Super sweet 15

When Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland were asked to photograph their neighbor's quinceañera, little did they know doing so would result in an extraordinary film and winner of two Sundance Film Festival awards (Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize). \n"Quinceañera" is a coming-of-age story about 14-year-old Magdalena (Emily Rios), and the events that lead up to her quinceañera, a traditional Mexican celebration when a girl turns 15. When Magdalena doesn't fit into her quinceañera dress, it is assumed she is pregnant. Although Magdalena is a "virgin," a pregnancy test confirms she is pregnant. \nAbandoned by the baby's father, Herman (J.R. Cruz), and disowned by her preacher father, Magdalena ends up moving in with her great uncle, Tomas (Chalo Gonzalez) and gay cousin, Carlos (Jesse Garcia). Together the three come together to help each other through the hard times and realize the importance of family.\nBoth directors, Glatzer and Westmoreland, took an idea they got from their neighbors, and, in just three weeks, wrote a remarkable script. A majority of the cast had either worked on a few small films or had no acting experience prior to "Quinceañera," but they all deliver outstanding performances. \nThe special features on the disc are something to see. Along with a commentary from the directors and cast, one bonus feature follows the premiere of "Quinceañera" on the red carpet. What I found the most interesting was the behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie. The directors explain how they wrote the script and developed each of the characters. The cast also provides interviews explaining their thoughts and relationship to the characters they play. \nThough "Quinceañera" was not what I expected plot-wise, I found it to be a extraordinary story of a young girl's journey growing up and the difficulties she faces doing so.