La Bamba (1987): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
La Bamba is a 1987 biographical drama directed by Luis Valdez, starring Lou Diamond Phillips and Esai Morales. It runs 1 hour 48 minutes and earned $54.2 million worldwide. It earned 1 award nomination, including Best Motion Picture – Drama at the Golden Globes 1988. Critics gave it 83% on Rotten Tomatoes and 65 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.0/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 48m (108 min)
- Director
- Luis Valdez
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Columbia Pictures
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is La Bamba About?
The premise of La Bamba without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
In 1958 Los Angeles, a young teenager named Ritchie Valens achieves rock 'n' roll stardom with his heartfelt ballad "Donna." Suddenly thrust into the whirlwind of fame, he grapples with challenges, including a strained relationship with his brother. Haunted by a disturbing recurring nightmare, Valens finds himself on a tour with Buddy Holly, unaware of the tragic events that lie ahead and will abruptly end his rising career.
La Bamba Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- interracial romance
- hispanic
- racism
- 1950s
- national film registry
- singing
- record producer
- recording studio
- los angeles california
- guitar
- singer
- rock 'n' roll
+38 more Show fewer
- teenager
- mexican american
- airplane accident
- rock music
- rock star
- yaqui indian
- mother son relationship
- san fernando valley
- tattoo
- tijuana mexico
- duck tail haircut
- record industry
- outdoor shower
- latin music
- alcohol abuse
- motorcycle gang
- prostitute
- southern california
- fear of flying
- farm laborer
- female topless nudity
- outdoor sex
- implied rape
- forbidden love
- television appearance
- first love
- hit record
- talisman
- premonition of death
- new york city
- coin toss
- funeral procession
- greaser
- begins with a flashback
- songwriting
- small plane
- high school
- concert tour
La Bamba Cast
Lou Diamond Phillips leads the cast, with Esai Morales. Directed by Luis Valdez.
- Director Luis Valdez
More from Luis Valdez
More films directed by Luis Valdez: La Pastorela: The Shepherd’s Tale and Zoot Suit.
La Bamba Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave La Bamba 83% on Rotten Tomatoes and 65 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.0/10.
-
IMDb 7.0 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 83% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 79%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 65 Metascore
User score 7.3
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 73% User score
See on TMDB
La Bamba Plot Summary
What happens in La Bamba from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
During the summer of 1957 in Northern California, Richard Valenzuela (Lou Diamond Phillips), a 16-year-old Mexican-American teen, navigates life with his mother, Concepcion Valenzuela (Rosanna DeSoto), and his younger siblings in a challenging environment marked by poverty. While working as a farmworker after school, he nurtures a deep passion for music, particularly rock and roll, aspiring to become a renowned musician. However, Richie grapples with aviophobia stemming from traumatic nightmares about a mid-air collision that occurred over his school, resulting in the tragic death of his best friend—an event he did not witness during his grandfather’s funeral.
Full summary
The whole story of La Bamba, scene by scene
La Bamba Box Office
La Bamba grossed $54.2 million worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$54.2M
- US & Canada
- $54.2M
La Bamba Awards & Nominations
La Bamba earned 1 award nomination, including Best Motion Picture – Drama at the Golden Globes 1988.
1 nomination1 ceremony
-
Golden Globes 1988 1 nomination- Nominated Best Motion Picture – Drama
La Bamba Trailers & Videos
7 videos: 2 trailers and 5 clips.
- Trailer Official Trailer
- Clip First 10 Minutes
- Clip Richie Is Mesmerized By Donna
- Clip Richie's Garage Party Invite
How Well Do You Know La Bamba?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is the primary backdrop of the film 'La Bamba'?
Cars in La Bamba
25 cars on screen, including the 1969 Harley-Davidson XLH 900 Sportster and the 1950 Ford Custom De Luxe.
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1969 Harley-Davidson XLH 900 Sportster Main role -
1950 Ford Custom De Luxe Important role -
1959 Ford Thunderbird Important role -
1948 Packard Super Eight Important role
La Bamba Also Known As
7 alternative titles, including “라 밤바” and “라밤바”.
- Also known as
-
- 라 밤바
- 라밤바
- 青春传奇
- לה במבה
- Ла бамба
- ラ★バンバ
- ลา บัมบ้า
Seen La Bamba?
Movies Like La Bamba
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Buddy Holly Story, The Mambo Kings and El mariachi.
La Bamba FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of La Bamba, each answered in a sentence.
How long is La Bamba?
La Bamba runs 1 hour 48 minutes (108 minutes).
When was La Bamba released?
La Bamba was released on July 24, 1987.
Who directed La Bamba?
La Bamba was directed by Luis Valdez.
More films by Luis Valdez Who is in the cast of La Bamba?
La Bamba stars Lou Diamond Phillips and Esai Morales.
How much did La Bamba make at the box office?
La Bamba grossed $54.2 million worldwide.
How is La Bamba rated?
La Bamba has 7.0/10 on IMDb, 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, 65 on Metacritic and 73% on TMDB.
Was La Bamba nominated for any awards?
La Bamba received 1 nomination across 1 ceremony.
Does La Bamba have a post-credit scene?
No. La Bamba has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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