Directed By: John Stockwell 

Written By: Phil Hay & Matt Manfredi 

Cinematography: Shane Hurlbut 

Editor: Melissa Kant 

Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Jay Hernandez, Taryn Manning, Bruce Davison, Herman Osorio, Lucinda Jenney, Miguel Castro, Richard Steinmetz, Tommy De La Cruz, Cory Hardict, Keram Malicki-Sanchez

Carlos Nunez, is a poor but athletically gifted Latino teenager who endures a two-hour bus ride every day from East L.A. to attend the posh, wealthy Pacific Palisades High School in Los Angeles on a football scholarship. A straight-A student, Carlos is focused and driven, but his future is cast in doubt when he becomes the flirtation target of a spoiled, self-destructive bad girl Nicole Oakley, who’s the daughter of a prominent congressman. When his friends, family, and even Nicole’s own father oppose the romance for Carlos’ sake, he chooses to ignore their advice and stubbornly pursues his relationship with Nicole, whose feelings grow from simple physical attraction to something much deeper.

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This is the movie in my teen years I was hoping the Drew Barrymore film MAD LOVE was going to be.

At the time this film was a rare interracial romance, where it seems to be downplayed, but then becomes a kind of class difference with a switch whereas the Hispanic character is the more responsible and stable with a rich family life, and is well respected 

Whereas Kirsten Dunst’s character is a mess who might be good-hearted and is an addict with mental problems and a family that isn’t close but has money 

With this film, Kirsten Dunst is trying to be more professional and take on a dangerous and challenging role. The kind that she was usually offered at the time was more cookie-cutter. This role is the one that Disney stars try to do to be seen as more adult and be seen in a different way allowing them to show range. 

The film isn’t original but keeps your interest as not only a teen romance but a romantic story that has dramatic deaths and comes across better than you probably would expect.

It helps that you like, and admire both lead actors and their characters, and they do have solid chemistry, and they get you to care about both of them.

Happily found trays the minority character as more of a positive and Caucasian character trouble, and the one might end the future of the other. Everyone agrees that he is too good for her.

One appreciates the film, even though Kirsten as a star who was the bigger star. The film and script explore Jay  Hernandez’s character and family ties. just as much as it does hers. Showing atmosphere family, culture, and surroundings can affect a person. 

One admires that he tries to be deeper than just a stereotypical teen romance.  it offers some depth. As it shows a shocking amount of heart throughout. 

The film takes you back to when these movies would actually make it to theaters and not be some offshoot of a streaming channel. 

Grade: B-