Technicolor  prints
• Tejano Music Awards, The  the producers wish to thank
• Telemundo  the producers wish to thank
• Univision Music Group  the producers wish to thank (as Univision)
• Vision III Imaging Inc.  lenses: V3(TM) MOE

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG for some mild language and thematic elements

Runtime:

127 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | USA:PG (certificate #35172) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:TE | Finland:S (video premiere) | Singapore:PG | UK:PG (video premiere)

Filming Locations:

Corpus Christi, Texas, USA

Company:

Q Productions

Trivia:

Jennifer Lopez and Constance Marie play mother and daughter, when in real life, they are only four years apart.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Selena opens her boutique, she introduces Yolanda Saldivar and then says that it's her fanclub president- her mouth doesn't move when she says that.

Quotes:

Abraham Quintanilla:You were out there wearing a bra!
Selena Quintanilla:It's not a bra!
Abraham Quintanilla:It's a bra with little sprinkly things on it!

Movie Connections:

References "Late Show with David Letterman" (1993)

Soundtrack:

Last Dance

Jennifer Lopez is beautiful as Selena. ***1/2 out of ****

SELENA (1997) ***1/2

Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Edward James Olmos, Jon Seda, Constance Marie, and Jacob Vargas Written and directed by Gregory Nava 127 minutes Rated PG (for mild language and sensuality)

By Blake French:

I am not a fan of Selena Quintanilla, and I still loved Gregory Nava's "Selena." It was a respectable movie on its own level; the film would have worked even if there never was a professional celebrity singer of the same name. It's filled with inspiring style and lovely glamour. This is one of the better biography movies to come down the road in some time.

The film stars the talented Jennifer Lopez as the famous singer in the title roll. The development of her character is what makes the production so effective. In biographies, we need as much information as possible about the person in focus as possible, and "Selena" starts at her childhood. She is one of the many in the Quintanilla family: the father, Abraham, the mother, Marcela, and the siblings, Abie, Suzette, and of course Selena. Abraham involves the kids with music very early in their lives. After hearing his daughter's voice talents, how could he resist. Some days, the kids did not want to practice their instruments and music abilities, but discipline is what makes things work.

The film begins an emotional journey into the life of the Quintanilla's. Abraham's long awaited dream of opening his independent Spanish restaurant has come true. His children are the entertainment. Although much to his wife's dismay, he soon quits his current occupation to manage his new restaurant full time. Again, a big success, for the first few months, anyway. Before long, however, the restaurant is bankrupt and his family is forced to close it down--leaving them no where to go, except to sell their happy little house and buy a motor home for the family to live in.

Selena's father becomes the antagonist--being forceful, controlling and difficult. He is the one who objects to the family's ideas. Abraham is the man who will never allow his daughter to get married. He is the person who cares so much about his family, that sometimes he thinks that they can't do anything right.

The development of the Quintanilla family is perfect. Selena, although the centerpiece of the plot, is jumbled in the family atmosphere with little significance above the rest of the members in her household. This concept makes the biography believable and heartfelt. The only problem I had with these folks is the old, reused idea of having the strict father as the villain for most of the movie. We have seen this concept so many times before, and while it does, as always, add some tension in the story line, the film never gets anywhere with the theme, and throughout the picture, Abraham has varied in character mood--lacking consistency.

Jennifer Lopez is so much better playing a character like Selena Quintanilla than some of the varied characters she has been in the past. In particular, the dreadful "U-Turn" and "Anaconda" characters did not fit her personality in the least. Selena is the character who she was born to star as, and what a wonderful, inspiring job she does. I cared about these characters, and if not for the performances it may have been another story.

The movie offers a touching romantic subplot--that also happens to be bull-headed and stubborn. The audience doesn't mind this flawed story, however simply because it is propelled by the performances and enchanting romantic chemistry. There are lots of emotions flying around in the film, but even that doesn't hold it back from becoming a clear, accurate-looking piece of work.

"Selena" is a biography worth seeing and then some. Featured are adorable characters, exquisite performances, a believable and historical plot line, and a lot of irresistible idyllic chemistry. However, at the same time, suffers from too many emotional distractions and conventional clichés. The film could have been better...but it didn't necessarily need at be.

Brought to you by Warner Bros.