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Bless Me, Ultima

  • 2012
  • PG-13
  • 1h 46m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
1.6K
YOUR RATING
Bless Me, Ultima (2012)
A drama set in New Mexico during WWII, centered on the relationship between a young man and an elderly medicine woman who helps him contend with the battle between good and evil that rages in his village.
Play trailer2:05
9 Videos
99+ Photos
BiographyDramaHistoryWar

A drama set in New Mexico during WWII, centered on the relationship between a young man and an elderly medicine woman who helps him contend with the battle between good and evil that rages i... Read allA drama set in New Mexico during WWII, centered on the relationship between a young man and an elderly medicine woman who helps him contend with the battle between good and evil that rages in his village.A drama set in New Mexico during WWII, centered on the relationship between a young man and an elderly medicine woman who helps him contend with the battle between good and evil that rages in his village.

  • Director
    • Carl Franklin
  • Writers
    • Rudolfo Anaya
    • Carl Franklin
  • Stars
    • Luke Ganalon
    • Joseph A. Garcia
    • Miriam Colon
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.4/10
    1.6K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Carl Franklin
    • Writers
      • Rudolfo Anaya
      • Carl Franklin
    • Stars
      • Luke Ganalon
      • Joseph A. Garcia
      • Miriam Colon
    • 42User reviews
    • 37Critic reviews
    • 65Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins total

    Videos9

    Theatrical Version
    Trailer 2:05
    Theatrical Version
    Bless Me, Ultima: The Trees, The Rocks, The River
    Clip 1:23
    Bless Me, Ultima: The Trees, The Rocks, The River
    Bless Me, Ultima: The Trees, The Rocks, The River
    Clip 1:23
    Bless Me, Ultima: The Trees, The Rocks, The River
    Bless Me, Ultima: What Do You Want Bruja
    Clip 1:38
    Bless Me, Ultima: What Do You Want Bruja
    Bless Me, Ultima: The River Chat
    Clip 0:38
    Bless Me, Ultima: The River Chat
    Bless Me, Ultima: Why Is There Evil In The World
    Clip 1:06
    Bless Me, Ultima: Why Is There Evil In The World
    Bless Me, Ultima: Narciso Warns The Family
    Clip 0:55
    Bless Me, Ultima: Narciso Warns The Family

    Photos116

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    + 110
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    Top cast57

    Edit
    Luke Ganalon
    Luke Ganalon
    • Antonio
    Joseph A. Garcia
    Joseph A. Garcia
    • Uncle Mateo
    Miriam Colon
    Miriam Colon
    • Ultima
    Benito Martinez
    Benito Martinez
    • Gabriel
    Dolores Heredia
    Dolores Heredia
    • Maria
    Castulo Guerra
    Castulo Guerra
    • Tenorio
    Joaquín Cosio
    Joaquín Cosio
    • Narciso
    Manuel Garcia-Rulfo
    Manuel Garcia-Rulfo
    • Uncle Pedro
    Reko Moreno
    Reko Moreno
    • Uncle Lucas
    Luis Bordonada
    Luis Bordonada
    • Uncle Juan
    James Victor
    James Victor
    • Antonio's Grandfather
    Raúl Castillo
    Raúl Castillo
    • Andrew
    Miguel Gomez
    Miguel Gomez
    • Eugene
    • (as Miguel Gómez)
    Alex Cacho
    Alex Cacho
    • Leon
    • (as Alejandro Cabrera)
    Diego Miró
    Diego Miró
    • Florence
    • (as Diego Miró-Rivera)
    Kevin Ruiz
    • Horse
    Juan Martinez
    Juan Martinez
    • Ernie
    Gabriel Solis
    • Abel
    • Director
      • Carl Franklin
    • Writers
      • Rudolfo Anaya
      • Carl Franklin
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews42

    6.41.6K
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    Featured reviews

    Kirpianuscus

    correct

    I do not know the book. But the acting, the storytelling seems correct. And, in some measure, this is the problem because you expect more. Sure, the story is beautiful and an useful remind about significant things. Buut it remains a sketch. Yes, Miriam Colon proposes a good portrait of Ultima but she seems captive of the role. The consolations - the fly of owl and the significance in Romanian, my native language, for Ultima ( the last one ). Short, fortunatelly, correct film, unfortunately, only correct.
    10mmontoyasw

    Best movie about our culture since Salt of the Earth

    Best movie about our gente since Salt of the Earth. Must watch! No clichés here. Just a sweet, subtle, and poignant coming of age story set in the beautiful, but troubled post WWII landscape of northern New Mexico. Few films make you feel like you're reading a novel-- refreshingly, this one does justice to Rudolfo Anaya's timeless classic. The arc climaxes with little fanfare, but you will no doubt be left with a sense of how and why the supernatural, deeply woven into the daily life of these comunidades, helps people navigate the paradoxes of "good" and "evil." In a period when Latinos, as a demographic are coming of age politically, and while at once courted and loathed, Bless Me, Ultima is timely, but also transcendent and universal. Don't miss it!
    8melindapehrson

    Good

    I like the way that in the book for Bless Me, Ultima they really show dichotomy between Antonio's Mom and Dad. Maria wanting Antonio to follow his Luna blood line and Gabriel wanting him to follow his Marez blood. In the book it really show how much conflict there is in his mind of who he wants to become and what he wants to be. However, in the movie I really liked how they showed how Maria and Gabriel still love each other very much no matter what their differences are. In the book they didn't show the love between Maria and Gabriel as well as in the movie.

    Watching the movie really helped me imagine what Antonio was going through and his emotions. They did a great job of making this movie and show the conflicts in Antonio's life when he was young. I do recommend this movie for those who have read the book.
    7koltpride17

    It was pretty good

    Bless Me, Ultima Both the movie and the book expressed a wide view of different moods, details, and analysis. The book took the story one step at a time as the author, Rudolfo Anaya, progressively showed how the main character Antonio developed along with the conflicts of the novel. The book was good with a very detailed insight that made you feel as if you were a part of the book. The movie emphasized the major influences on Antonio as he becomes the age where you decide who and what you are going to be as an adult. The movie was pretty fast paced to fit the whole plot of the book into film, but it did not include the golden carp like it did in the book. This gave Antonio another religion to think about and I think this was very important to the book and the movie did not include it. Also, I like how the book goes into extreme detail to give you a perfect idea to how the story is meant to be portrayed. I liked to see each of the ways that Bless Me Ultima is expressed, but overall, the movie and the book was good.
    8bbfrmrp

    very nice movie

    I am glad I saw the movie. It was a very nice coming of age Hispanic movie. I loved the part of Ultima who cured people but was cursed after she helped them. I kept thinking it is always that way healers get blamed after everything goes will or goes bad.

    The little boy had the greatest eyes. I loved the part about the boys playing before mass and getting ready for First Communion.

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    Related interests

    Ben Kingsley, Rohini Hattangadi, and Geraldine James in Gandhi (1982)
    Biography
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Liam Neeson in Schindler's List (1993)
    History
    Band of Brothers (2001)
    War

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Author of the original novel Rudolfo Anaya was a frequent visitor to the set and was treated like royalty by cast and crew, because a majority of both were natives of New Mexico and grew up on the novel.
    • Quotes

      Antonio: Bless me, Ultima.

      Ultima: I bless you in the name of all that is good and strong and beautiful.

    • Connections
      Featured in Maltin on Movies: Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)
    • Soundtracks
      Mal Hombre
      (uncredited)

      Written by Lydia Mendoza

      Performed by Lydia Mendoza

      Published by San Antonio Music Publishers, Inc.

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    FAQ19

    • How long is Bless Me, Ultima?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 17, 2012 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Bendíceme, última
    • Filming locations
      • Abiquiu, New Mexico, USA
    • Production companies
      • Gran Via Productions
      • Monarch Pictures
      • Monkey Hill Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,561,962
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $470,109
      • Feb 24, 2013
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,561,962
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 46m(106 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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