User reviews

Thanks to a beautifully subtle script, equally subtle direction and brilliant performances from all the leads, Real Women Have Curves comes across as a superbly soulful and insightful slice of life. The always great Lupe Ontiveros is maddeningly tragic as the selfish mother who stubbornly refuses to see beyond her own needs, and America Ferrera blazes across the screen in blissful defiance - the smart girl who instinctively knows she's more than just the sum of her body parts and finds the strength inside herself to back up that belief with or without her mother's blessing. Kudos to everyone connected with this enlightened and enlightening movie.

I was very impressed with this movie. First of all, it's very funny. It's definitely a feel-good movie, but at the same time doesn't resort to campy sentimentality. It's also a film that escapes from the stereotypes and depicts Latinos like they're meant to be depicted. One realistic touch that I appreciated was that half the time the characters would speak Spanish and the other half they'd speak English. That is how it seems to be in most Latin-American families. You rarely hear English spoken 100 percent of the time, unless both the parents and children are from the states. The director didn't worry if American audiences would be too lazy to read the subtitles. What's the big deal about reading subtitles? I'm taking a class in International Film, so I always cringe at the fact that when I tell other students about the class, their immediate reactions are, "God, you gotta read subtitles?" I'm proud to be an American, but at times like that my pride gradually lessens.

It's about time a film is released in which the main character is not only female, but a slightly overweight female. Because, and those hypnotized by the media be prepared to gasp, not all women are a size 3! Who's to say that a woman can't be pretty while having a few extra pounds? I think America Ferrera is a very pretty girl, not to mention she has charm. In everyday society, there are overweight guys and girls who have dating lives! In this film, her eventual love interest is a skinny white guy. That's not unusual. Unfortunately, media possesses us into assuming that the only types of relationships involve pretty guys and pretty girls. I'm sure even in California that isn't always the truth, despite its reputation for being Land of the Beautiful People.

I like how the film depicts the girl's mom and her hypocritical attitudes towards her daughter's obesity. Throughout the film, I never understood why her much more overweight mother was criticizing her daughter for being a big fat pig. But this happens in real life! Later in the film, the mother even says, "I'm married. I have the right to be fat." Parents can have those attitudes, unfortunately. And like in the film, they don't hesitate to humiliate their sons and daughters in public for having a certain problem like obesity.

The acting is topnotch. Lupe Ontiveros doesn't always receive decent roles in American film, and it's because of that many American audiences aren't familiar with her. That's too bad, because she's really a terrific actress and in "Real Women" I finally did get a chance to see her in a decent role. The ironic thing is she's often cast as Hispanic characters (usually maids) who have just came to this country, yet she was born in the states and hardly has an accent. Newcomer Ferrera is also incredible, and I hope to see her in future projects. She really has much potential, and if Hollywood studios decide to remove their heads from their behinds and cast men and women who aren't less than 120 pounds (in roles other than the "fat slob") she'll become a rising star. Finally, I was genuinely impressed with George Lopez, who actually plays a serious role, never once drifting into comic territory. It's rare to find a comedian who has just as much talent at acting as being funny, so it's nice to discover that George may be one of those people.

If you want to see a good, solid, entertaining low-budget indie gem that'll make you think and make you laugh, then this is definitely the film for you! It's one of the most original films I've seen come out in a while.

My score: 8 (out of 10)

Real Women Have Curves is a very enjoyable film, and also a very real film. It deals with very real issues concerning women and especially young women. The main character is of the Hispanic persuasion and though she is a very bright girl and could possibly get into a good collage she runs the risk of being swallowed up in the death trap job of making dresses that cost them 18 dollars to make but get sold in department stores for 800 dollars. Her mother keeps telling her she's overweight overlooking the fact that she is heavier than her daughter. This film is very much set in the real world, and the problems facing the characters are problems we all face at one time or another like "can I pay the rent on time?" or "will this person like me for who I am instead of what I look like?" Within the context of the film the answers to those questions are yes, and yes which may be one of the reasons this film is so enjoyable. America Ferrera's performance is reminiscent of the kind of girl you would see at your local high school, and the message of this movie is one that more people should take to heart. Be who you are, not who others want you to be, follow your dreams, and the like. I was surprised with how frankly this film deals with teenage sexuality, and how it challenges the concept of what beauty is in modern culture makes it a very progressive film indeed.

How could I be so blessed with 2 Mexican treasures within weeks of each other? After the heady romanticism and visual artistry of Julie Taymor's `Frida,' I was hardly prepared to see another arresting, Mexican melodrama, Patricia Cardoso's `Real Women Have Curves.' Every woman who thinks about her weight should see this movie-it will make you a convert to the humane notion that all bodies are beautiful. And it will reveal a deeply humane culture at the same time.

Naturally beautiful and full-bodied actress America Ferrera plays Ana, a Mexican American whose graduation and scholarship to Columbia University threaten the family's unity and the control by her mother, who tells stories of runaway girls with disastrous ends and the admonition, `That's what happens to girls who don't listen to their mothers.'

Like teenagers in any culture, Ana is trying to break away from a domineering culture and mother while she also achieves a balanced acceptance of her zaftig body. The scene where she and the other seamstresses in her sister's sweat shop remove their outer clothes to escape the heat and eventually admire their bulging, stretch-marked bodies is about as loving and lyrical as any other I have seen where Hollywood's obsession with world-class beauty is obliterated by the sheer attractiveness of women celebrating the imperfections of their bodies.

Equally so, when Ana loses her virginity, she tells her lover,

"Turn the lights on. I want you to see me. See, this is what I look like." He responds, "You're not fat. You're beautiful.' It's easy to see why this film won awards at Cannes for audience appreciation and ensemble acting. It is a hymn to a culture that values family and a girl who values herself.

I was showed this movie in my 11th grade class and I never thought that a movie like this would really be funny and dramatic. I really didn't think that this movie was going to be any good but I was wrong. I did what a lot of people do now a days, judged a book or movie by it's cover. But the message of this movie is to feel easy going about that very cover. Real Women Have Curve is a film that is about Mexican Americans and also the a view of how society standardize "sexy". Ana being a little overweight finds herself on an quest to find the sexy women in her and change the views of not only herself but the views of others as well.

I did like this film. It was a strong character driven story. The relationships with the women were very compelling. I could believe what I was seeing on screen for the most part and was able to start caring in what was happening from the beginning. I enjoyed the back and forth with Ana and her mother. I don't think it was over done in the telling of it. I heard in the director's commentary that the director was worried that the mother might have been played too heavy handed, but I think it work out fairly well.

I particularly cared for the unresolved conclusions at the end of the picture, it was refreshing in how no punches were pulled. I think it was a very brave move. Overall all the women roles were strong, where the story suffered was the male roles were a little weak, everyone except the male teacher could have been played better. The dialogue with the boyfriend felt empty and wanting, there was no chemistry there or even a curious connection. The thought that anything happened there leaps a great chasm of disbelief. As far as the father and grandfather were concerned I thought that they were merely place holders. And sadly so because I felt nothing. The film never fleshed that relationship out and likewise was insufficient reason for Ana to stay in LA. This was a major flaw in the story, the fact that there were not enough reasons why Ana should stay where she was.

Real Women Have Curves is a film that gives a voice to issues that do not get enough screen time: fat feminism and the difficulty of having a mixed heritage. It handles the material very well and provides an enjoyable viewing.

Ana Garcia is an American woman from an immigrant family from Mexico. She graduates from high school at the beginning of the film and with the encouragement of one of her teachers, hopes to go to college. Her parents are not pleased with her decision, citing economic problems as well as not wanting to break up the family unit. So Ana starts to work in her sister's sewing shop. Over the course of the summer, Ana learns much about herself, both her American and Mexican sides, and her family.

America Ferrara gives a strong performance, but it is Lupe Ontiveros, as Carmen Garcia, Ana's mother, that steals the show. She breathes life into a character that could have come off as a wicked witch, making her a realistic and sympathetic human being. The entire cast works, the only weak link being Brian Sites as the boyfriend, who does not make his character likable enough for us to believe Ana would really be interested in him.

The script is based on real life experiences and it shows. The whole movie has a very real feel to it, kudos to director Patricia Cardoso. The interesting cultures we see here are fascinating, how they seamlessly switch between English and Spanish, how they are proud of what they do, it is all very interesting to see. As much as the movie is about Mexican American culture, it also is about fat feminism. Ana is overweight, and her mother, who is as overweight too, is very critical of her for it. Fortunately, Ana is strong and confident, and learns to be happy with herself. The message that girls can be happy without looking like a model is a good one, and this film does a great job showing that.

Real Women Have Curves is an enjoyable film with a positive message that I heartily recommend.

I once read about an audition of models for an Armani fashion show. It appears the Milanese designer was rejecting everyone because he thought they were too fat to carry his clothes the way he intended. If anyone reading this comment is friendly with Giorgio, please advise him to avoid seeing this film. He's liable to have a series of strokes, or even a fatal heart attack!

What Patricia Cardoso has achieved with this film is to clarify for us that indeed, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and that we should not judge the person by the image they project. What might be considered fat and ugly for the same media that only glorify the skinny people that populate the pages of the different fashion magazines, for someone else will be beautiful.

America Ferrera is a revelation. She exudes sweetness and the performance is right on the money. Her dreams to get out of the mediocrity of the factory life her mother wants for her are to be applauded because she has the smarts to make a career for herself and go to college.

The great Lupe Ontiveros plays the mother. It's a shame that this actress haven't been discovered by more directors that will employ her talents in the way she deserves. She can bring so much to a film as proved in other independent films where she has appeared. Wherever she appears one can expect the very best from her.

The rest of the cast is very good. We shall be looking forward to Ms. Cardoso's next venture with the confidence that whatever she undertakes it will be a fun time at the movies.

I saw this film when I was in an extremely vulnerable place during the Spring of 2002, when I was battling and just embarking on my journey to freedom from an eating disorder. It helped show me that women of all shapes and sizes can learn to appreciate themselves, regardless of their outward appearance - especially in light of the way society portrays how we are expected to look.

I like the stand that Ana had in standing up against her mother, despite how it would be to be picked upon based on your outward appearance.

I have only today ordered the DVD, as I feel it is one that I can watch time and time again.

At the time of seeing this in the local Film Centre (for alternative films), I found it to be quite uplifting. Well worth viewing! Don't wait - go out and buy it now!

To this film be released in 2002, probably was a big hug for so many women, a film needed to show that we can accept ourselves and body.

Because, just like the mother in the film, it's like many older women think, sadly, because of the brain washin media, male validation and root of misandry. *mostly, hispanic women

If you are a 18 mexican teenager, you probably understand and see some ways of thinking in the film, oldfashioned but realistic.*personally me, I saw it & laughed about it, this film is for a specific viewer, so If u didn't like it, it's bz is not for you

Me as a teenager, I felt her, what a lot films sometimes missed is that there are periods of life that we have,as girls or woman have a complicated relationship with our mothers.

And to see this movie, was just really nice, to see her embrace herself and never back to what she values and thinks.

REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES (2002) ***1/2 America Ferrera, Lupe Ontiveros, Ingrid Oliu, George Lopez, Brian Sites, Soledad St. Hilaire, Dale E. Turner. Above average indie diamond in the rough slice of life portrayal of a Mexican American teenager (Ferrara in a remarkable acting debut) trying to cope with her dream to attend college and her quarrelsome relationship with her loving but problematic mother (Ontiveros who gives a beautifully modulated turn) whose own insecurities and frustrations are taken out on her zaftig daughter. Funny, poignant and ultimately a triumph in full-bodied (no pun intended) protagonists without compromising it's clear headed vision of how society and culture myopically decides what is pleasant to the eye (or acceptable for that matter). Finally a film that portrays Latinos in a positive light by not making it a ‘racial film' either. The screenplay by George LaVoo and Josefina Lopez (adapting her play) offers insight to familiar subject matter but with a refreshing focus on character development by not compromising it's strong message: to accept one self is to love one self. (Dir: Patricia Cardoso)

This is one of the best movies I have seen in a while. It's about love, it's about coming of age, it's about how family can help and hinder, and most importantly......it's about being true to yourself. The movie truly touched my heart and made me cry and laugh. And boy oh boy did I cheer at the end. This movie speaks for ALL who want to please but at the same time know deep inside they do what they must do. A movie of love......what more can you ask for! I thought that Anita's problems were handled very sensitivity especially the sequence where she makes love for the first time. Her MOM is not quite the dragon that she is made out to be at first. She is a mother who just really wants her daughter to be happy but yet is stuck in her own time frame. And has bought into how the world thinks a woman's body is supposed to be. When her mother says she is pregnant and does not realize it's the change of life........Funny.......(being that age myself have been there and done that) It's funny yet sad. Do we stop being women just because our bodies change? Yet a lot of society says so. But I thought the saddest thing was when Anita's MOM could not say goodbye.......What her MOM does not realize.....she has NOT lost a daughter......she brought up a BRIGHT INTELLIGENT WOMAN, who will go far. The LOVE that is showed is remarkable.....her DAD......her Grandfather......her sister....this may be not in the way we all would wish......But it is there. Change is hard...But change is inevitable. GREAT MOVIE......2 THUMBS UPS!!!!!!

In Real Women Have Curves, a young woman's college dreams are held at bay by her mother, who wants her to get a job, find a husband, and have babies.

The young woman is the child of an immigrant, and while I always think of immigrants as wanting their children to lead better lives, Ana's mother Carmen seems to actively not want that. She constantly insults and belittles Ana and is a difficult character to emphasize with.

This is not to say that Ana is perfect, displaying some youthful arrogance, but America Ferrera in her film debut displays all the charm that has made her a star.

While the movie centers on the daughter-mother conflict, it's really about all sorts of things - body acceptance, the immigrant experience, youthful passions and insecurities.

This is a small, slice-of-life movie with solid acting. I tend to like movies with more flash and higher drama, but this is very much the movie it sets out to be and works quite well.

Immigration has been always an issue for Mexican's of low and middle class. Real Women Have Curves is a comedy film that was published in 2002 directed by Patricia Cardoso, produced by George LaVoo and written by Josefina Lopez. In addition, this film got seven awards from different organizations. Ana Garcia as America Ferrera is the protagonist of the film. Lupe Ontiveros as Carmen is Ana's mother who plays a major role in Ana's social life. Estela as Ingrid Oliu who is Ana's sister takes part in Ana's career life. Ana's high school teacher Mr. Guzman as George Lopez also participates strongly in Ana's academic life. Finally, Ana's father Raul Garcia as Jorge Cervera Jr does not cooperate effectively like Carmen in Ana's life.

Ana lived in a poor Mexican American family in Los Angeles. Therefore, this encouraged Ana to provide more efforts in her academic career. Nevertheless, Ana is a smart senior Beverly Hills high school student, which is considered as one of the best high schools in California. Ana's efforts made her a good student at high school. However, Ana was around to graduate and her family decided to let her work with her sister Estela at her dress factory. This depressed Ana a lot since she had excellent grades in high school. Yet, Ana worked at her sister factory while she was trying to convince her family to let her complete her academic career. Nevertheless, Ana get supported by her teacher in high school Mr. Guzman who was impressed from Ana due to her academic performance.

Acting in a flexible way was one obvious aspect in Real Women Have Curves film. The actors were seeking a film that represents the Latin impact on this group of people who live in the United States. Thus, Ana's family was outgoing people who are seeking joy through their daily activities. A clear illustration for that is when the actors show how they act normally in their social life and in their jobs. For instance, when Estela, Ana and the other women who works in the factory start dancing wearing bikinis and work at the same time. Another essential aspect of the film is playing the music with the scenes in different languages depending on the speaking language. The director Patricia Cardoso was succeeding in placing every scene with the appropriate music. Moreover, choosing Spanish music provides a Latin face of the film. A clear image for the previous point is when Ana's family suddenly starts speaking by Spanish depending on the events that are happening. For example, Carmen was famous by changing her language in an unexpected way, which makes the director play a Spanish kind of music when she is talking.

In conclusion, Real Women Have Curves is one of the best movies that I have ever seen since I moved to the United States. This is because the film was Comedy in a different way in terms of the reality and the way of acting. As a result, I would give it 4.5 out of five that is because all of the film staff were not famous before this movies.

This is a very old fashioned story of a bright young girl who wants to go to college but her mother wants her to stay and work in the family business. Yes, we've seen it before but there is a fresh approach to the story by making it modern and the performances are all excellent. Newcomer America Ferrera plays Ana and she plays her with a lot of raw honesty. What's so impressive is that she has almost no experience and she carries the whole film which is no easy feat. But the standout performance is by the terrific Lupe Ontiveros. This experienced actress takes what could have been a cardboard character and really puts an edge on it. There are scenes where Ontiveros really shows pathos in those eyes. The story is old fashioned and there are times when you have a hard time believing that people would talk or act that way in contemporary times but the honesty of the performances seem to make them work. Two scenes seem to stand out for me. The first is when the ladies at work take their clothes off and proudly show how fat each of them are. Its a priceless scene. And the second is at the end of the film with Ontiveros looking out the window. I won't give away the ending but Ontiveros shows us whether we like it or not that she's a woman that stays with her roots. She cannot change. It's those moments and the performances that bring this familiar story up a level.

Pleasingly plump journeyman actress Ferrera is the centerpiece of "Real Women Have Curves"; a slice-of-life, coming-of-age Chicana flick about a Mexican-American high school girl, Ana, from an East L.A. barrio who struggles with the opposing forces of American feminism and Mexican family tradition. An easy going, warm hearted film with a salsa flavor, "...Curves" is a tad awkward in parts, doesn't nail all of its nuances, and uses "Spanglish" with some subtitles. Nonetheless, those with an interest in the Mex-Am culture, especially the distaff, will find this an enjoyable and worthy watch. (B)

The best parts of the movie were 1. the scene that featured the visit by the character Estella with Ana requesting an extension but assuming the businesswoman did not speak Spanish but she did, and 2. the cinematography of the town from Ana's neighborhood to Beverly Hills High - I actually began to think the film was filmed in a Latin country until I saw the metro sign on the bus and signs of Beverly Hills. That was brilliant. But the rest of the movie proved to be a disappointment. One of the main lessons I've learned in scriptwriting (not that I'm any expert) is to make the protagonist, no matter how loathsome, redeeming if but in a sliver of his/her character so that the audience will root for him/her and stay with the film. I kept wanting to root for Ana, and the only reason I did at all was when she was verbally attacked about her weight. But it wasn't enough. Even her moments of epiphany, when she realized how much work went into one dress, or when she saw the scar she left her mother, were played flatly against the intense negativity of her character overall. But since attacks on her weight weren't in every line of the film, I spent more time being irritated and wishing the movie featured more of an in depth picture of her mother or sister - much more likable characters despite their obvious flaws. What I realized by the end of the movie was that the best parts of the film, outside the aforementioned, were shown in the clips and trailers. And even then, when one of those scenes were played out - the one when the women showed their cellulite to each other and finished making the dresses in their underwear -I didn't feel empowered as a plus size woman - I just kept wondering if their sweat would ruin the dresses. This movie did not support its hype.

The movie Real Women Have Curves is a 2002 comedy directed by Patricia Cardoso. Ana (America Ferrera) is a young and smart girl from a Mexican immigrant family, who graduates from the famous Beverly High School of California, and gets accepted in Columbia University with a full scholarship. Controlled by her mother Mrs. Carmen (Lupe Ontiveros), who strongly believes that a girl's fate is to learn to work hard and learn to take care of her future husband. Raul Garcia (Jorge Cervera Jr.) Ana's father and Mr. Guzman (George Lopez) Ana's English teacher play wonderful mediators and defend Ana to go to college.

This is a movie for everyone to see. Children can confront parents in laughter, while enjoying this together. It reveals the constant battle between mother and daughter, but most of all; it shows how challenging it is for smart children from uneducated families to pursue a higher education.

Although the comedian George Lopez, from the George Lopez show, is not an actor, he gives a high performance in this movie playing the role of the teacher who tries by all means to see one of his smartest students succeeding in what she deserves, despite the character hostile of Lupe Ontiveros, who sees her daughter going against the value of their traditions.

This movie makes me think of the Cider House Rules, in which Dr. Larch (Michael Caine) always reminds Homer Well (Toby McGuire), his traditions and what he comes to accomplish in life. Like America Ferrera, it is hard for Toby McGuire to break the rules, and leave the orphanage to discover what is out there for him.

Patricia Cardoso increases the suspense in this movie with the motif "red color," which appears every time America Ferrera's future is being discussed. She makes this screenplay so funny and devoid of bad scenes or language. This is what Robert Ebert from the Chicago Tribune calls "enormously entertaining for moviegoers of any age."