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Born In East L.A.

1987, Movie, R, 84 mins

Born In East L.A.: Review

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While many films spawn hit singles and rock videos, BORN IN EAST L.A. was one of the few to come to the screen after both the song and video. After reading about the 1985 case of a 14-year-old American citizen who was snatched up by Immigration and Naturalization workers and sent south of the border, Cheech Marin wrote a song parodying Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." entitled "Born in East L.A." and made a video to accompany it. Universal then approached Marin with the idea of writing, directing, and starring in a picture budgeted at $5 million, an offer Marin readily accepted. Rudy Robles (Marin) is a third-generation Mexican-American who is mistakenly carted off with a bunch of "illegals" and sent back across the border. With no identification, Robles is unable to convince the authorities he is an American citizen, and he turns to ne'er-do-well American expatriat (Daniel Stern) for help in his plottings to get back home. While waiting for his chance to get north of the border, her falls for local girl Dolores (Kamala Lopez). This is a surprisingly heartfelt film from Marin, miles away from the mindless drug humor that infected his efforts with Tommy Chong. The film offers some genuinely tender moments as Marin uses Robles situation to explore the plight of Mexicans who long for a better life. Stern also turns in a fine performance as a poor man's shifty operator. While Marin's direction is always under control, overall this is an engagingly entertaining film. leave a comment
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