Tortilla Heaven
| Tortilla Heaven | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Judy Hecht Dumontet |
| Screenplay by | Judy Hecht Dumontet Julius Robinson |
| Story by | Mitchell Leib |
| Produced by | Courtney Mizel Jose M. Iturralde Judy Hecht Dumontet Gilbert Dumontet |
| Starring | José Zúñiga Elpidia Carrillo Alexis Cruz Olivia Hussey Judy Herrera Lupe Ontiveros/ |
| Cinematography | Chuy Chávez |
| Edited by | Rick Fields Hiroshi Kubota Vanick Moradian |
| Distributed by | Archangel Releasing |
Release date |
|
Running time | 94 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Tortilla Heaven is a 2005 independent comedy film written and directed by Judy Hecht Dumontet.[1]
Plot
A tiny town in New Mexico is turned upside down when the image of Christ appears - burned onto a tortilla - in the community's only restaurant, "Tortilla Heaven." Chaos ensues among the townfolk.
Cast
- José Zúñiga as Isidor
- Elpidia Carrillo as Hermenegilda
- Alexis Cruz as Marcos
- Olivia Hussey as Petra
- Judy Herrera as Dinora
- Lupe Ontiveros as Adelfa
- Del Zamora as Ruffino
- Irene Bedard as Liberata
- Diane Keaton as Everardo
- Deborah Chavez as Vangie
- Josh Christman as Gil Garcia
- Geno Silva as Don Transito
- Marcelo Tubert as Father Pancracio
- Rick Gutierrez as Bulmaro
- Elaine Miles as Caridad
- Ana Ortiz as Chicana #1
- Aaron Talín Webman as José
- Jonathan Levit as Dr. Webman
- Laura Salinas as Chicana #2
- Krissy Matthews as Chicana #3
- Courtney Mizel as Jackie
- David Allen Cluck as Financial News Reporter
- Danny Peck as the Town Crier/singer/fool
Reception
Critical response
The film was received mixed reviews from the press. Film critic Brandon Fibbs wrote, "Inspired, incredibly, by a true story, Tortilla Heaven is a modern-day fable, a sort of biblical parable couched in comedy. While a fable is an amusing and compelling way to relate a story with a serious point, Tortilla Heaven at times undermines its message by stretching the comedy to its limits. An over-the-top courtroom battle and a child custody fight with a nudist hermit veer the film into the realm of the absurd far too often. Tortilla Heaven comes very close to becoming a parody of the true movie the filmmakers wanted to make. Tortilla Heaven is a low-budget, independent production, and, most of the time, it looks the part. For every bit of genuinely beautiful cinematography, there is another sloppy, amateur-hour moment."[2]
Critic Justin Chang, critic for Variety, wrote, "Pic's almost exclusively Latino and Native American cast is mostly reduced to playing folksy caricatures, feverishly crossing themselves and peppering their Mexican-accented English with the odd exclamation in Spanish. But give some of the women credit: Olivia Hussey adds some loopy fun as a cow-milking nudist, while Lupe Ontiveros brings her usual brash attitude to bear on the role of a lecherous and overbearing mother-in-law. Production as a whole feels disjointed and thrown together for reasons that become all too clear in light of the film's 14 credited producers. Incidentally, the real-life "Holy Tortilla" legend hails from Lake Arthur, N.M., where the first (but certainly not the last) culinary manifestation of Jesus' face was reported in 1977. But after Tortilla Heaven, auds won't be praying for a Second Coming."[3]
Awards
Nomination
- ALMA Award: American Latino Media Arts Award, Outstanding Performance of a Lead Latino/a Cast in a Motion Picture; 2006.
- Golden Globe Awards 2005: Best Supporting Role: Diane Keaton; 2006
References
- ^ Tortilla Heaven at IMDb
- ^ Fibbs, Brandon. Christianity Today film review, March 16, 2007. Last accessed: January 28, 2011.
- ^ Chang, Justin. Variety, film review, March 18, 2007. Last accessed: January 28, 2011.