Mi Vida Loca or My Crazy Life a low budget independent film that was released in 1993. Ii was during in an era when gang brutality made news worthy stories and gang violence was at its peak. Many gang related killings are credited to this period. As gang tragedies intensify, they would become ordinary in these types of communities. Violence, drug abuse, and betrayal becomes a daily routine in communities such as Echo Park.In this film, the girls must battle between the odds that are not in their favor. This film is about survival in there twisted utopia.Their whole revolved around the neighborhood and the gang. This is a place where everything is at their convenience and there is no reason to leave since everything is there. It is a coming to age drama that revolves around the lives of two naive teenage female gang members Angel Aviles as Sad Girl and Seidy Lopez as Mousie. Jacob Vargas also co stars as Bullet the casanova of the ghetto.
This film tells a story of two girls who were best friends andwho grew up in Echo Park, a small section of City of Los Angeles. The bond between the two girls is special and in a split second there lives are changed for ever. This film depicts the girls as vulnerable and lack the self respect as they both have a child from the same guy. They both have a child from Bullet. What was once a strong and unbreakable bond is now over. Sad Girl quotes “what comes around goes around that’s life in the Echo.
Dysfunctional families, outside influence and lack of common sense contribute to the girls bad choices. In the beginning of the movie, Mousie was hiding from her mom. As a little she was always getting into trouble. Mom is upset and call her daughter a bitch. Mousie at this time is about six years old. Unlike Real women Have Curves there is no strong family dynamics and family support that can actually be beneficial to a bright future. Sad to say, even the smart girl , Blue Eyes is gullible and is searching for romance through a prison pen pal. These girls are young but have had a rough life. Complacency and violence is a way of life for the female gang members. They do not take control of their lives because the gang life is the only priority. Motherhood at a young age is what is more important. As we see America Ferrera, she takes control of her sexuality and future by living the past to start something new.
As tension escalated between the two girls and a fight was inevitable, however, they actually never fought. Verbal confrontation and insults were a way these girls handled the situation. They would call each other fat to wetback, since Sad Girl was from Mexico, and because they were best friends at one time, they both new so much about each other. This is the away the two conveyed their animosity towards each other. They girls are both are being manipulated by Bullet. He is still sleeping with both of them and perpetuates the situation by doing so. They both are aware but feel that who ever he chooses, will get the ultimate prize. Bullet was a semi responsible father. He had a job but knew working at a grocery store is not going to be sufficient. He has to find a source of income that is easy and lucrative. He becomes a drug dealer just to support his children and his family. Bullet was a casanova and that led him to his demise. He was gunned down and murdered by a white women. This is nothing new when you choose a lifestyle that will ultimately led you to a prison sentence or death. Nothing productive can come from being in gang. This movie was Salma Hayek first film. It was the beginning of carrier for Jason Lee now both are famous thanks to a small independent film about life in the echo.
I feel like this is one of those classic films, like Mi familia. My older siblings are always referencing the film and I always tell myself I have to watch it someday. Thank you for your detailed description of the film. Unfortunately, the hood is full of dysfunctional families due to the environment they grow up in. In most cases the both parents work, making hard to discipline their children. The stress caused by hard labor, low paying jobs causes many Latino men to drink. Conveniently in the hood there’s a bar or liquor store in every other corner. All these factors contribute to young men joining gangs because they are looking for a father or big brother figure, Also teen pregnancy because young women crave the attention they are not getting at home. It’s an endless cycle.
Reading your review makes me think of a few of the other films we have seen such as West Side Story, Scarface and American Me. All of them show a gang in one way or another. In West Side Story you have the two rival gangs the Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. Both groups of young men are loyal to their gang. Both will do anything for each other and stick up and protect each other. In Scarface, Al Pacino has his Cuban gang. In American Me the whole movie pretty much describes gang life in the prison. Sadly, having no support at home can lead a young person to turn to gangs. They feel like they don’t belong and they crave a “family”. Sometimes the “family” they turn to is a gang. As we saw in American Me, sometimes the gang becomes more priority than real blood family. This movie sounds interesting because it shows the gang life from the point of view of females. As those previous three movies I mentioned, they all centered around males being in gangs. It’s refreshing to see how women behave in gangs. I might have to check this movie out.
After reading your review of the movie, I notice some similarities of the movie American Me, and Scarface as well. Your blog, mentions betrayal in the community of Echo park, in the movie American ME, betrayal happened in the streets as well as behind bars. In the Movie Scarface betrayal was almost seen everywhere thought out the entire movie. Gang movies always full of violence and dealing or using drugs. This movies looks like is the other side of the coin with women in gangs. The only two things that gang can bring to people that get involved with them is either six feet under or in jail. Many times, young people turn to gangs because their parents are not supportive or do not care for them and show love.
I forgot about this movie. Its a classic. There were definitely challenges with girls and girls gangs. I feel like sometimes girls can be worse than guys. Times were tough back then and hard to stay out of the inevitable. Sometimes it depends on the wrong place at the wrong time, knowing the wrong person or living in the wrong area that can lead you in to these situations. Echo park is always known for Mi vida loca, but with gentrification Echo park is reconstructing in to a young living LA style city for working corporates. You did a very cool way of presenting the images along with your blog. Very nice!
I remember watching this film as a teenager and have always liked it. There are some very interesting facts in this film that are not always known. For example, Allison Andres casted real and true life gangsters in her film. She also accumulated true stories from girls that were really in gangs. You gave a great synopsis of the film. This film also gives Latinos a bad reputation at the same time, because it is showing viewers that many Latino that live in poverty neighborhoods are all gangsters, when this clearly not true. However, Allison Andres was just showing a part of the Latino race that participates in gang activity. So, this movie can be seen in many different ways depending on how the viewer sees it. I liked how you added in the dysfunctional family aspect and why these Latinos have turned into gangsters. All in all your blog was informative and showed a true perspective on life and how you interpreted the film.
I have not watched this film, but your blog post is very informative, well written, and organized. You do a good job summarizing the film. I find it interesting that there is a film about the role of females in the gangster lifestyle. Unfortunately poor families of color experience dysfunctional relationships, which is not surprising. We all do not know how to manage stress, sleepless nights, poverty, hunger, and juggling school and work at the same time. This film tells a real story similar to American Me. I do not believe this film was produced as a form to criticize the Latino community but to bring awareness to promote change. Have a good summer.
Wow I’m surprised how many films I haven’t seen. This was a good review. It’s sad that this is such a reality for some girls. It seems so foreign to us when we watch movies like this because most of us are not part of these types of communities and gang life. But just like American Me, it’s sad to see the same cycle over and over. These kids grow up with this and it’s all they know. They have no one to show them a better life, or how to get an education or better themselves. They follow what their older brothers and sisters do and that’s the gang life. In American Me you so badly want the little boy at the end to change and get out of that lifestyle but without role models it’s almost inevitable. I didn’t know this was Salma Hayek’s film. I wish the semester was longer so we could watch all of these great films. Great post!