This is the heart-felt story of 23-year-old Selena Quintanilla-Perez,played flawlessly by Jennifer Lopez. Selena was a Texas born singer of Tejano music and going from a cult attraction to breaking into an international phenomenon. How factual this film is can be questionable; but very interesting nonetheless.As the rising star was showing brilliance, she was gunned down by the very president of her own fan club in 1995. Shown through flashbacks her father Abraham(Edward James Olmos), a typical stage father/manager, finally realizes how enormously talented and loved his daughter is. There is the extreme closeness of her family, the marriage to guitarist Chris Perez(Jon Seda)and the snowballing success being ended by tragedy(only dealt with via taped news reports). Actual Selena concert footage is used; and this film overflows with music. Enough can't be said of Lopez in her portrayal...she is so enjoyable, lovable and s-e-x-y! Others featured in the cast: Jackie Guerra, Constance Marle, Jacob Vargas, Rebecca Lee Mezza, Alex Meneses and Sal Lopez.
187 Reviews
Simple biopic with Lopez and the great Edward James Olmos
SnoopyStyle11 May 2014
This is a biopic of Selena Quintanilla-Perez (Jennifer Lopez). Back in 1961 Corpus Christi, Texas, Abraham Quintanilla faced racism from the whites on the one hand, and rejection from the Mexican community of their 'white' music on the other hand. He (Edward James Olmos) settles down in Lake Jackson, Texas raising a family. He starts a family band despite objections from wife Marcela (Constance Marie). Then he starts a restaurant and quits his job again against Marcela's wishes. He keeps pushing the kids especially young Selena even when the restaurant goes under. He's a true stage dad. She falls for hired guitarist Chris Perez (Jon Seda) and gets married in secret.
Jennifer Lopez comes in after 30 minutes. It's fine because the childhood story is actually good, and they've got the great Edward James Olmos holding it together. EJO is truly amazing. Jennifer Lopez shows that she has the acting chops. Writer/director Gregory Nava has made the standard biopic. It's sweet. The family drama is good. They don't push anything outrageous. The killing is relegated to the back and Yolanda Saldivar isn't explored that deeply.
Jennifer Lopez comes in after 30 minutes. It's fine because the childhood story is actually good, and they've got the great Edward James Olmos holding it together. EJO is truly amazing. Jennifer Lopez shows that she has the acting chops. Writer/director Gregory Nava has made the standard biopic. It's sweet. The family drama is good. They don't push anything outrageous. The killing is relegated to the back and Yolanda Saldivar isn't explored that deeply.
a very good answer to the question, "who's Selena?"
steve.schonberger7 June 2000
When the news reported that Selena Quintanilla was murdered, I wondered, "who was Selena?" The obituary mini-biographies told me almost nothing about her, except that she was fantastically popular as a Tejano singer.
The movie was made with the Quintanilla family's backing, so it's no surprise that it portrays Selena very favorably. But there's no hint of scandal in anything I've read about her, and the movie is fairly hard on Abraham, her father, manager, and the movie's executive producer. Maybe she fully deserved the movie's praise.
The movie was centered on her childhood and rise to fame. Her murder was just the conclusion to her story. That was a good choice: Told as the story of a musician rising from obscure child star to Grammy winner, but staying close to her family and grateful to her fans, the movie is unusual and interesting. Had it been told as the story of a star betrayed by a trusted associate, or the story of a person shot dead by an estranged friend, it would have been unfortunately ordinary, and less interesting.
Jennifer Lopez was amazing. She always seems right as the dutiful daughter who also pays the family's bills with her talent. Even when she's willful, awareness of likely consequences shows in her face. She does a fine job lip-synching the musical pieces too. Finally, her physical resemblance to the real Selena is amazing.
The other Selena actress, Rebecca Lee Meza as young Selena, was also very impressive, except for occasional lip-synch lapses. She looks a lot like I'd expect Jennifer Lopez as Selena to look like at a younger age.
The movie worked as entertainment, and it worked as a sympathetic biography. I liked the Spanish language music a lot too.
The movie was made with the Quintanilla family's backing, so it's no surprise that it portrays Selena very favorably. But there's no hint of scandal in anything I've read about her, and the movie is fairly hard on Abraham, her father, manager, and the movie's executive producer. Maybe she fully deserved the movie's praise.
The movie was centered on her childhood and rise to fame. Her murder was just the conclusion to her story. That was a good choice: Told as the story of a musician rising from obscure child star to Grammy winner, but staying close to her family and grateful to her fans, the movie is unusual and interesting. Had it been told as the story of a star betrayed by a trusted associate, or the story of a person shot dead by an estranged friend, it would have been unfortunately ordinary, and less interesting.
Jennifer Lopez was amazing. She always seems right as the dutiful daughter who also pays the family's bills with her talent. Even when she's willful, awareness of likely consequences shows in her face. She does a fine job lip-synching the musical pieces too. Finally, her physical resemblance to the real Selena is amazing.
The other Selena actress, Rebecca Lee Meza as young Selena, was also very impressive, except for occasional lip-synch lapses. She looks a lot like I'd expect Jennifer Lopez as Selena to look like at a younger age.
The movie worked as entertainment, and it worked as a sympathetic biography. I liked the Spanish language music a lot too.
Live Life To The Fullest Like Selena Did
Chrysanthepop5 June 2008
'Selena' tells the fascinating story of the late Selena Quintanilla, the first famous female tejano singer. In her short life, with the support of her parents and husband, the vivacious young Selena lived the dream of every girl. Nava does a fine job of telling the story. He shows us how happy Selena was with her life (even though there were ups and downs) and she lived it to the fullest. In her short 23 years she achieved what would take a lifetime for some. This was a life that wasn't a waste because Selena knew hot to live life.
But the best thing about 'Selena' is Jennifer Lopez. Those were the days when Lopez acted her heart out on screen as has also been apparent in 'Out of Sight' and 'Blood and Wine'. Not only that, but Lopez looks stunning. Many prefer the way she looks today but in 'Selena' there's an innocence and honesty about her beauty and this coupled with her natural and spirited performance is a delight to watch. The supporting cast that includes Edward James Olmos, Jon Seda and Constance Marie are all very good too.
I loved the way the soundtrack was used in the film and it brings a lot of energy to the story. The cinematography is quite good but I did not like the 3 split screen.
Even though we know the tragic fate of Selena, this film reminds us that it's more important to live a big life than a long life. Make full use of what you have and take your chance. That's what Selena did. She was loved by her friends and family and won the hearts of millions. Strongly recommended.
But the best thing about 'Selena' is Jennifer Lopez. Those were the days when Lopez acted her heart out on screen as has also been apparent in 'Out of Sight' and 'Blood and Wine'. Not only that, but Lopez looks stunning. Many prefer the way she looks today but in 'Selena' there's an innocence and honesty about her beauty and this coupled with her natural and spirited performance is a delight to watch. The supporting cast that includes Edward James Olmos, Jon Seda and Constance Marie are all very good too.
I loved the way the soundtrack was used in the film and it brings a lot of energy to the story. The cinematography is quite good but I did not like the 3 split screen.
Even though we know the tragic fate of Selena, this film reminds us that it's more important to live a big life than a long life. Make full use of what you have and take your chance. That's what Selena did. She was loved by her friends and family and won the hearts of millions. Strongly recommended.
watchable, but not memorable
tupungato20 June 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I first saw "Selena" a year ago when I showed it as a video to middle school Spanish students. While many of them expressed disappointment the first time I turned on the classroom lights and stopped the VCR 1-2 minutes before the bell sounded, I knew that for me the movie was lacking something.
That "Selena" the movie failed to greatly impress me did not mean that Selena the entertainer did not appeal to me or that the tragic end to her life had no affect on me. I had hoped, however, to learn more.
Since Selena's music and career interested me little before this film, I could not judge her story as to its accuracy and assumed that the different scenes -- Abraham Quintanilla's rallying and pushing his young children to rehearse, the group's playing for both enthusiastic and disillusioned audiences -- occurred in reality much as I observed them. I did not, in other words, have a basis on which to doubt the story's veracity.
I also had little reason to degrade the performances. Edward Olmos Jr. did his usual dynamic work, this time as Selena's protective and volatile father, and Jennifer Lopez did a credible job making me feel as if I were watching Selena, not JLo. For the most part, in fact, each cast member spoke his/her lines naturally.
What the filmmakers presented, how the characters behaved, and how they spoke, then, concerned me less than what they had to say. Hearing another aspiring musician or singer talk about achieving her dreams, assert her desire to marry because "I love him and he loves me," describe the details of the quaint country home she envisions for herself once she has had enough of concerts and tours, enjoy a rare exclusive conversation with her father in which he tells her, "you have always been my little girl," made me cringe.
After so many other similar stories about entertainers, such as "La Bamba," "The Buddy Holly Story," and "Sweet Dreams," "Selena" often seemed formulaic. While remaining faithful to what truly transpired in Selena's life, the writers could have, I thought, put together an original script.
That "Selena" the movie failed to greatly impress me did not mean that Selena the entertainer did not appeal to me or that the tragic end to her life had no affect on me. I had hoped, however, to learn more.
Since Selena's music and career interested me little before this film, I could not judge her story as to its accuracy and assumed that the different scenes -- Abraham Quintanilla's rallying and pushing his young children to rehearse, the group's playing for both enthusiastic and disillusioned audiences -- occurred in reality much as I observed them. I did not, in other words, have a basis on which to doubt the story's veracity.
I also had little reason to degrade the performances. Edward Olmos Jr. did his usual dynamic work, this time as Selena's protective and volatile father, and Jennifer Lopez did a credible job making me feel as if I were watching Selena, not JLo. For the most part, in fact, each cast member spoke his/her lines naturally.
What the filmmakers presented, how the characters behaved, and how they spoke, then, concerned me less than what they had to say. Hearing another aspiring musician or singer talk about achieving her dreams, assert her desire to marry because "I love him and he loves me," describe the details of the quaint country home she envisions for herself once she has had enough of concerts and tours, enjoy a rare exclusive conversation with her father in which he tells her, "you have always been my little girl," made me cringe.
After so many other similar stories about entertainers, such as "La Bamba," "The Buddy Holly Story," and "Sweet Dreams," "Selena" often seemed formulaic. While remaining faithful to what truly transpired in Selena's life, the writers could have, I thought, put together an original script.
I Shed a Few Tears.
james36200126 November 2002
Since this film was made based on a real-life incident in 1995, I was disappointed that the tragic ending was not dramatized which could have given this film a powerful and meaningful ending and probably an Academy Award nomination for Jennifer Lopez. Instead they chose a two-minute quickie on how Selena died, which you would have missed if you did not hear the mock reporters, since they did not film any scenes of how she actually died. The song "Dreaming Of You" is a beautiful song and it is a shame Selena never got to enjoy the rewards from recording this song nor ever know of her possible success. This song really became a hit after she was killed. Despite the confusing ending, I did shed a few tears.
What a lovely biopic
smatysia2 May 2000
What a lovely biopic. I had barely heard of Selena when she was killed, and I'm no fan of Tejano music. But this picture was a wonderful tribute to the young talent. The movie is a celebration of her life, rather than fixating on her death, as one would expect with her family so involved (controlling) with the film. This approach also just felt right. I'm sure that Hollywood, if it had had its way, would have sensationalized this aspect to the max. I don't know how much of the film is factual, and how much is apocryphal. A local reviewer wrote that a true biography of Selena would have to wait a few years, and be done without a Quintanilla looking over both shoulders.
All I can do is rave about Jennifer Lopez. Her beauty, her talent, her sheer magnetism flows right out of the screen. She was amazing. Since her biography subject died so young, she was able to avoid the problems, inherent in the genre, of trying to age the actress to match the aging of the subject. Constance Marie, who I'm not familiar with, was quite good as Selena's mother, although she did have to deal with the question of appearing to age 15 years. Every cast member seemed right for their part, and everyone did very well. The film seemed well-directed, in that I never thought about the director at any time during the film.
Overall, the movie was very sweet, with obvious tragic overtones. Highly recommended.
All I can do is rave about Jennifer Lopez. Her beauty, her talent, her sheer magnetism flows right out of the screen. She was amazing. Since her biography subject died so young, she was able to avoid the problems, inherent in the genre, of trying to age the actress to match the aging of the subject. Constance Marie, who I'm not familiar with, was quite good as Selena's mother, although she did have to deal with the question of appearing to age 15 years. Every cast member seemed right for their part, and everyone did very well. The film seemed well-directed, in that I never thought about the director at any time during the film.
Overall, the movie was very sweet, with obvious tragic overtones. Highly recommended.
Truly does great justice to Selena's memory and family
jml198812 December 2019
Selena's death is one of my earliest memories. I remember the news coverage watching TV with my mom. This movie gave her voice back just for a little while and brought attention and honor to her memory. Her talent will live on.
Superb job done - 10 out of 10
Pelrad24 February 1999
IMDb's 1,000 words max. limit seemed quite generous until I was faced with reviewing this one. For how could a mere thousand words adequately express the thoughts and feelings generated by sitting through two hours of watching a Lennon or McCartney, a Dion or a Jackson gradually taking hold of her God-given talents and rising to super-stardom only to have it cut short by what must be one of the most vile acts of murder the planet has ever witnessed. What if the first few hit singles or the first couple of albums of ABBA were all we ever got to hear because Agnetha or Frida was murdered at that point? It even goes so far as to make you wonder about the Beatles, even Bach, Mozart, or Beethoven.
I admit I was a bit nervous when I rented the movie because I was worried that a sub-standard job may have been done to capture the short life of this young woman. Her music was really just the outcome of her virtuous self and the incredible qualities of courage, a genuine love for humanity, and a deep-seated patience that she obviously clung to. For, as the film points out, a Mexican-American singer is not easily accepted by Americans nor by the Mexicans. Selena also had to work at brining about unity among her family such as with her father's acceptance of her marriage. Needless to say, the film did not disappoint me in the least, for it portrayed this truth with class.
Fortunately, the film did not "sugar-coat" the characters, as many biographical movies do - it confidently revealed the mistakes and some undesirable traits in the people it portrayed. In fact, the characters were so real, I forgot several times that I was watching a movie and thought I was sitting with these people laughing with them and sharing in their joy and in their pain. Jennifer Lopez was absolutely outstanding. There was so much depth, richness, and naturalness in her acting.
I recognise also that it must have been very difficult for the actress who played Yolanda (manager of Selena's fan club and her murderer). To play the villain in order to help raise awareness of the life of a fabulous soul would be very difficult indeed.
The beautiful candle-light vigils shown at the end of the film made me regret very much having not lived in Texas and been part of them at the time. I especially appreciated the fact that the film did not make Selena's death its focal point. It was much more of a celebration of the contribution she made in brining joy to the hearts of an unhappy world. This was its focus, even though Selena's death gave me a very sharp sting and made me cry. It is so sad but it cheers me that this film was made and that such a superb job was done on it. Thank you to all who worked on making this excellent film. (10 out of 10).
I admit I was a bit nervous when I rented the movie because I was worried that a sub-standard job may have been done to capture the short life of this young woman. Her music was really just the outcome of her virtuous self and the incredible qualities of courage, a genuine love for humanity, and a deep-seated patience that she obviously clung to. For, as the film points out, a Mexican-American singer is not easily accepted by Americans nor by the Mexicans. Selena also had to work at brining about unity among her family such as with her father's acceptance of her marriage. Needless to say, the film did not disappoint me in the least, for it portrayed this truth with class.
Fortunately, the film did not "sugar-coat" the characters, as many biographical movies do - it confidently revealed the mistakes and some undesirable traits in the people it portrayed. In fact, the characters were so real, I forgot several times that I was watching a movie and thought I was sitting with these people laughing with them and sharing in their joy and in their pain. Jennifer Lopez was absolutely outstanding. There was so much depth, richness, and naturalness in her acting.
I recognise also that it must have been very difficult for the actress who played Yolanda (manager of Selena's fan club and her murderer). To play the villain in order to help raise awareness of the life of a fabulous soul would be very difficult indeed.
The beautiful candle-light vigils shown at the end of the film made me regret very much having not lived in Texas and been part of them at the time. I especially appreciated the fact that the film did not make Selena's death its focal point. It was much more of a celebration of the contribution she made in brining joy to the hearts of an unhappy world. This was its focus, even though Selena's death gave me a very sharp sting and made me cry. It is so sad but it cheers me that this film was made and that such a superb job was done on it. Thank you to all who worked on making this excellent film. (10 out of 10).
Jennifer Lopez Portrays Selena Wonderfully
peterw121017 September 2021
Selena is based on a true story, which makes Jennifer Lopez's job as an actor very difficult, but Lopez did very well in this role. This film had very good dialogue, but needed improvement in the pacing of the film. All in all, the acting was amazing and they did a good job telling the story of Selena.
Overall, 7/10.
Overall, 7/10.
Great concept, annoying characters
katrob9-194-78547524 December 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Love the soundtrack, beyond that it is hard to say anything positive about this movie. I was first soured when before the film went into production they put on a publicity stunt wherein they allegedly were going to tour the country looking for the perfect Hispanic young girl to portray Selena, all along knowing Jennifer Lopez had already been chosen. The local news stations had footage of countless thousands of young Hispanic girls waiting in line to audition. Truly dishonest! As for the actors and actresses, hard to say who was more annoying, Jennifer Lopez and her silly giggle and over-acting or Jackie Guerra, the overweight sister and drummer of the band who never missed a scene where you didn't want to slap her for her annoying portrayal of sister Susie.
Jon Seda and Constance Marie are the only redeeming characters, playing their roles without the annoyance factor.
You can save time and just buy Selena's Greatest hits CD since the only reason to watch this film is for the music.
Jon Seda and Constance Marie are the only redeeming characters, playing their roles without the annoyance factor.
You can save time and just buy Selena's Greatest hits CD since the only reason to watch this film is for the music.
Simple, basic and extremely powerful!
Pro Jury23 August 1999
I only sat down to watch this movie because I smelled sex appeal. Probably before the movie started I could not tell you which was Jennifer and which was Selena. But by the end of the movie I was an emotional basket case.
The movie itself is simple and basic. It is innocent and honest and you kind of think to yourself that SELENA feels like a TV movie although the acting is solid. But unlike any TV movie something happens -- the movie jells -- and the end hits you as sudden and hard as a lightning strike.
SELENA and MAN IN THE MOON are the only two movies that make my eyes water just by thinking of them.
Powerful.
The movie itself is simple and basic. It is innocent and honest and you kind of think to yourself that SELENA feels like a TV movie although the acting is solid. But unlike any TV movie something happens -- the movie jells -- and the end hits you as sudden and hard as a lightning strike.
SELENA and MAN IN THE MOON are the only two movies that make my eyes water just by thinking of them.
Powerful.
one sad movie
Jay-Young24 March 2006
The movie started as she walked out to the stadium in front of millions of fans cheering her on. That left me in confusion at first. As the movie moved on to show her as a little girl and how she became who she was, it, in a way, explained the beginning of the movie. Her life was sad because she worked so hard as a little girl to become one of the nations biggest stars. It benefited her in the last years of her life. Unfortunately as a soon as she was a big star she was murdered by someone close to her. I gave the movie a seven because the movie surprised me at the end and the movie was a good movie. I was interested enough to finish watching it.
Decent, not exceptional
bwahaha17 March 1999
Back in 1993, I had a roommate who was a devoted Selena fan. I'd never heard of her, but over the next couple of years I heard enough of her (and about her) to get a pretty good idea of what she was about. I even went (with said roommate) to a couple of her shows (she performed often in the area) and had a good time even though I generally can't stand Tejano music and I'm not Hispanic (as most of her audience at that time was). In 1995, like a lot of people who knew who she was, I was saddened by her murder. The story of her life is extraordinarily interesting even if you don't care for her music -- unfortunately, this movie doesn't tell it particularly well. It's too formulaic (rags to riches) and is filled with some unbelievably corny dialogue. The relationship between Selena and Chris Perez (her eventual husband) doesn't come across particularly well since there's very little chemistry between Lopez and Jon Seda, who played Perez in the movie. To her credit, Jennifer Lopez does an incredible job of portraying Selena -- her resemblence (in appearance and in style) to the real Selena is eerie. But other than that, I don't think someone who watches the film without knowing anything about Selena will come away with any real understanding of why so many people were so devastated when she was murdered.
~Selena Quintanilla-Perez~
famousgir127 December 2001
Selena is the true-story of Selena Quintanilla-Perez, a talented young Mexican singer, who was discovered by her own father at the age of 10. Selena had everything going for her, a good family, whom she was very close with, a great husband, loads of fans and of course her music career that kept getting stronger. Selena had even won a prestigious Grammy award for Best Mexican/American Singer and was the most popular Latin singer at that time. Until, all that was taken away from her, when at the age of 23 in 1995, Selena's 'friend' and fan club manager, Yolanda Saldivar murdered her, after Selena had confronted Yolanda about money, she had stolen.
I'm one of the many people out there who only heard about Selena in the last couple of years. I can't remember where I first heard of her. The internet, maybe, but the things I did hear were all good and she sounded like a very talented and popular young singer and of course I was really shocked to hear about how she died.
I was really interested to watch the movie Selena and when I finally got to watch it, I thought it was really great. It tells you the whole story of Selena's life, from when she was just a young girl, to her meeting guitarist Chis Perez and secretly getting married to him, we see her singing at sold-out concerts, all the wonderful fans she had and not only that but we find out that Selena was planning to have kids and she was just about to release her first English language album, all until she was she was terribly murdered. I thought the end of the movie, where there was real footage of the real Selena, was beautifully done and it was great to see clips of the real Selena singing at her concerts, meeting her fans and just having fun with her family, friends and husband.
I thought the whole cast in the movie were great, Jennifer Lopez played Selena really well and deserved any award she received or got nominated for. The rest of the cast including, Edward James Olmos, who played Selena's father and Jon Seda, who played Selena's husband Chris Perez did really well too.
After watching the movie and hearing Selena, (Jennifer Lopez was lip-synching to Selena's voice. I thought that was good too.) I am going to get hold of some of Selena's music. I hope her memory will live on forever. Selena, the movie is highly recommended. Whether you're fan or not, see it.
I'm one of the many people out there who only heard about Selena in the last couple of years. I can't remember where I first heard of her. The internet, maybe, but the things I did hear were all good and she sounded like a very talented and popular young singer and of course I was really shocked to hear about how she died.
I was really interested to watch the movie Selena and when I finally got to watch it, I thought it was really great. It tells you the whole story of Selena's life, from when she was just a young girl, to her meeting guitarist Chis Perez and secretly getting married to him, we see her singing at sold-out concerts, all the wonderful fans she had and not only that but we find out that Selena was planning to have kids and she was just about to release her first English language album, all until she was she was terribly murdered. I thought the end of the movie, where there was real footage of the real Selena, was beautifully done and it was great to see clips of the real Selena singing at her concerts, meeting her fans and just having fun with her family, friends and husband.
I thought the whole cast in the movie were great, Jennifer Lopez played Selena really well and deserved any award she received or got nominated for. The rest of the cast including, Edward James Olmos, who played Selena's father and Jon Seda, who played Selena's husband Chris Perez did really well too.
After watching the movie and hearing Selena, (Jennifer Lopez was lip-synching to Selena's voice. I thought that was good too.) I am going to get hold of some of Selena's music. I hope her memory will live on forever. Selena, the movie is highly recommended. Whether you're fan or not, see it.
the biography of a great singer
chris-worthy24 March 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Selena is a great movie for fans of her music as well as others, in this biography Selena is played by up and coming Latin singer Jennifer Lopez who does a wonderful job of portraying a musical icon this movie takes you for her humble beings to her tragic death and always makes you feel like you part of the family it is an enjoyable movie and provides a good film for the whole family form the littlest kids to grown adults all will love the movie with featuring some of the songs that made her famous this movie will start you of in the shoes her father and aspiring singer and his band called the Dino's later you see Selena as a child later her as an adults where you see her fall in love and even risk her career of the man of her dreams Selena was a wonderful singer and her untimely death was unfortunate but for one last look in her life this is a great movie to own
One of the very few times J.Lo did a decent job
stefstars19 November 2019
I remember seeing this film when it came out in theaters; needless to say, it has significant nostalgic value for me. Still, now that I'm older, I can take my rose colored glasses off and see it for what it realistically is. It has its flaws, it can be a bit corny in some scenes, but this was a late 90's film after all. The acting is great, all these actors/actresses really took the time to study the people they were portraying. Olmos is a convincing Abraham, the actor playing A.B. doesn't get much screen time considering he played a big part in Selena's career (writing the songs & producing) but when he does come out, he's very good. The actor playing Chris is great as well, got his shy mannerisms down.
I can honestly say, this is a movie that J.Lo does well in. Remember this film is the one that boosted her to stardom. See in this film she's playing Selena, she had to do Selena's mannerisms and act out Selena's personality as best as she could. She succeeds, if she didn't, she wouldn't be the woman you know her as now. It's true when they say that J.Lo needs to be grateful to Selena for her career. Why did J.Lo shine in this role ? Because she wasn't playing herself (like she does in 90% of her other, cheesy films) she had to play someone else and had to do it properly. She's a convincing Selena, even does her laugh really well, so it's hard to imagine anyone else do the role but I'm looking forward for the Netflix series nonetheless.
One thing that slightly disturbed me as I got older is how the family was so quick to releasing a biopic of their daughter, she had just passed away in 1995. The film has that rushed feeling to it (pacing is one of the flaws in this film) and it makes you wonder why the Quintanillas were so bent on having their version of things told and their version alone. I don't know you guys, I love Selena, but her family seems a bit shady sometimes.
If another film is made about Selena, I hope it's based off Chris' book and the Quintanillas don't block it from happening, again.
I can honestly say, this is a movie that J.Lo does well in. Remember this film is the one that boosted her to stardom. See in this film she's playing Selena, she had to do Selena's mannerisms and act out Selena's personality as best as she could. She succeeds, if she didn't, she wouldn't be the woman you know her as now. It's true when they say that J.Lo needs to be grateful to Selena for her career. Why did J.Lo shine in this role ? Because she wasn't playing herself (like she does in 90% of her other, cheesy films) she had to play someone else and had to do it properly. She's a convincing Selena, even does her laugh really well, so it's hard to imagine anyone else do the role but I'm looking forward for the Netflix series nonetheless.
One thing that slightly disturbed me as I got older is how the family was so quick to releasing a biopic of their daughter, she had just passed away in 1995. The film has that rushed feeling to it (pacing is one of the flaws in this film) and it makes you wonder why the Quintanillas were so bent on having their version of things told and their version alone. I don't know you guys, I love Selena, but her family seems a bit shady sometimes.
If another film is made about Selena, I hope it's based off Chris' book and the Quintanillas don't block it from happening, again.
You're not human if you don't shed tears for her
ray-28012 March 2006
Back in 1993 or thereabouts, I was watching Univision one weekend night (for variety and to learn some Spanish), and they were airing a special: a live Selena concert. I remember thinking how beautiful and talented she was, but also how BIG. Madonna had nothing on her level of popularity, which seemed almost to exceed it. Barely twenty years old, Selena's meteoric rise seemed inevitable. I had become a fan of hers after watching the Univision concert, and knew of her name and her work, but never thought that it would be the last time I would ever see her. Only James Dean's premature death in 1956 rivals this tragedy for the loss of talent at such a young age. It is scary to think of what Selena would have become had she simply not been killed.
The movie focuses on Selena's rise to fame as a crossover Tejano music star, more popular south of the border than in the United States, but becoming famous in both lands nonetheless. Other than Selena (Jennifer Lopez), the movie centers around her family, her husband Chris Perez (a very competent Jon Seda), and her strong-but-loving father, Abraham (Edward James Olmos in what is easily the best performance of his career).
Lopez checked her attitude at the door for this film, and plays Selena with reverence. Her resemblance to Selena and singing ability made her perfect for this role, and Olmos made an excellent second-fiddle. The scenes between father and daughter transcended fame and showed the normalcy of Quintanilla family life as the backdrop for the spiraling fame that threw them into chaos, such as when Selena had planned to tell her father about her sudden marriage but the radio had beaten her to it.
As we all know, Selena was tragically murdered by her fan club president, a woman I will not name so as not to give her any more fame (I urge others to do this as well). How someone with such a precious access to a precious individual could snuff out a life so young, so talented, and destined to be one of our greatest superstars is beyond comprehension. This crime was senseless even among other senseless crimes.
This is a loss that in some ways has still never been recovered from. Women like Selena come around once in a lifetime, and she was it for us. Sadly.
My heart goes out to her family for having to endure such a horrifying experience.
The movie focuses on Selena's rise to fame as a crossover Tejano music star, more popular south of the border than in the United States, but becoming famous in both lands nonetheless. Other than Selena (Jennifer Lopez), the movie centers around her family, her husband Chris Perez (a very competent Jon Seda), and her strong-but-loving father, Abraham (Edward James Olmos in what is easily the best performance of his career).
Lopez checked her attitude at the door for this film, and plays Selena with reverence. Her resemblance to Selena and singing ability made her perfect for this role, and Olmos made an excellent second-fiddle. The scenes between father and daughter transcended fame and showed the normalcy of Quintanilla family life as the backdrop for the spiraling fame that threw them into chaos, such as when Selena had planned to tell her father about her sudden marriage but the radio had beaten her to it.
As we all know, Selena was tragically murdered by her fan club president, a woman I will not name so as not to give her any more fame (I urge others to do this as well). How someone with such a precious access to a precious individual could snuff out a life so young, so talented, and destined to be one of our greatest superstars is beyond comprehension. This crime was senseless even among other senseless crimes.
This is a loss that in some ways has still never been recovered from. Women like Selena come around once in a lifetime, and she was it for us. Sadly.
My heart goes out to her family for having to endure such a horrifying experience.
A good biopic of one the most praised Mexican American singers
rigovega17 February 2019
There is no denying Selena's impact. Her career was short, but left a lasting impact and legacy. As a biopic, it is what you expect. As a drama, it is average with minor details to make it some what different. Jennifer Lopez does an excellent and convincing job as Selena. Edward James Olmos, does a frightening, almost doppelganger like performance as Selena's father.
The biopic does a good job telling the story of one of the most important Mexican American artist of all time.
The biopic does a good job telling the story of one of the most important Mexican American artist of all time.
The movie was very interesting!
tahpenes-j-sharp00124 March 2006
The movie "Selena" was really good. The drama and humor was all good. I liked how the movie started off with her being little and showing how she started off in the industry. Her parents were very supportive of her. Her father was really hard on them when they had to practice. They never liked to rehearse. Her brother and sister were both good people to be around. I liked all of the songs that were played in the movie. Her and her husband Chris were a very cute couple. The way she wanted to grow up and have a farm with lots of kids was really cute. All of her music was great. I think that Selena was a very beautiful and talented women. The way she died was very sad and horrible. She will be truly missed.
Kinda corny
Quinoa198429 July 2000
This is the type of film that could've been made as a TV movie (with different actors) by being so cheesy with It's drama. Not that it is a bad depiction of the late pop singer Selena Perez. Far from it. Jennifer Lopez embodies her character very well and makes this film nearly viewable. But there is a problem- the drama is not well thought out so stuff that was made for the screen can be depicted good (a good example of good made up drama is Man on the Moon). So what comes out is a story with no real vital core, just a sad ending (and most people know the ending before the thing ends). Still, it might be worth watching (mainly if you are stuck watching it in Spanish class) if you are a fan or just want to see Lopez embody a character. Edward James Olmos appears as Selena's over-controlling and over-dramatic father. B-
Unrealistic portrayal of a Tejano star...
yggdrasill19753 July 2000
The movie was a bubblegum version of a less than perfect life, just showing the viewer a perfect view of a perfect world, never digging into the cause of death, motives and natural problems every 20 something might have. It may have made Jennifer Lopez a star due to its repressive, non-confrontational presentation of facts, which made her likable to the viewers.
outstanding
xoamandamoo9 April 2008
oh my gosh. i watched this movie in Spanish class last week, and before this, i had never heard of selena. after watching the film, i have now downloaded about 26 songs of selena's and bought the movie for myself.
i absolutely loved this movie from beginning to end. jennifer lopez did an amazing job. i couldn't tell which parts were the real selena and which ones were lopez.
all of the actors/actress in this film were wonderful. i fell in love with the family from the moment i saw them. they're all so believable and i actually forgot i was watching a movie. i felt every bit of happiness and joy and pain that they experienced.
i fell in love with selena. if lopez portrayed her accurately (i wouldn't know because i had no idea who she was before i watched the film) then she must have been one incredible person. its just so sad her life was cut so short.
at the very end of the film, when they threw the white rose on the stage i thought.. oh no! something's gonna happen. the next thing you see is her on a stretcher and a radio announcer's voice saying that she had been shot. that moment killed me. i started bawling right in the middle of class! i loved her from beging to end and to see her die that way at such a young age is heartbreaking. i was only 5 when she died, so i didn't know about it, but her fans at that time must have been mortified. if jennifer portrayed her correctly, the real selena must have been..(besides and outstanding singer) a truly wonderful human being.
the tribute at the end is amazing. i loved the candlelit vigil for her at the end with the real pictures and clips of her. i love how the movie was focused of the celebration of her life and how much she accomplished in a short amount of time and not her tragic death. for that many people to be so affeccted by her death.. well that must mean that she was really truly and incredible human being, and she is missed by many and will never be forgotten.
i absolutely loved this movie from beginning to end. jennifer lopez did an amazing job. i couldn't tell which parts were the real selena and which ones were lopez.
all of the actors/actress in this film were wonderful. i fell in love with the family from the moment i saw them. they're all so believable and i actually forgot i was watching a movie. i felt every bit of happiness and joy and pain that they experienced.
i fell in love with selena. if lopez portrayed her accurately (i wouldn't know because i had no idea who she was before i watched the film) then she must have been one incredible person. its just so sad her life was cut so short.
at the very end of the film, when they threw the white rose on the stage i thought.. oh no! something's gonna happen. the next thing you see is her on a stretcher and a radio announcer's voice saying that she had been shot. that moment killed me. i started bawling right in the middle of class! i loved her from beging to end and to see her die that way at such a young age is heartbreaking. i was only 5 when she died, so i didn't know about it, but her fans at that time must have been mortified. if jennifer portrayed her correctly, the real selena must have been..(besides and outstanding singer) a truly wonderful human being.
the tribute at the end is amazing. i loved the candlelit vigil for her at the end with the real pictures and clips of her. i love how the movie was focused of the celebration of her life and how much she accomplished in a short amount of time and not her tragic death. for that many people to be so affeccted by her death.. well that must mean that she was really truly and incredible human being, and she is missed by many and will never be forgotten.
Bordeaux??
Thaleia8 September 1999
You might need a big glass of wine to go with this cheese. But despite the saccharine storytelling this film grabs you and won't let go. Jennifer Lopez is fabulous in her portrayal of the doomed singer. Any fans of Selena's music will adore this tribute and other movie fans may enjoy the brain break it provides when you're just in the mood to watch, not to think.
Had to watch this in Spanish class
Clementine26 October 2005
I always like days in Spanish class when my teacher is out, because she gives us some movie to watch. It's invariably no good, but it's a good opportunity to do homework for other classes or study. However, when she told us we were going to be watching SELENA the next day, all the girls who'd seen it seemed excited. I know enough not to trust their judgement (these are people who's favorite movies include Napolean Dynamite and Cinderella Story).
I was right. I was interested in Selena, the person, when our teacher told us about her. The movie, however, was extremely clichéd. Jennifer Lopez's acting was terribly overdone. The movie held every clichéd scene from movies ever, which I realized from the moment we had a shot of Jennifer staring sadly at a couple kissing, with that look 'oh poor me, I have no one.' What follows is a corny string of scenes such as the "I'm sick of everyone telling me what I want" and the forbidden love with the line "But I love him, Daddy!" J.LO shouted a lot. When rewinding it to find the right place, we played in four times to check; she was crying in three of them.
The writing even stooped as low as "We got married and it's okay with everybody!" followed by "I feel like I could fly! I feel like I AM flying".
The guy who played Selan's father gave the best performance. The best I can say about J.Lo is she looked gorgeous...so much better then the slutty look she has today. I enjoyed the music in the movie (Which i understand was J.Lo lip-synching to the real Selena) and the end footage of the real Selana was nice. Half the people in my class loved it...that would be the other teenage girls. Not the worst way to spend a day in class, but I wouldn't watch it outside of the classroom.
I was right. I was interested in Selena, the person, when our teacher told us about her. The movie, however, was extremely clichéd. Jennifer Lopez's acting was terribly overdone. The movie held every clichéd scene from movies ever, which I realized from the moment we had a shot of Jennifer staring sadly at a couple kissing, with that look 'oh poor me, I have no one.' What follows is a corny string of scenes such as the "I'm sick of everyone telling me what I want" and the forbidden love with the line "But I love him, Daddy!" J.LO shouted a lot. When rewinding it to find the right place, we played in four times to check; she was crying in three of them.
The writing even stooped as low as "We got married and it's okay with everybody!" followed by "I feel like I could fly! I feel like I AM flying".
The guy who played Selan's father gave the best performance. The best I can say about J.Lo is she looked gorgeous...so much better then the slutty look she has today. I enjoyed the music in the movie (Which i understand was J.Lo lip-synching to the real Selena) and the end footage of the real Selana was nice. Half the people in my class loved it...that would be the other teenage girls. Not the worst way to spend a day in class, but I wouldn't watch it outside of the classroom.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
