From Prada to Nada
| From Prada to Nada | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Angel Gracia |
| Screenplay by | Luis Alfaro Craig Fernandez Fina Torres |
| Produced by | Gary Gilbert Linda McDonough Gigi Pritzker Chris Ranta |
| Starring | Camilla Belle Alexa Vega Wilmer Valderrama Nicholas D'Agosto Kuno Becker Adriana Barraza |
| Cinematography | Héctor Ortega |
| Edited by | Brad McLaughlin |
| Music by | Heitor Pereira |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Lions Gate Pantelion Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 107 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Languages | English, Spanish |
| Box office | $3,836,357[1] |
From Prada to Nada is an American romantic comedy film directed by Angel Gracia and produced by Gary Gilbert, Linda McDonough, Gigi Pritzker and Chris Ranta. The plot was conceived from Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility.[2] The screen play was adapted by Luis Alfaro, Craig Fernandez and Fina Torres to be a Latino version of the English novel, where two spoiled sisters who have been left penniless after their father's sudden death are forced to move in with their estranged aunt in East Los Angeles.[3]
Pantelion Films (joint venture of Lionsgate and Televisa) opened this film in limited theatrical release in the United States on January 28, 2011. In the United States, this film grossed $3 million theatrically;[4] the box office result met Pantelion's expectation.[5][6]
Plot
The film opens with Nora studying law and Mary shopping. They head to their home, Casa Bonita, for their father's birthday. While dancing with their father, he collapses and dies.
At the funeral they meet Gabe Dominguez, a half brother who resulted from an affair their father had years ago. At the reading of their father's will, they discover that they are bankrupt. Nora and Mary sell their house to Gabe, who lets them live with him and his wife, Olivia. They meet Olivia's brother, Edward, when he visits for lunch. During lunch, Olivia tells the sisters that they must move out of the house. Before they leave, their maid gives Nora a box left by their father.
The two sisters go to East L.A. to live with their maternal aunt, Aurelia, where they are introduced to Bruno, their aunt's neighbor. Later, Nora opens the box from her father and finds letters addressed to Gabe, which his mother returned unopened. Nora decides to quit law school and get a job and tells Mary to finish college. Their aunt sells Mary's car and Prada purse ('from Prada to nada'). Edward arrives and gives Mary and Nora stuff from their old home, offering Nora a job in his law office - which she declines. Nora finds a job on her own, and on the bus ride to work she meets a woman who has been fired from her job as a maid. When Nora arrives at her new job she learns that her boss is Edward. Nora and Edward work together on the case for the cleaning ladies, winning a judgment when they discover that there has been a fraud with their payroll.
Mary returns to college, where she meets and flirts with teaching assistant Rodrigo. She gets a ride home from him, directing him to a stranger's Beverly Hills mansion rather than her aunt's house in East L.A. They later share a kiss over lunch. After a brief argument with her aunt that Mary is too ashamed of her family to bring her new boyfriend home for the Mexican Independence Day party, Mary leaves the house in a huff and runs into Bruno outside his house. She makes a deal with him-after taking a dried Bird of Paradise plant from him- that, if Bruno can make the aunt's backyard look good for a party dedicated to Mexican Independence Day, he can have a dance with Mary. Mary invites Rodrigo to the party and admits to him upon arrival at her aunt's house that this is where she actually lives, that he's been dropping her off at a stranger's house, and that her childhood home is the one up for sale. On the day of the party, Bruno watches how Mary dances with Rodrigo. Bruno later declines Mary's offer of a dance to complete the decoration agreement, telling her that he was the one who lost the bet. Edward later arrives at the party, finding Nora drunk on tequila. They go into the kitchen where they kiss. Afraid of her feelings and that it would destroy her career, Nora coldly informs Edward that she is "just another girl who answered an ad in the paper", driving him away and leaving her in limbo. Outside, she and Bruno share the bottle of wine Edward brought; Bruno says sadly, "Sometimes we play a game knowing you're going to lose." Nora answers, "And sometimes we leave a game knowing we could win." The next day Nora finds out that she has received a promotion, that involves a transfer to another department, away from Edward; knowing how that makes her look, she quits. When Rodrigo drops Mary at her aunt's home after she spends the night with him, he tells her he is going to Mexico for a few weeks. When Nora asks Mary if she loves Rodrigo, Mary tells her that she just wants to go back home and that Rodrigo can make that happen, for which Nora calls her a whore and Mary retorts that she would rather be that than a spinster like Nora. Mary and Nora start to ignore each other. Nora opens a free legal service from her aunt's home.
Unaware of Nora's feelings for Edward, Gabe insists that Olivia send the Dominguez sisters an invitation to Edward and Olivia's best friend Lucy's engagement party at Casa Bonita because they are his family. Nora is devastated to receive the invite; Mary urges Nora to go and be honest with Edward about her feelings, saying "if he announces an engagement this quickly he's even more confused than you are.", and that Olivia has given Nora a wonderful opportunity. She offers to go with Nora and the sisters reconcile. When they arrive at the party they are welcomed lovingly by their former house staff. Mary and Gabe go their father's office - the one part of the house that Gabe wouldn't let Olivia remodel. Mary gives Gabe the letters from their father and he tearfully realises that their father wanted to be in his life. Meanwhile, Nora tells Edward why she doesn't count on personal relationships, due to losing both her parents and that her rejection of Edward wasn't because she didn't love him. Mary sees Rodrigo at the party with another woman who turns out to be his wife. Rodrigo tells Mary that he did, indeed, take her recommendation to buy the house. Heartbroken, Mary leaves the party and tries to go home but has a traffic accident after running a red light in the pouring rain.
Gabe comes over to visit his sisters in the hospital and reveals without sadness that he and Olivia split up. Mary returns home in a taco truck, sporting a wheelchair and neck brace. The next day, when she goes over to Bruno's house, Mary discovers detailed designs for the wheelchair ramp he made for her, her old car mirror that he fixed and realises Bruno showed more genuine care for her than Rodrigo ever did. When she finds him in the back yard teaching kids how to paint, Mary holds out the Bird of Paradise flower that she has kept all this time and admits her feelings for him, and they kiss for the first time. Edward arrives with another removal van full of furniture. He reveals to Nora that they bought the house across the street from her aunt, echoing his words at the party that he would want to live in the house across the street. He presents her with the front door key, attached to an engagement ring and declares his love for her. The film ends with all the family and friends celebrating at Nora and Edward's street party wedding.
Cast
- Camilla Belle as Nora Dominguez – the elder, serious, sister. She is a law student who does not want to put relationships above her career. She starts to fall for Olivia's brother, Edward and marries him at the end of the film. Counterpart to Sense and Sensibility's character Elinor Dashwood.
- Alexa Vega as Mary Dominguez – the younger, frivolous, sister. She loves to shop and misses being rich. She is having sex with wealthy Rodrigo to get back to Beverly Hills, then finds out he is married. She then falls for sensible artist Bruno, her aunt's neighbor. Counterpart to Marianne Dashwood.
- Wilmer Valderrama as Bruno – the next door neighbor of Aunt Aurelia who falls for Mary. Counterpart to Colonel Brandon.
- Nicholas D'Agosto as Edward – the brother of Olivia who falls for Nora and becomes her husband. Counterpart to Edward Ferrars.
- Kuno Becker as Rodrigo Fuentes – the married love interest of Mary. At first they date until Mary finds out he is married. Counterpart to John Willoughby.
- Adriana Barraza as Aureliae Dominguez – the aunt of Nora and Mary. Counterpart to Mrs. Jennings.
- April Bowlby as Olivia – Gabe's mean, selfish wife and Edward's sister. Counterpart to Fanny Dashwood.
- Alexis Ayala as Gabe Dominguez Sr. – Nora, Mary and Gabe's father. Counterpart to Henry Dashwood.
- Pablo Cruz Guerrero as Gabe Dominguez Jr. – half brother of Nora and Mary and husband of Olivia. Counterpart to John Dashwood.
- Catalina López as Trinita
- Luis Rosales as Juan
Release
From Prada to Nada was released on Blu-ray and DVD May 3, 2011.
Accolades
| Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12th ALMA Awards | Favorite Movie Actress – Comedy/Musical | Alexa Vega | Won |
References
- ^ "From Prada to Nada (2011)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
- ^ "From Prada to Nada - Film Review & Movie Trailer". Latinrapper.com. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
- ^ ""From Prada to Nada," inspires through hardship - Diversions - Daily 49er - California State University Long Beach". Daily 49er. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
- ^ From Prada to Nada, Box Office Mojo
- ^ Movies. "Hispanics at the Movies: Hollywood Misses una Oportunidad | The Wrap Movies". Thewrap.com. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
- ^ "Indie films or big budget movies?". CNN. March 29, 2007.