Selena Reviews

Never heard of Tejano sensation Selena? Then you probably won't care about this movie version of her fairy-tale ascent and tragic end. But it pulls off a neat trick: molding the story of one talented poor girl from Corpus Christi, TX, into a larger narrative of cultural assimilation. The real Selena Quintanilla Perez may have been a hotpants-wearing, hip-swinging, bustier-clad babe, but the big-screen Selena is a (somewhat dubious) role model for young Hispanic girls everywhere. The lessons: Dream big. (Wouldn't I look good in a Porsche?) Stay close to your family. (Obey your father!) Embrace your roots. (Learn Spanish.) Focus on your craft. (Drop out of school.) Find true love. (Marry that heavy metal guy in your band.) And watch your back. (The president of my fan club seems to have an unhealthy preoccupation with me....) Nava's script and direction are merely competent: He dutifully records for posterity Abraham Quintanilla's (Edward James Olmos) burning need to succeed and his daughter's sometimes tacky aesthetics. But the film soars when the stunning Jennifer Lopez beams and struts her stuff in a series of exhilarating performance sequences; she's a glitzy, thrilling icon a la the made-over Olivia Newton-John of GREASE. This story of little girl whose dreams came true before she grew up is tailor-made to enthrall dreamers and little girls everywhere. Cynics need not apply.