Selena | Rotten Tomatoes (original) (raw)
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Critics Consensus
Selena occasionally struggles to tell its subject's story with depth or perspective, but those flaws are rendered largely irrelevant by Jennifer Lopez in the title role.
Ann Hornaday Austin American-Statesman As conventional mainstream filmed entertainment, then, Selena may not succeed completely. But as a ritual of celebration and closure it will provide its audience with an opportunity for some cathartic memories, laughs and tears. Rated: 2.5/4 Sep 6, 2023 Full Review Carrie Rickey Philadelphia Inquirer While Olmos is the soul of the film, Jennifer Lopez as Selena is its playful heart. Lip-synching to popular recordings by the singing sensation and bopping to her irrepressible beat, she personifies girlish high hopes. Rated: 3/4 Sep 6, 2023 Full Review Harper Barnes St. Louis Post-Dispatch Director Gregory Nava might have done us all a favor by tightening up the script. Still, fans of the music, which mixes traditional Mexican styles with rock music, should enjoy the movie for its many songs and Lopez's convincing portrayal. Sep 6, 2023 Full Review Rene Rodriguez Miami Herald Take away that ending, and you haven't got a movie. Fortunately, Selena also has actress Jennifer Lopez, who is good enough to hold your attention when the movie is not. Rated: 2.5/4 Sep 6, 2023 Full Review Joe Baltake Sacramento Bee [Jennifer Lopez] has a star-making role here and more than fulfills it. The actress is so vital and commanding that she makes one spookily aware of the loss of the real Selena. Rated: 3.5/4 Sep 6, 2023 Full Review Bob Ross Tampa Tribune As Selena, Lopez glows with eagerness and joy. She does resemble the person she portrays, but she amplifies the characterization with impeccable body language. Rated: 3.5/4 Sep 6, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews
Kristy A I really needed to see Selena on the big screen again! It Brought me back to the day I first saw the film. I cried from beginning to end. Took me straight to my 15 year self. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/25/24 Full Review Janice W Although this movie came out 25 yrs ago, I never saw the entire movie. I know about the real about the life of Selena. I thought Jennifer Lopez made a convincing portrayal of Selena. Sad that her life ended so tragically at such a young age. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/17/22 Full Review David W While it may lack the more developed style of storytelling modern audiences have come to expect from critically acclaimed biopics that came later, Selena still manages to offer a compelling narrative and an informative look into the life of a cultural icon. However, as a story and film, this is one I would only watch again under special circumstances. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/12/24 Full Review Carmen P Dios mío, esta es probablemente mi película favorita de todos los tiempos. Jennifer López actuó como Selena. Siempre me pregunté qué tan importante sería Selena ahora con American Idol y otras celebraciones de músicos hispanos. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/02/24 Full Review Fabrícia F Para compor uma boa biografia é necessário primeiro eleger um artista que consiga realizar com competência a interpretação do papel em questão. Neste filme, Jennifer Lopez cumpre com eficiência essa missão tornando a história da vida e carreira da cantora Selena Quintanilla uma linda homenagem. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/25/24 Full Review Blu B Loved how this is filled with color and everything pops. Great camerawork, very memorable set pieces especially the performances, and the whole Texas/Mexico location was great. Excellent cinematography and the acting is first rate especially by Selena and her father. They own this pic especially Lopez who is filled with charm, bubbly energy, and has great prescence. Whenever it is her and her father it's the best moments of the film. The music is top notch and super memorable. Overall the direction really is first rate. Where this struggles a little bit is the editing which is solid overall but it struggles throughout at times, but again the direction and charm of the actors carry this through it. This has a focus problem. The first 30 minutes is about her father, than the family, back to the father, than Selena, than her husband, back to Selena, etc. It definetley needed to stay focused on Selena more. On top of that it can feel like stuff is just happening at certain points while their on the road. Also, it feels like while this does a great job staying focused on the family and looks inward, this needed to show a bit more of Selena's effects on the outside world. It feels like we see the after effects of her rise to stardom without actually seeing it at times. We take big jumps from a county fair to the #1 on the charts without actually seeing her record or become known until VERY late in the pic. You could probably cut the first 30 minutes and add more about that and it would help quite a bit. As it stands it's a great biopic that is a great introduction to anyone who doesn't know who Selena is and wants to learn about her, is a fan of dramas, musical biopics, the director, or any actors in this. Easily Jennifer Lopez's finest hour. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 08/13/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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Synopsis In this biographical drama, Selena Quintanilla (Jennifer Lopez) is born into a musical Mexican-American family in Texas. Her father, Abraham (Edward James Olmos), realizes that his young daughter is talented and begins performing with her at small venues. She finds success and falls for her guitarist, Chris Perez (Jon Seda), who draws the ire of her father. Seeking mainstream stardom, Selena begins recording an English-language album which, tragically, she would never complete.
Director
Gregory Nava
Producer
Robert Katz, Moctesuma Esparza
Screenwriter
Gregory Nava
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Q Film Productions, Esparza/Katz Productions
Rating
PG
Genre
Biography, Drama, Music
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 21, 1997, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
May 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$35.4M
Runtime
2h 7m
Sound Mix
SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS, Surround
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