Edward James Olmos in The Princess & the Barrio Boy plays a role the exact opposite of what he is. He's a self made millionaire who climbed out of the East Los Angeles neighborhood he grew up in and wants nothing in his life to remind him from where he came. He's not someone who believes in giving back to the community. So when young daughter Marisa Nichols shows an interest in a kid from his old neighborhood, played by Nick Gonzalez, Olmos gets his hackles raised.
That's not all that's going on in his household. Olmos is a widower who is planning to re-marry and his intended is Maria Conchita Alonso. The two kids, Nichols and Michael Reardon aren't thrilled with this choice for a stepmother, but Olmos is feeling a bit antsy and doesn't want to hear their objections.
The title of the film has a double meaning. Ms. Nichols is raised as a young princess and her interest in Gonzalez draws Olmos's ire. But he also is a barrio boy and he's about to marry a would be princess on his own. Of course he can't see beyond his libido that Alonso just wants to take him for a nice California community property settlement.
The Princess & The Barrio Boy is a nice film with a most attractive cast giving their all in good performances. It's a nice kind of teen film, I wish it had been given theatrical release instead of being confined to the made for television group. Pauly Shore has a really nice role as a wedding planner, though some gay groups will be upset as his part is too stereotypical. He's still funny though.
Don't miss this one if broadcast, it will appeal to more than Hispanic audiences.
