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 eal Women Have Curves" is an Ethnic Movie. Yes,
ladies and gentlemen, I have now officially coined a new genre. The Ethnic
Movie, like all other genres, has its own conventions that it follows
faithfully, with minor detours by only the most "daring" filmmakers.
(Yes, I am being sarcastic.) Choose an ethnicity, any ethnicity. It was Greek in
"My Big Fat Greek
Wedding", Indian in "American
Desi" and "Bend
It Like Beckham", and it's Mexican in "Curves". (Or Latino or
Hispanic for the politically correct among you.)
The conventions of an Ethnic Movie is simple: a family that
looks dysfunctional at first, but proves to be "just like any other
family"; traditional parents who our lead rebels against; the lead falls in
love with someone outside the ethnicity, thus causing problems; and our lead is
forced to make a life-changing decision that goes against the "rules"
of the ethnicity, but which she inevitable chooses by movie's end. For
"Curves", simply insert these changes: a working class immigrant
Mexican family in East Los Angeles; a mother who believes her daughter should
only be concern with losing weight and getting married; the daughter falling in
love with a Caucasian boy from a wealthy family; and the daughter being forced
to choose between a free scholarship to Columbia University in New York or
staying home with her family.
Don't get me wrong. "Real Women Have Curves",
despite being wholly predictable and not much more than a point-by-point
adaptation of every other Ethnic Movie out there, is still quite entertaining.
It has a strong cast, led by newcomer America Ferrera, who plays Ana, the
daughter. Ana has just graduated from High School and her teacher, played by
comedian George Lopez in a serious role, has convinced her to apply for the
Columbia scholarship (which she wins). But Ana's biggest obstacle is her mother
Carmen (Lupe Ontiveros), a traditional woman who has been working since she was
13 and feels strongly that Ana is spoiled because she dares to want something
more than just work in her sister's clothing factory.
The bulk of the movie's conflict is really a mano-a-mano
battle between mother and daughter, with everyone else caught in the middle. As
with all Ethnic Movie, there is a somewhat understanding parent (in this case,
the father) who tempers the uncooperative parent. There's also a very helpful
and accepting relative (in this case, the grandfather) who acts as an accomplice
to our heroine. It bears repeating that despite all of its declarations of being
a Mexican movie and thus by that virtue alone, different, "Curves" is
nothing of the sort. It's formulaic to the core.
Again, just because "Curves" is nothing new
doesn't mean it isn't worth watching. America Ferrera is easy to sympathize
with, and we all have a parent like Carmen, who is prone to uncontrollable
melodrama to get her way. The film treats Carmen as more than just an obstacle,
but really the movie's villain. It's almost shameful how badly Carmen treats
Ana, tearing her down at every turn. The screenplay would have us believe that
Carmen is doing this for Ana's own good, but I have to wonder if calling your
daughter "butterball" and "fat" every other sentence is
anything but emotional cruelty.
"Real Women Have Curves" is an Ethnic Movie, and
follows all the conventions of the genre faithfully. The direction by Patricia
Cardoso is nothing special, and the screenplay by George LaVoo and Josefina
Lopez, based on Lopez's play, could use some little more originality. Beyond
those points, "Curves" is a decent enough movie.
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