Quinceañera

Though it was among the most widely acclaimed movies of 2006, and though it won numerous film festival awards, including the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, Quinceañera never screened in Chico. The Pageant Theatre has long done yeoman’s duty in trying to keep a tradition of independent films alive in a town that likes to think itself cosmopolitan in spite of ample evidence to the contrary. So it’s good that Quinceañera is now available on DVD, because it is not to be missed. The film begins and ends with a quinceañera, the celebration of the birthday that marks a girl’s transformation to womanhood. The plot unfolds between these two ceremonies and. along the way, the viewer is introduced to some richly layered characters. The actors are all non-professionals, and they give the movie an authenticity it probably wouldn’t have if those roles had been played by pros. One character in particular—Tio Tomas Alvarez—will linger in memory long after the credits have rolled, and if you’re not moved by the movie’s conclusion, then you better check your pulse.