Born into poverty. Destined for stardom. He lived the American dream.
Los Angeles teenager Ritchie Valens becomes an overnight rock 'n' roll success in 1958, thanks to a love ballad called "Donna" that he wrote for his girlfriend. But as his star rises, Valens has conflicts with his jealous brother, Bob, and becomes haunted by a recurring nightmare of a plane crash just as he begins his first national tour alongside Buddy Holly.
- Sexual violence
- Bleak ending
Log it
Sign in to log this.
Character
Earnest, classical in form, grave and nostalgic.
- earnestironic
- classical in formformally daring
- gravecomic
- contemporarynostalgic
- resolvedopen-ended
Who loves it, who doesn't
No profiled raters yet.
Where do you stand?
Answer first; then see how everyone, and your circle, split.
“Does it take too many liberties with the true story?”
Sign in to answer.
Be the first to answer.
“Is the nostalgia doing the heavy lifting?”
Sign in to answer.
Be the first to answer.
“Is this Luis Valdez's best work?”
Sign in to answer.
Be the first to answer.
Ask the title
A yes-or-no question, answered from what people wrote here, on TMDB and on Wikipedia. Never made up.
Reviews
No reviews yet.
Cast
- Lou Diamond PhillipsRitchie Valens
- Danielle von ZerneckDonna Ludwig
- Elizabeth PeñaRosie Morales
- Rosanna DeSotoConnie Valenzuela
- Esai MoralesBob Morales
- Joe PantolianoBob Keane
- Marshall CrenshawBuddy Holly
- Brian SetzerEddie Cochran
- Daniel ValdezLelo
- Howard HuntsberryJackie Wilson
Crew
- Luis ValdezDirector
- Luis ValdezWriter
- Adam GreenbergDirector of Photography
- Miles GoodmanOriginal Music Composer
- Carlos SantanaOriginal Music Composer
- Don BrochuEditor
- Sheldon KahnEditor
- Bill BordenProducer
- Taylor HackfordProducer
Where to watch
Checking availability…
Pairings
Companions we picked from the closest works, and how to take them.
Similar in taste
Closest on the same fourteen dimensions, from everything scored on Curator Co. Other media included when they land close.
Creed II 201888% alikeBoth earnest, classical in form, grave.
The Five Heartbeats 199185% alikeBoth earnest, classical in form, grave.
The Runaways 201084% alikeBoth earnest, classical in form, grave.
Both earnest, classical in form, grave.
The Mambo Kings 199282% alikeBoth earnest, classical in form, grave.
Sweet Dreams 198582% alikeBoth earnest, classical in form, grave.
Köln 75 202581% alikeBoth earnest, classical in form, grave.
The Buddy Holly Story 197881% alikeBoth earnest, classical in form, nostalgic.
Belgravia: The Next Chapter 202481% alikeSeries · Both earnest, classical in form, grave.
Halston 202180% alikeSeries · Both earnest, classical in form, grave.
Often watched with
Recommendations from TMDB. Opening one adds it to Curator Co.
