Benavides Born (2011) Reviews

• A coming-of-age story set in our little-known "back yard": definitely go see it.

  nannagardener2011-03-20

  The Hispanic population of the U.S. is our fastest-growing segment, yet we know so little about the Hispanic-Americans, who have lived in the southwest for generations. Here is a big little movie that tells that story, and much more. It is a coming-of-age story of a young S. Texas woman who is recognizable to all of us (men and women, Hispanic and Caucasian) who were young once and kept making mistakes. A realistic ending does not diminish the triumph, not only for Luz, but for her family, a poor family that sticks together though thick and thin. And there is plenty of thin in their lives and community. I loved all the characters, especially the grandmother...maybe because I am one. I loved the see-saw between small comic moments and big awful scenes. I saw this movie in a packed theater on the last day of the Sundance Film Festival. I would recommend the film to anyone who is dying for a good story, well-told and well-acted, about a part of our country that is our "back yard", yet so little known.

• Excellent film!

  dafcortez72011-03-15

  Excellent film! I think the Mexican-American community would identify with and appreciate the film (for the story really is about them), but feel that the film's themes about perseverance, confidence building, and empowerment (particularly for young women) are universal, and the director/writer made particular effort to include elements - like non-ethnic-specific score and songs - to help viewers beyond the Mexican-American community find themselves in this story. The young woman in the lead role does an amazing job, as do all the actors. I look forward to seeing more wonderful films from Kapok Pictures.

• excellent movie with dreary picture of hopelessness

  rightwingisevil2012-01-10

  to me, watching movies is not just killing time or getting thrills out of the monotonous life, it's something i want to get to learn more about someone else' real life in my neighborhood or what is happening right now in a remote place. 'all she can' is such a movie that has made me thinking and pondering of what is the future of America, what kind of hope we got for our young generation. it's not just those kids from their rich families but for those young ones from the constantly struggling mass of this so-called promise land of your American dream. what we got here is a high school immigrant young girl trying so hard to get out and get away from the suffocating hopeless surroundings where she and her family are struggling. her only means to get out is choosing weight lifting not by working in the fast food joint. she tried everything but then decided to cut corners, then facing and dealing with the doomed consequences. those most are law abiding Mexican immigrants for several generations already in the deadbeat Texas small town, their daily struggles are what i have seen all around me, not just in Texas but every states in America. 'American dream' now has become a laughing joke, a once called promise land now seemingly and ironically called as a 'land of broken dreams'. when the only way for some good kids from the poor families is by becoming the chosen ones for boxing, track and field, dancing, playing all kinds of balls, now, even a young female high school girl has to choose 'weight lifting' to get scholarship, to get out of her dying small town in Texas (and her brother, as always, only the kids from poor families or poor immigrant families got the privilege to serve their ((adopted)) country), then i have no doubt that America got serious problem. how could we make fun of the Chinese or the Russians, mocking their young athletes are the products of the state? while pointing your finger at them and making jokes at them, why don't you have the courage and decency to look at yourself in the mirror? what makes you think that America or American are so different from them? this is a very sad almost break-my-heart movie. it's so hopeless and so hurt to see such a strong-minded young kid fighting a hopeless war she could never win. even she did pass the wt. lifting contest, she still get so many hurdles and obstacles in her future to overcome. the poverty of her family is the original sin she always has to deal with again and again.

• This film will touch your emotions as well as educate you about some painful realities in this country

  FilmRap2011-06-09

  **** All She Can (previously named Benavides Born) When a movie can target a contemporary social issue in human terms with a fresh approach, it deserves attention. Young people growing up in South Texas, despite many of their families having lived there for several generations, have very few options for breaking out of poverty and achieving the American dream. Husband and wife filmmakers Amy Wendel and Daniel Meisel looking to write their screenplay and make their first feature film were drawn to this area and wanted to tell this story. They spent a great deal of time in and around Benavides Texas where they came to understand the plight of a number of young people in this community. The main character of their screenplay is Luz (Corina Calderon) a high school senior and a competitive weight lifter who sees the possibility of winning the state championship as the road to a college scholarship which will pay for her college education. In reality, other sports provide the more likely avenue for college scholarships although the introduction of this mostly unknown high school competition is part of the attraction and fascination of this movie. In Texas the top 8% of any high school class is accepted to the University of Texas but they have to come up with the money to pay for tuition. Perhaps this is why this film also showed the friendly military recruiters in the halls of the high school and also why a disproportionate number of our combat soldiers come from rural areas such as the one shown in this film. This also accounts for the desperation that we see in Luz and the extremes to which she is willing to go to win her weight lifting championship and achieve her goal of getting a college education. This is not your typical " Rockyesk " movie where the hero or heroine is shown delivering their triumph in the end. In fact, despite the difficulty and hardships of the struggling high school students, the film reminds us that this is nothing compared to the desperation of the people risking their lives and the lives of their children as they sneak across the border. This determination becomes the inspiration of the main character and of this movie. This film will touch your emotions as well as educate you about some painful realities in this country. It merited being selected for the Sundance Film Festival this year and we highly recommend it. FilmRap.net

• I'M NOT AFRAID OF FAILING

  nogodnomasters2018-12-30

  Luz Garcia (Corina Calderon) wants to go to the University of Texas. She can get loans, but that isn't good enough as her family is strapped for money. She wants the free ride of a scholarship which she plans on getting through power lifting. She has to win the state tournament for her weight class. Power lifting is NOT an NCAA sport and universities therefore don't award full scholarships. Texas offers 12 $500.00 scholarships to seniors with 3.0 grade average or better. I will try not to let reality ruin the story, but $500 doesn't go far at the University of Texas. Luz has a pot smoking boyfriend (Jeremy Ray Valdez) who is perhaps a typical teen male which clashes with Luz's desire to go to UT. She also has a slight problem maintaining her 114 pound weight for her class...and has a nasty habit of spitting. Her overwhelming desire to get out of town makes Luz her own worst enemy as she disobeys her coach and has teen snits. She rejects the idea that local inexpensive college options might still allow her to achieve her life goals. The movie has real characters and not the cookie-cut type. They have elements of both good and bad with a plot that doesn't go where you expect it to go. There were some plot elements that were improbable with a steroid sniffing dog topping the list. Some basic life lessons: If a policeman with one amazing drug sniffing dog asks, "Whose jacket is this?" Do not say, "Mine," even if it is your jacket. The movie started out as a boring 3 star "Karate Kid" story, but as things become real, the film becomes a really good indie. No sex, no nudity (some butt/bra/panties) and no F-bombs. Teen drinking/ pot use. Public urination. Minor PG swearing