Movie Review: Real Women Have Curves
In honor of Hispanic Heritage month, I decided to do this week’s movie review on Real Women Have Curves, which was released in 2002. This movie follows the protagonist, Anna, on her coming-of-age journey in her tradition-centered family. Anna is a bright student who aspirations to attend college, which is not typical for her family. Her parents came from Mexico in order to give her a better life in the United States. Yet, they do not want her to pursue a higher education right after graduating high school, and their financial status pressures Anna to work in her sister’s factory ironing dresses, just as Anna’s mother has done for several decades. Her sister’s factory employs other Mexican women, who make and sell dresses to large companies for $18 apiece. However, the companies sell those same dresses to consumers for $600. Such cheap labor exploitation goes directly against the “American Dream” that Anna and her family once cherished.
... this film critiques beauty ideals and emphasizes 'being comfortable in your own skin'...
The film also gives a well-rounded perspective of Anna’s life. It emphasizes the pressure for her to be thin and have curves in the right places in order to get married. Her mother especially pushes her to watch her weight and find someone she loves. Anna’s boyfriend reinforces her mother’s harmful message when he tells Anna that she’s not fat, but beautiful. However, both Anna’s boyfriend and her mother fail to see that a woman can be beautiful and have some weight. Since this film critiques beauty ideals and emphasizes “being comfortable in your own skin,” it shows a girl who has the courage to defy traditions. For instance, Anna still applies and is accepted to Columbia University despite her parents’ expectations for her to work at a young age and have children. After she is admitted to the university, she convinces her relatives to accept her for the high-aspiring young woman that she is. Real Women Have Curves provides both inspiration and laughs as you watch Anna’s relatable struggles to fit in with her family and follow her dreams.