There are so many good things about this movie. First, the cultural diversity is noteworthy. A successful Hispanic family was the focus, and we see many cultural touchstones, including their beautifully decorated house. I think the setting might have been Texas.
Next, the first third of the movie was a very cute teen romance between Teresa and Jimmy. They appeared to be true teens instead of the 30-year-olds often cast in Lifetime movies. And they could act! The breakup scene between Teresa and Jimmy was particularly good, capturing his awkward, guilty attempts to apologize while she panicked and backed him into a corner.
Oh, and I have to back up a bit - Teresa's mother, Mary, has an excellent backstory, which perfectly explains why she obsesses over her daughter and eventually goes bonkers.
There were a few interesting anachronisms. The kids called each other at home on landlines, and the mother used a phone book. I haven't seen a phone book in a decade. Also, Mary (Teresa's mom) and her friends' dialogue sounded like it belonged in a Victorian novel, not a movie made in 2024. The mothers were saying that back in their day, they waited for marriage before intimacy. That hasn't been the norm since before those mothers were even born! Oh, and there was this one great song that was played at the perfect time. There was one plot point I didn't like. It made sense, but I just wish it hadn't happened, so I have to take off one star and give the movie a 5.
P. S. I just noticed something. The clothes, makeup, and hairstyles are current, but the cars are from back in the 1980s which I suppose is the setting for the movie which explains the landlines etc.
