Ana (America Ferrera) is a beautiful Mexican-American girl who has just completed high school. Living in East L.A. with a hardworking blue collar family, Ana's graduation from an upscale school in Beverly Hills is heralded as a huge accomplishment. At least, that's the way her English teacher and mentor, Mr. Guzman (George Lopez) sees it. He would like Ana to apply to college as he feels that she is a smart and talented student. But Ana's deeply traditional mother, Carmen (Lupe Ontiveros), insists that she stay at home and help her sister working in a dressmaking factory. Ana is strong-willed and sometimes defiant, but she accepts her mother's instructions and works at the factory, simultaneously applying to Columbia University. The sweatshop that her sister operates opens Ana's eyes to the injustices of business. She sees how her sister is mistreated and underpaid by the Bloomingdale's executives who have contracted her to make their dresses. Dresses that cost the factory $18 to make are sold at Bloomie's for $600, and Ana questions where all that money goes. She also awakens her mother, sister, and coworkers to the idea that they are more than just pretty pictures or wives or mothers--they are real people with a lot to offer and they shouldn't be mislead by the body image promoted by stores like Bloomingdales that mass-produce clothing in small sizes for thin women. In the end, Ana learns a lot about herself, her family, and even romance, on her way to seeing herself as a woman. This beautifully filmed, sweet film is directed by Colombian-born Patricia Cardoso, and highlights the superb talent of 17-year-old Ferrera in the role of Ana.

This film was included in the 31st New Directors/New Films 2002 series presented by The Film Society of Lincoln Center and The Department of Film and Media of The Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Theatrical Release Date: October 18, 2002 (Limited)

Distributor Notes: A $6 million box office theatrical run followed awards and acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival.

Should Ana leave home, go to college and experience life? Or stay home, get married, and keep working in her sister's struggling garment factory?

It may seem like an easy decision, but for 18 year-old Ana, every choice she makes this summer will change her life. Right now, she may be making clothes for less shapely women. But Ana is about to discover that real women take chances, have flaws, embrace life, and above all have curves!

Source: Warner Home Video

America Ferrera: American actress, UGLY BETTY
Lupe Ontiveros: Spanish Actress
Ingrid Oliu: Actress, REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES (2002)
George Lopez: Actor, BREAD & ROSES (2001)
Brian Sites: Actor, REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES (2002)
Soledad St. Hilaire: Actor, REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES (2002)
Lourdes Perez: Actor, REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES (2002)
Jorge Cervera: Actor, REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES (2002)
Felipe de Alba: Actor, SOY CHARRO DE LEVITA

Patricia Cardoso: Director, REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES (2002)

George LaVoo: PRODUCER\"TARANTELLA"
Effie T. Brown: Prloducer, REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES (2002)

Josefina Lopez: Screenwriter, REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES (2002)

"...Ontiveros' radiant presence sparks a screen full of terrific performances....Honest and wise..."
"...Cardoso's first film is a marvel of pointed humor, and Ontiveros and Ferrera could not be better..."
"...The culture-clash melodrama REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES is effervescent and satisfying, a crowd pleaser that does not condescend..."
"...[A] charming coming-of-age tale....REAL WOMEN feels like an authentic portrayal of a segment of American life that we seldom see on film..."
"...Deftly combining the political with the personal....Entertaining..."
"Boasting a great Mexican soundtrack, a warm script, rich characters and Ferrera's brooding, intense performance, this is a voluptuous film with curves in all the right places."
"...This vibrant, welcoming family drama negotiates a kind of independence....Brightest of all are the full-bodied performances of Ferrera and the wonderful Lupe Ontiveros..."
"...Endearing....The core of this film is newcomer America Ferrera's engaging performance..."