Selena is a 1997 American biographical musical drama film about Tejano music star Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, played by Jennifer Lopez. The film, written and directed by Gregory Nava, chronicles the star's rise to fame and death when she was murdered by Yolanda Saldívar at the age of 23. In addition to Lopez, the film also stars Edward James Olmos, Jon Seda, Constance Marie, Jacob Vargas, Lupe Ontiveros, and Jackie Guerra in her film debut.
Selena was released in the United States on March 21, 1997, by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film received positive reviews from critics and grossed $35 million worldwide against a production budget of $20 million. For her performance, Jennifer Lopez received a Best Actress nomination at the 55th Golden Globes.
In 2021, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant", and was re-released in select cinemas on April 7, 2022, to coincide with the film's 25th anniversary.
In 2024, the Pérez Art Museum Miami organized a screening of Selena as part of the institution's Floating Films with Ballyhoo Media. During this event, the film was screened from the water.
Plot The film opens backstage at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas, on February 26, 1995, right before Tejano superstar Selena plays to a sold-out crowd ("Disco Medley").
In 1961, during the Civil rights movement, a young Abraham Quintanilla and his doo-wop group “The Dinos" are unable to find success. A restaurant owner in Texas cancels their gig when he finds out they are not white. They perform for a Mexican-American nightclub, but a violent riot ensues when they do not perform the audience's preferred Tejano music, but rather American pop ("Blue Moon" and “We Belong Together)”.
Twenty years later, Abraham is married to Marcella and living in Lake Jackson, Texas with three children: son A.B., and daughters Suzette and Selena. Discovering Selena's singing talent, Abraham creates the band "Selena y Los Dinos", her as lead singer, A.B. on bass, and Suzette on drums. Initially reluctant, the children enjoy making music ("We Belong Together"). Moving to Corpus Christi, Texas, the band goes on the road to support the family. After lackluster reception at a carnival, Selena begins adding more dance and personality into her act. The band's success grows following local performances. In 1989, Selena reveals her bustier during a carnival performance ("Baila Esta Cumbia"), angering Abraham due to its sexually suggestive nature.
In 1990, Chris Pérez auditions as the guitarist. Abraham disapproves of his heavy metal style but hires him after he agrees to cut his hair. Then Selena and Chris eventually fall in love. In 1992, when Chris' former band members trash a hotel suite, Abraham threatens to fire him. A.B. pleads with him to reconsider, mentioning he is needed for their upcoming tour in Mexico. Promoters worry when they realize Selena does not speak Spanish well, but her personality and care for her fans win everyone over. A show almost goes awry when the huge crowd rushes the stage and it buckles ("La Carcacha"). Selena calms them down with a joyous performance ("Como la Flor") and is accepted as an "artist for the people" in Mexico.
After catching Selena hugging Chris on the tour bus, an apoplectic Abraham fires Chris, leaving Selena heartbroken, and threatens to disband the group if Selena follows him. Eventually, Selena insists that Chris marry her, stating that Abraham will never willingly accept their relationship, and they elope. The day after a radio station announces their marriage, Abraham tells Selena he is proud of her maturity, having realized that he was too harsh on her and Chris. The Quintanillas congratulate them, accept Chris into their family, and rehire him as the guitarist.
In 1994, music executives attend a Selena concert ("Bidi Bidi Bom Bom"/"No Me Queda Más") and offer her the chance to record an English-language album, showing that she has successfully broken-down cultural barriers. Selena opens her first Selena Etc. boutique and asks her fan club president Yolanda Saldívar to manage it. Her live album wins a Grammy for Best Mexican American album, and her staff chip in to get her a celebratory gift. After claiming she knows the perfect gift and suggesting they give her all of the money to buy it, Yolanda gives Selena a ring resembling a Fabergé egg but does not mention it was a group present. Selena begins recording her crossover album ("I Could Fall In Love") and she and Chris plan to start a family together.
One night, Abraham tells Selena fans are upset as they paid to join her fan club but received nothing. Other funds that Yolanda has been handling cannot be accounted for, and vital business records are missing. Confronted by Abraham, Selena, and Suzette, Yolanda denies wrongdoing and says she will find the missing documents. While on the road, Selena talks to her mother about being accepted in the English-speaking market with the upcoming crossover album and tour as well as possibly starting a family ("Dreaming of You"). On March 31, 1995, Selena is fatally shot offscreen by Yolanda, who then ends up in a standoff into the night with police and negotiation units. The Quintanilla-Pérez family mourns Selena's death, while a candlelight vigil is held by her fans.
Cast
Jennifer Lopez as Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (teenage and adult versions) Becky Lee Meza as young Selena Jennifer Peña as young Selena (singing voice) Edward James Olmos as Abraham Quintanilla Jr. Panchito Gómez as young Abraham Constance Marie as Marcella Samora-Quintanilla Jon Seda as Chris Pérez Lupe Ontiveros as Yolanda Saldívar Jackie Guerra as Suzette Quintanilla Victoria Elena Flores as young Suzette Jacob Vargas as A.B. Quintanilla III Rafael Tamayo as young A.B. Alex Meneses as Sara John Verea as José Behar Ruben Gonzalez as Joe Ojeda Seidy López as Debra Pete Astudillo as himself, Dinos 1990s Ricky Vela as himself, Dinos 1990s Don Shelton as himself, Dinos 1990s Janice Cruz, Lopez's body double (uncredited)
Production Development On March 31, 1995, Selena was shot and killed by Yolanda Saldívar, a former friend who had managed the singer's Selena Etc. boutiques. Response by the Hispanic community was comparable to the reaction of the assassinations of John Lennon and John F. Kennedy, or the death of Elvis Presley. Newsstands were swarmed by people looking for items concerning Selena. Shortly thereafter, several media projects were in production, including eight unauthorized biographies, six documentaries and two Quintanilla family-unapproved biographical films. This led Abraham to begin working on an authorized biographical material within weeks of her death, a process he found difficult since the family was still mourning.
He believed the film would "put an end to all the false rumors" that were circulating through the media at the time and "silence [the media] from telling the wrong story." He wanted "the whole world to know the [true] story about [Selena]." A.B. spoke out about the family's concern about possible "misinterpretation of [Selena], [their] family, and a culture" by outside sources, and their belief that it was imperative to release their own official film. A.B. claimed the decision was foisted upon them after learning about the unauthorized biographies and films that could have potentially misconstrued Selena's story. At the time of Abraham's decision, there were "gossip and hurtful crazy things that were coming from the press" about the family's plan on a film. Abraham wanted the film to immortalize Selena "in a true positive and beautiful way [and wanted] to celebrate her life [and to] quiet and put to rest all [the] negative ugliness [the media had portrayed]."
News of Abraham's desire to release an official authorized film reached Hollywood, and American film producer, Moctesuma Esparza. Esparza immediately approached Abraham at his Corpus Christi office about partnering to produce the film. He educated Abraham about the filmmaking process and the support system he could provide while giving Abraham authoritative control over casting, approval of the script and choosing the director. On August 30, 1995 (a week after he and Abraham agreed to partner), Esparza returned to Corpus Christi from California and brought on Gregory Nava. Abraham disliked Esparza's decision and expressed concern about Nava's potential involvement.
Abraham told Esparza he did not want Nava to be the director because of his ego, though Esparza convinced Abraham that he was the perfect candidate. Producer Robert Katz later said Nava was chosen because other films he directed "[have] a very uplifting and positive quality" and believed they deal with "very strong and tragic elements." The Dallas Morning News found Nava's works to give "moviegoers a passionate, powerful look at Hispanic life". On September 8, 1995, Abraham informed the media his decision to partner with Esparza/Katz Productions and announced the film's budget to be in the range of $15 and $20 million. In an Entertainment Weekly interview, Abraham confessed on wanting the duo because they were "in tune with our culture". Other Hispanic filmmakers were considered to direct the film including Luis Valdez and Edward James Olmos (who later joined the cast for the film), but had settled with Nava. Katz said the team had overcome "what most people thought was a fatal contract" by entrusting Abraham's decisions and having a working relationship with him throughout the film's production: "working things out in advance so the studios knew exactly what we were proposing."
Nava began writing the script after recording the Quintanilla family on their stories about Selena. Suzette commented on how Nava took "hours and hours of little stories of our lives and what we would do and how we felt." Nava explained how some stories "had came out" during his recording sessions with the family and published the first draft on March 4, 1996. The incident where Selena and Perez eloped was written in the draft, which Abraham expressed disagreements on. Citing the singer's popularity with children, he was concerned that they could get the wrong message about elopement as being in her best interest.
Nava took a few days to persuade Abraham about the scene's content before he agreed to it, noting that although he understood Abraham's viewpoint, Selena's elopement was important to include because it was a major part of her story. He further insisted that his character's embrace of the match after the scene would shade a more positive tone after his earlier negative judgments on Selena and Perez's relationship. Curious about how Nava found out about the elopement, Abraham asked the director and found out that he had interviewed Perez, who had said that Selena had coaxed him into engagement. The earlier assumption was that Perez had pressured her into secretly getting married.
Casting Roger Mussenden was hired as casting director, and he held casting calls throughout the United States including San Antonio, Texas, Miami, Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles. Casting calls began on March 16, 1996, and concluded on March 23. Over 21,000 people auditioned for the title role, becoming the second largest audition since the search for Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939). Casting turnouts reached 10,000 in Los Angeles and 5,000 in Chicago, while turnouts reached 8,000 in San Antonio. Mussenden chose newcomer 10-year-old Rebecca Lee Meza of Harlingen, Texas to portray young Selena.