Ana (America Ferrara) has just graduated from high school. When her schoolmates talk about their plans to go on to college, she tries to change the subject. Although she is a bright student and a hard worker, she has no post-high school plans for her education. It’s not that she doesn’t want to go; her family just cannot afford to send her to college. Even if they could, they would probably not do so.
Ana’s mother, Carmen (Lupe Ontiveros), would prefer to see her daughter lose weight, get married and have children rather than go to college. (Sort of sounds like Toula’s father from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, no?) Carmen is old-fashioned about everything and the fact that her daughter has a mind of her own and a willingness to express herself troubles her deeply. Since Ana has just quit her job at a burger joint, Carmen tells her that she will be going to work in the dress shop run by her sister, Estela (Ingrid Oliu), instead of going to college. With little choice, Ana complies but not without protest.
Real Women Have Curves is Ana’s story of dealing with her sexuality, body image, her mother’s wishes and her future. Although the movie might sound like a “chick flick,” it is, in fact, a movie that should be universally appreciated. It is refreshing to see a female character who likes herself, instead of one who decides to like herself after being put down by others. Ana is strong-minded and never has any problems with her self image. She tries to encourage those around her to want more from their lives rather than the other way around.
There are some problems with the film that keep it from achieving “must see” status, though. While America Ferrara proves herself an able actress as Ana, the rest of the cast is a little uneven. Lupe Ontiveros, who was very good as Consuelo, the maid in Storytelling, does her best with the role of Carmen, but the character is still somewhat of an enigma. What makes her so dead-set against seeing her daughter better herself? Is it jealousy? Is it her own lack of education? The way the script constantly has Carmen belittle Ana for her weight and her failure to submit to the stereotypes of a past generation gets a little repetitive. Ingrid Oliu, as Estela, is very good. Her character is put in the unfortunate position of having to be Carmen’s boss at work while submitting to her at home as a daughter. (I would have preferred to see more of her, even as the subject of her own film.) George Lopez, as Ana’s English teacher, turns in a performance that’s straight out of an ABC Afterschool Special.
Still, Real Women Have Curves is worth seeing, if only for the message that there’s nothing wrong with liking yourself the way you are. Any movie that delivers reinforcement of a positive self-image is a-OK in my book.
3.5 out of 5.0 stars
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