La Bamba (1987)
- Starring:
- Lou Diamond Phillips, Esai Morales, (more)
- Director(s):
- Luis Valdez
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- PG13
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Lou Diamond Phillips plays legendary 1950s rocker Ritchie Valens (born Ricardo Valenzuela), in this musical biography. Before scoring radio and concert success with hits like "La Bamba", "C'mon Let's Go", and "Donna", Valens was a 15-year-old migrant worker who worked with his mother Connie (Rosana De Soto). Valens' half-brother Bob Morales (Esai Morales) is a vitriolic ex-con who roars into the migrant camp on his Harley after his release from jail. Valens' musical talents are encouraged by his family -- though later various members of his family react to his fame with varying degrees of pride and envy -- and he soon earns an audition with legendary record producer and former Artie Shaw clarinet player Bob Keane (Joe Pantoliano). Valens soon appears in an Alan Freed rock n' roll teen exploitation film, lip-synching his blistering recorded version of "Ooh, My Head". When a romance with Donna Ludwig (Danielle von Zerneck) is forbidden by her conservative father, Valens pens the famous ballad that bears her name. Tours follow his chart success until the fatal plane crash that claimed the lives of Valens, The Big Bopper (aka J.P. Richardson), and Buddy Holly on February 3rd, 1959. The supporting cast is excellent with power-pop icon Marshall Crenshaw playing Buddy Holly singing "Crying, Waiting, Hoping". Brian Setzer accurately portrays rocker Eddie Cochran, and Howard Hunstberry plays Jackie Wilson and sings "Lonely Teardrops". Additional music is provided by Los Lobos, a band who traces their musical roots directly to Valens and other Mexican influences. Also making cameo appearances are the real-life Mrs. Connie Valenzuela and Bob Morales. Although not 100% historically accurate, La Bamba is much more accurate than 1978s The Buddy Holly Story. The feature turned a new generation on to the influential Tex-Mex rock that was an inspiration to such later rockers as The Bobby Fuller Four as well as Los Lobos. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 108 mins
Complete Cast:
- Lou Diamond Phillips - Ritchie Valens
- Rosanna de Soto - Connie Valenzuela
- Danielle von Zerneck - Donna Ludwig
- Joe Pantoliano - Bob Keene
- Howard Huntsberry - Jackie WIlson
- Daniel Valdez - Lelo
- Stephen Lee - Big Bopper
- John Quade - Bartender
- Eddie Frias - Chino
- Maggie Gwinn - Mrs. Ludwig
- Geoffrey Rivas - Rudy
- Mrs. Connie Valenzuela
- Kim Sebastian - Donna's Girlfriend
- Dyana Ortelli - Donna's Girlfriend
- Ernesto Hernandez - Garbage Man
- Sam Anderson - Mr. Ludwig
- Esai Morales - Bob Morales
- Elizabeth Peña - Rosie Morales
- Marshall Crenshaw - Buddy Holly
- Rick Dees - Ted Quillin
- Brian Setzer - Eddie Cochran
- Connie Alvarez - Farm Worker
- Mike Moroff - Mexican Ed
- Diane Rodriguez - Ernestine
- Junie Lowry-Johnson
- Jeffrey Alan Chandler - Alan Freed
- Noble Willingham - Howard
- Irma Valcorta - Farm Worker
- Allison Robinson - Girl at Party
- Bob Morales
- Tony Genaro - Mr. Caballero
- Director(s):
- Luis Valdez
- Writer(s):
- Luis Valdez
- Producer(s):
- Stuart Benjamin, Taylor Hackford, Bill Borden
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- PG13(Questionable for Children, Adult Situations, Violence, Adult Language, Brief Nudity)
- Closed Captioning:
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- Subtitles:
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