Tremblement de coeur

This movie was wonderful. I have watched it over and over. The best part started the minute they drove into Mexico and that music started. My husband assured me that you don't REALLY hear music the minute you arrive in Mexico, but it worked for me!! A+++ I fell in love with Ruben Blades, and Christine Lahti is always graceful, beautiful and a lady. (Loved her in Swingshift) I enjoyed how she finally realized what is important in a relationship. She really told off the school board! When he talked to her in the back of the truck with all the candles lit was so romantic, he could have talked me into marrying him too! All and all this was an amazing movie. I can believe it was a made-for-TV movie!

This was a really sweet movie about life in a small Texas town. While it might stretch your imagination to believe that a high school principal could find true love with the school janitor, it isn't hard to believe what happens when the town folks find out about it. Bigotry is still alive and well in the good old USA. I found myself rooting for true love.

I thought Christine Lahti and Rubén Blades gave award-winning performances. The script was extremely well-written and avoided the stereotypical Latino characters we are all too familiar with. The storyline was great with enough twists and turns to keep it moving along nicely. I was thoroughly drawn into the story and was pleasantly surprised on more than a few occasions by the characters, the dialogue and the action. William Russ, Louise Latham and Tommy Muñiz all deserve kudos for their portrayals as does Mary Kay Place who seems to deliver at every opportunity regardless of the genre. See it!

This simple little film may have been made for TV, but I continue to be amazed by the quality of the cast even though I've watched it a dozen times.

I was especially amazed when I realized the irony of casting decisions...especially with Belita Moreno (Robie Stiles' mother). This character exudes the venomous bigotry of Tidewater -- white trash feeling superiority to Mexican-Americans for no other reason than race -- and for this role to be performed convincingly by a latina is extraordinary. A quick comparison between Bebe Stiles and Benny Lopez (George's mother on the George Lopez show) shows an incredible range. This was also the first film in which I saw Brent Spiner and forgot just for a moment that he might be an android.

I recently watched this again after over 10 years, a friend had it at her house. I must get one! This is where I first fell in love with Reuben Blades...ah, Ernesto, Ernesto, Ernesto..a man to melt your heart with those beautiful eyes, sincere demeanor. I could listen to him talk all day. His warmth just comes right out at you. Lahti's performance was thoughtful and touching, but did not convince me of her position. Perhaps I am only jealous. Nice sentiment of not so much love conquers all, but more that life is rough to everyone, we all have barricades, maybe we need to hold on to someone who loves us. I am a cynic about love, and I have to say that I have never seen ANY movie that made me reconsider my options the way this one does. It touches something inside. I actually cried. It makes one believe in falling in love once more. THAT is a good, good thing.