Mi vida loca (1993)

Mousie and Sad Girl are childhood best friends in a contemporary Los Angeles poor Hispanic neighborhood. But when Sad Girl becomes pregnant by Mousie's boyfriend, a drug dealer named ... See full summary »

Director:

Allison Anders

Writer:

Allison Anders

Stars:

Angel Aviles, Seidy Lopez, Jacob Vargas

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Angel Aviles	...	Sad Girl
Seidy Lopez	...	Mousie
Jacob Vargas	...	Ernesto
Devine	...	Devine
Monica Lutton	...	Chucky
Christina Solis	...	Baby Doll
Panchito Gómez	...	Joker Bird (as Panchito Gomez)
Verónica Arellano	...	Stranger
Arthur Esquer	...	Shadow
Gabriel Gonzales	...	Sleepy
Ángelo Martínez	...	Rascal (as Angelo Martinez)
Nélida López	...	Whisper (as Nelida Lopez)
Magali Alvarado	...	La Blue Eyes
Jesse Borrego	...	El Duran
Marita De Leon	...	River Valley Girl

Storyline

Mousie and Sad Girl are childhood best friends in a contemporary Los Angeles poor Hispanic neighborhood. But when Sad Girl becomes pregnant by Mousie's boyfriend, a drug dealer named Ernesto, the two become bitter enemies. While their dispute escalates towards violence, the violence of the world around them soon also impacts their lives.

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Plot Keywords:

generation x | hood | chicano | single mother | echo park | 

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Taglines:

Mothers. Warriors. Sisters. Survivors.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language, and for drug content and some sexuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

A lot of teenagers from the neighborhood were used as extras. One night, there were complaints because someone was smoking Angel Dust (PCP) on the set.

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Quotes

Sad Girl: When Mousie and me joined our gang, all the names were taken except Mousie and Sad Girl. Everyone said Maribel should be Mousie cuz she was so little. Sleepy said "No stupid because then we're gonna have to name Mona Sad Girl and she's not sad at all." Rascal said "Stupid , it don't matter." Sleepy was mad and kept saying "She's too happy to be Sad Girl."
[cut to Sad Girl sitting in a chair with a baby in her lap]
Sad Girl: "But they don't say that to me no more."

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Connections

Referenced in American Grindhouse (2010)

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Soundtracks

Tales From the West Side
Performed by Proper Dos
Written by Ernie Gonzalez and Frank Villareal
Skanless Publishing Company (BMI)
Courtesy of Skanless Records

User Reviews

Doesn't hit all the right targets, but dramatically effective

"Mi Vida Loca" is a documentary-like approach to examining the lives of Hispanic girls in Echo Park. The film is never over-dramatized. The dialogue is authentic, and never stylized, and so are the performances. The story never takes the predictable Hollywood route. However, it still could've used more structure. At first I thought the film's focus was on the character of Sad Girl. About 15-20 minutes through, the focus changes to another character and the same pattern occurs throughout the film. So I didn't feel as connected to the film as I expected. If the characters and situations were unrealistic, I would be totally disengaged, but that wasn't the case and as a result, I was still entertained and moved. Almost all the scenes take place in apartments, sidewalks and parks, so it's obvious that the film was made on a low-budget, but that small budget was put to good use and I give Allison Anders much credit.

My score: 7 (out of 10)

Details

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 July 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

My Crazy Life

Filming Locations:

Halfway House Cafe - 15564 Sierra Highway, Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$3,267,313

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,267,313

Company Credits

Production Co:

Channel Four Films, Cineville, Home Box Office (HBO)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1