

“Three generations of dreams.”
Traces over three generations an immigrant family's trials, tribulations, tragedies, and triumphs. Maria and Jose, the first generation, come to Los Angeles, meet, marry, face deportation all in the 1930s. They establish their family in East L.A., and their children Chucho, Paco, Memo, Irene, Toni, and Jimmy deal with youth culture and the L.A. police in the '50s. As the second generation become adults in the '60s, the focus shifts to Jimmy, his marriage to Isabel (a Salvadorian refugee), their son, and Jimmy's journey to becoming a responsible parent.
Directed by Gregory Nava, Francis Ford Coppola
User score
90 votes





Released
May 3, 1995
2h 8m
English, Spanish
Budget → Revenue
$5.5M → $11.1M

Edward James Olmos
Paco

Jimmy Smits
Jimmy

Esai Morales
Chucho

Eduardo López Rojas
Jose

Jenny Gago
Maria

Elpidia Carrillo
Isabel Magaña

Lupe Ontiveros
Irene

Jacob Vargas
Young Jose

Jennifer Lopez
Young Maria

Maria Canals-Barrera
Young Irene

León Singer
El Californio

Michael DeLorenzo
Butch Mejia

Jonathan Hernandez
Young Jimmy

Constance Marie
Toni

Mary Steenburgen
Gloria

Scott Bakula
David Ronconi

Dedee Pfeiffer
Karen Gillespie

Bibi Besch
Mrs. Gillespie

Bruce Gray
Mr. Gillespie

Enrique Castillo
Memo