GREAT MOVIE FOR ANOTHER POWERFUL ADVANCED LESSON

I keep looking at my files and found a worksheet I made years ago to guide the viewing of the movie Real Women Have Curves.  It was in one of my Spanish III classes many years ago that we watch this movie and by looking now at the guide I wrote, I realized that I was only asking for the plot´s info and that I didn’t go as deep as I could.

I rescued the movie for my AP (Advanced) Spanish Language class because it allows me to integrate at least three important topics in the AP Spanish Language course.  For those who do not know much about the movie it is about the life of Ana, a young lady from a latino immigrant family in LA who struggles understanding some of her family’s views in life.  Here is a link to the plot´s summary on IMDb.

How does the movie “fit” the AP units and topics?

Tema 1: Las familias y las comunidades.

-Comunidades educativas: Ana is a recent Hs graduate and she wants to go to college but her mom has other ideas.  Ana´s teacher helps her make her family understand the importance of postsecondary education.

-La geografía humana: Ana and her boyfriend attended the same high school but they live two very different realities.

-Las tradiciones y los valores: Ana comes from a traditional Mexican family but she grew up and went to school in the US.  Her perspectives and views in life can differ from those in her family.

-La estructura de la familia: Ana´s grandfather, who lives in her house with the rest of the family, is an important character that shows the structure of the Mexican family.

Tema 2: La ciencia y la tecnología.

-El Cuidado de la salud:  Ana´s mom doesn´t believe in doctors, she believes in prayers, superstition, and natural remedies.

Tema 3: La belleza y la estética.

-Definiciones de la Belleza:  This is one of the main topics and themes of the movie.  Ana struggles with her physical image but through the love she discovers that she is indeed beautiful.

-La moda y el diseño: Ana´s sister owns a “santeria” where they design fancy dresses to be sold at outrageous prices just because they are the latest fashion.  In the meantime, those who make those dresses can’t even imagine wearing one of them.

Tema 4: La vida contemporánea.

-Las relaciones personales: All personal interactions in the movie are powerful and exemplify many of the ways we relate to each other in real life.

Tema 5: Los desafíos mundiales.

-Los temas económicos: Ana lives in a poor neighborhood but attends a fancy high school in Beverly Hills.

La población y la demografía: Throughout the movie, you can see how dense is the population in Ana´s neighborhood compared to other parts of LA.

Also, the movie touches on the topic of immigration, and the struggles of immigrants that must work in any kind of work just to be able to support their families.

Tema 6: Las identidades personales y públicas.

-La autoestima: As an American individual, Ana didn’t like much about herself, but once she assumes herself as Mexican, she starts liking herself more and more.

Well, as you can see this is a movie that brings together many important topics that your students will love to work with and discuss in the TL.

*Keep in mind that this movie can be used in multiple languages.

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8 Comments

  1. So happy you shared this. I was looking at the movie today and decided to link it to Belleza y estética. This is so helpful!
    Thank you.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Thanks so much for sharing this! It looks wonderful. On Amazon, there are no options for watching in Spanish (or even subtitles in Spanish). I am interested in your thoughts about showing it in English? Thanks for your amazing work and for sharing it so generously!

    Liked by 1 person

      1. That makes sense! Again, thanks. You are such a wonderful resource for me – and so supportive of the teaching community!

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