MovieChat Forums > Selena (1997) Discussion > Reality VS Movie

Reality VS Movie

posted 12 years ago by tracylynns
17 replies | jump to latest

After reading a couple of books about Selena, and watching the movie many times, I was wondering what things portrayed in the movie are based on real events and which things were fictionalized, dressed up for the film, or not included at all.

In Chris's book, he says that he and Selena were flying home from a group vacation in Mexico. She sort of initiated the relationship by grabbing and holding his hand on the plane, which kind of mirrors the scene on the bus where she's showing him how to dance, the bus swerves, she lands in his arms, and it's Selena who initiates the kiss. That made me wonder if Gregory Nava got the idea for the bus scene from what happened between Selena and Chris on the plane.

Something else I read was that by the time Selena died, Suzette was no longer touring with the band and was married with kids, but in the movie, she was single and touring with Selena. So the movie shows her as having a much bigger role in the band near the end than she really did. (A.B. also had kids and I think they sometimes joined the family when they were performing.)

That made the movie scene where Selena tells her mom that she and Chris are planning to start a family soon make it sound like Mr. and Mrs. Quintanilla would be first time grandparents when Selena eventually had a child, but they already had several grandchildren at that time. I guess it makes sense that IRL Selena would be the last to start a family of her own because she was the youngest of the siblings and was so busy with fronting the band, designing, owning the boutiques, and doing her charity and sponsor endorsements.

I don't know if the movie scene of Chris and his buddies trashing the hotel room ever happened IRL. In his book, he says that they were being foolish and driving drunk, got caught and arrested, and that's what made Mr. Quintanilla so angry, because such a scandal could really hurt Selena's image. I wonder if they "softened" that part of the movie to make fans not be so mad at Chris for doing something so dangerous.

In the movie, they actually filmed Selena and Chris's house being right next door to Mr. and Mrs. Quintanilla's house, but they didn't really make it clear in the movie that they lived next door. When I first saw it, I thought it was for convenience and to save money, just to film the scenes in the same neighborhood. A.B. and his family lived in the house on the other side of his parents' house. I think that's really cool. My mom grew up with many of her relatives living next door, across the street, and with abutting back yards and she really enjoyed that part of her life, being so close to her family. I bet the Quintanillas enjoyed being close like that.

In the scene where Selena is alone with Yolanda and says that she's tired, she and Yolanda are looking through fabric samples. They decided that the blue was ugly and settled on a pinkish/purplish metallic fabric that Yolanda says she thinks Selena should use. I thought that was strictly for the film, but I recently found a photo (on instagram) of Selena performing and she's wearing a costume in that fabric!

In real life, Selena really was an animal lover. Chris said that when they were married she kept adopting dogs and loved them all but it kept them really busy. I don't know if she had always wanted a small farm as they portrayed in the movie, anyone know if that's true? I think it's nice that they added her love of animals into the film.

If I think of more, I'll post. Anyone else have any info on reality VS what was shown in the movie?

[–] tracylynns 12 years ago

Thought of something else...

Like in the movie, Selena really did go for a bungee jump, but unlike the movie, Chris stated in his book that it caused an injury to her back. :(

[–] tracylynns 12 years ago

When Selena is getting ready for the Houston concert, in the opening scenes of the movie, it's unlikely that those events happened that way.

In the movie, she's rummaging through a suitcase trying to decide what to wear on stage in a hurried last minute decision. But that was such an enormous concert, it's almost guaranteed that she had more than one costume of each kind made (extras in case of a wardrobe problem) and that dress rehearsals had been done ahead of time, to see how her costume would look in the lighting, etc.

Anyone know how these things really happen in preparation for big concerts like the one Selena had in Houston?

[–] nyleenx3 9 years ago

This is like so late, so I doubt you'll see this but I do remember reading that Selena was often making her costumes right before shows. For instance her white beaded bra for the Houston Astrodome concert in 94, Suzette said she was still sewing beads onto the bra/boots right before she was heading on stage. And in Chris' book he says that Selena was always running late. Also I know for the 95 Astrodome there is an interview she did with Onda Max a few hours before where she showed the person interviewing her the purple outfit she planned on wearing later that night.

So the movie in a way I suppose used the 95 astrodome just to show Selena's constant lateness and last minute planning even though that concert in particular was actually one where she had her outfit prepared.

As for the Grammy speech someone mentioned, I read that Selena was so nervous and didn't really get to say the speech she wanted so they changed it in the movie to do that and also combine a couple of her other speeches in there. Also, with the grammy speech what annoyed me is that they use bidi bidi bom bom when she wins when IRL bidi bidi bom bom wasn't even on that album and No Debes Jugar actually played.

[–] tracylynns 9 years ago

Hi Nyleen! Yep, I got to see your comment. :) I just noticed that some of the things I wrote a few years ago are incorrect. I love learning new stuff about Selena. Thanks so much for sharing that info.

[–] SelenaQP 12 years ago

The scene where she accepts her grammy, she was never really that emotional in real life and she never mentioned Chris in her speech either. She was actually more calm and relaxed in her speech.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcArQRQ2eGE

[–] JohnMalcovich 12 years ago

also, the famed astrodome concert was actually her third time performing (starting in 1993); the movie makes it seem like this was her first huge concert.

[–] sage2112 9 years ago

Only her 3rd time performing? That can't be right and it contradicts the sentiment of what you're saying. Do you mean 3rd time performing at the Astrodome??

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] tracylynns 12 years ago

According to selenaforever.com, Selena's actual first number 1 song was in 1991, a duet recorded with Alvaro Torres called "Buenos Amigos".

I forgot which one the movie shows as her number one song, was it Bidi Bidi Bom Bom or Como la Flor? It's in the scene where the tour bus stops at the roadside food stand, Suzy goes up to place an order, the radio on the counter is playing the song, then the announcer comes on to say that it's the song that's gone number one. Suzy runs back to tell everyone and all the band and family celebrates there at the food stand.

[–] ludances 12 years ago

It's Como La Flor that they say skyrocketed to #1, and the family and band makes it seem like it's the first time they hit #1.

Knock if off Napolean make yourself a dang quesadil-la!

[–] tracylynns 12 years ago

Thanks! :)

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] LilMissSupernaturalBitch 11 years ago

You say it yourself... Buenos Amigos is a duet... and I believe it was Alvaro's single not Selena's. Como La Flor was more than likely Selena's first solo #1.

[–] Kelea7 12 years ago

I have nothing to add (at the moment) but I really enjoyed reading the thread. I appreciate topics like this.

[–] StarIsland 12 years ago

One thing I can say about her living next door to her father, If I read right, Selena was dead set in NOT moving next door because they were having so many problems before that. Chris mentioned that he'd always be caught in the middle to where even she was mad at Chris for three days for something he did not do but her father apparently manipulated the situation to be his fault. SO as far as them actually enjoying, I'm not so sure. Of course it was convenient for business, but Selena, at least at FIRST, was not up for it.

Another thing you forgot was that in the book Chris mentioned that Selena was in like a cute cowgirl outfit with skirt and boots when she frantically knocked on his door to try to get him back. She was not wearing jeans.

[–] LilMissSupernaturalBitch 11 years ago

It's true that both Suzette & AB were married & AB had kids.

Suzette was not the drummer for the Astrodome show & Pete Astudillo had long since left the Dinos to pursue his solo career & was NOT involved in the performance at all. If I'm not mistaken, during the concert scene, when they cut to Abraham at the sound booth talking to the techs, the one standing right next to him was the actual backup dancer/singer for the show.

[–] alexbogue3889 11 years ago

That is very true.