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:

Basada en 1000 historias reales. (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:

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

Catalina Sandino Moreno prepared for her role by working in a Colombian flower plantation for two weeks cutting roses. She did not meet with real drug mules because she wanted to appear to be as clueless to the process and the consequences as Maria was.

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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 11th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2005)

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Soundtracks

"Que Nadie Sepa Mi Sufrir"
Written by Angel Cabral/Enrique Dizeo
Performed by Olimpo Cardenas
Courtesy of Orfeon Videovox S.A.

User Reviews

I wouldn't have to like having to make such choices

This movie was powerful, seamless. I can't think of a scene where I asked myself, why did we need that? It was even-handed. The director could have dramatized the plight of María's family more. But he didn't. I didn't think a real-life Maria would have told Lucy's sister that Lucy had died and she didn't.

I liked seeing the crowding in the house in Colombia and in the house in Queens. The customs agents weren't portrayed as stupid boobs, but rather as professionals, thus making María's plight seem more real. Don Fernando's role seemed incredibly accurate as an immigrant ombudsman. And the ending was powerful. It touched me. I will take my students to see this movie this week. (I'm a high school teacher). When will they stop producing heroin and cocaine in Colombia? As soon as we here in the United States stop shoving it up our noses.