Maria Full of Grace (2004)

A pregnant Colombian teenager becomes a drug mule to make some desperately needed money for her family.

Director:

Joshua Marston

Writer:

Joshua Marston

Stars:

Catalina Sandino Moreno, Virgina Ariza, Guilied Lopez

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 34 wins & 25 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Catalina Sandino Moreno	...	María Álvarez
Virgina Ariza	...	Juana
Yenny Paola Vega	...	Blanca
Rodrigo Sánchez Borhorquez	...	Supervisor
Charles Albert Patiño	...	Felipe
Wilson Guerrero	...	Juan
Johanna Andrea Mora	...	Diana Álvarez
Fabricio Suarez	...	Pacho
Mateo Suarez	...	Pacho
Evangelina Morales	...	Rosita
Juana Guarderas	...	Female Pharmacist
John Álex Toro	...	Franklin (as Jhon Alex Toro)
Jaime Osorio Gómez	...	Javier (as Jaime Osorio Gomez)
Guilied Lopez	...	Lucy Díaz
Victor Macias	...	Pellet Maker

Storyline

In a small village in Colombia, the pregnant seventeen years old Maria supports her family with her salary working in a floriculture. She is fired and with a total lack of perspective of finding a new job, she decides to accept the offer to work as a drug mule, flying to USA with sixty-two pellets of cocaine in her stomach. Once in New York, things do not happen as planned.

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Plot Keywords:

drug mule | stomach | colombia | money | colombian | 

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Taglines:

Based on 1,000 true stories.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for drug content and language

Details

Official Sites:

Fine Line Features [us] HBO

Country:

Colombia USA Ecuador

Language:

Spanish English

Release Date:

2 April 2004 (Colombia)

Also Known As:

María, llena eres de gracia

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£84,335 (UK) (25 March 2005)

Gross:

£232,674 (UK) (1 April 2005)

Company Credits

Production Co:

HBO Films, Fine Line Features, Journeyman Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the end there is an Intel ad saying "It's what's inside that counts", a clear reference to the movie's subject.

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Goofs

After Maria gives Don Fernando the money for Lucy's family, she takes her wallet out twice.

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Quotes

Javier: Well then... We're going to give you several rolls of film. We'll send you to New York... Actually to New Jersey - a small town next to New York. Once you go through Customs you'll be met by our people. They will take you to a safe place. We'll develop the rolls. And in five, six days you'll be back here with all your money taking care of your problems.

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Connections

Featured in The 77th Annual Academy Awards (2005)

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Soundtracks

"Shake It fa Me"
Written by Milton David, DeMario Bridges and Jon Wesley
Performed by John Wesley
Courtesy of Windswept

User Reviews

HARROWING

Horrowing like nothing I've seen in a while.What a great movie, it was so disturbing at times I could'nt sleep. Reading Ralph Michael Stein comments I realize how differently people's take on the central character of Maria can be, to me she and people like her are not the criminals in this sad story but definitely the exploited. If it were'nt for drug users in wealthy countries like ours, who considered "partying" a fun harmless escape, girls like Maria would never even have the opportunity of risking their lives in such a miserable way. It's definitely put guilt and thought towards those times I might have indulged in irrisponsible behavior in the past, so taking that into consideration, the film's done it's job.