La Bamba
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Movie Info & Cast
Synopsis
Biographical story of the rise from nowhere of early rock and roll singer Ritchie Valens who died at age 17 in a plane crash with Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper.
Cast
- Lou Diamond Phillips
- Esai Morales
- Rosanna DeSoto
- Elizabeth Peña
- Danielle von Zerneck
- Joe Pantoliano
- Rick Dees
- Marshall Crenshaw
- Howard Huntsberry
- Brian Setzer
Letterboxd User Reviews
3.6
80.6K
16.7K
21.3K
- Jun 16, 2020
*Buddy Holly suddenly shows up in the last 10 minutes of the movie* Ritchie Valens: "The bus broke down!" The Big Bopper: "They're getting a plane for all the headliners!" Me: "NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Alanna WhyApr 3, 2019wow I’m sobbing. alexa play la bamba
I5abelOct 20, 20171. He had that Mexican kid dream of buying his mom a house 2. If a 25 year old Lou Diamond Phillips showed up to my school with his hair like that dressed like that in a car like that and said hey there kitten to me I think I would actually pass out
Screen_Sophia - May 30, 2020
It really do be the day the music died
JeanneMay 6, 2021This is a biopic, so I obviously knew how this would end… but I still feel so empty.
MorganNov 16, 2023The platonic ideal of one of these! The runway coin flip scene is so perfect it might as well be a parody of itself. Great movie.
matt lynch -
Watching "La Bamba" provides you with a set of binoculars to see into Chicano and Mexican culture in 1950s Southern California. They also take you into the development of the garage band, as well, and all those dances with the slow songs. Along with that, the binocs let…
RanchoTuVuApr 27, 2025“RITCHIEEEE!” ☹️ that ending gets me every time. this movie is a prime example of how biopics should be made. this is the golden standard. everything about this movie is so beautifully done and very painful at the same time, obviously, since it’s based on such a tragic…
oldsoulkaty 🌲📺Feb 19, 2013An enjoyable film with toe-tapping music, good acting and one heck of a heartbreaking ending.
Emma Felix
Atom Users Reviews
Reviews
- DBDave BoucherSMSylvia MancillaJJJazzlyn Julian
Metacritic
This is a good small movie, sweet and sentimental, about a kid who never really got a chance to show his stuff. The best things in it are the most unexpected things: the portraits of everyday life, of a loving mother, of a brother who loves and resents him, of a kid growing up and tasting fame and leaving everyone standing around at his funeral shocked that his life ended just as it seemed to be beginning.
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
A dedicatory, sometimes sombre recreation of the career of 50s teen-throb Richie Valens, which feels like a personal project by director Luis Valdez.
William Thomas
Empire
A film like this is quite naturally a showcase for its star, and as Valens, Lou Diamond Phillips has a sweetness and sincerity that in no way diminish the toughness of his onstage persona.
Janet Maslin
The New York Times
Frequently Asked Questions
Is La Bamba (1987) family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as PG-13, meaning that some material may be considered inappropriate for children under 13.
How long is La Bamba (1987)?
The movie is 1hr 48min long.
What's La Bamba (1987) about?
Biographical story of the rise from nowhere of early rock and roll singer Ritchie Valens who died at age 17 in a plane crash with Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper.
Who's the cast of La Bamba (1987)?
- Lou Diamond Phillips as Ritchie Valens
- Esai Morales as Bob Morales
- Rosanna DeSoto as Connie Valenzuela
- Elizabeth Peña as Rosie Morales
- Danielle von Zerneck as Donna Ludwig
- Joe Pantoliano as Bob Keane
- Rick Dees as Ted Quillin
- Marshall Crenshaw as Buddy Holly
- Howard Huntsberry as Jackie Wilson
- Brian Setzer as Eddie Cochran
Who's the director behind La Bamba (1987)?
Luis Valdez directed La Bamba (1987).
Who produced La Bamba (1987)?
Bill Borden and Taylor Hackford produced La Bamba (1987).
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