 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
From Prada to Nada
- Review Date: January 23, 2011
- PG-13
- Genre: Comedy
- 2011
Common Sense Media says
Jane Austen update with Latino twist offers laughs, romance.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this modernized take on Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility stars former teen sensations Camilla Belle and Alexa Vega (Spy Kids)
as wealthy sisters who move to East L.A. after their father's death leaves them penniless. The word "s--t" is used frequently, and one relationship leads to a sexual situation (but there's no nudity). Characters drink and get drunk, and marijuana use is visible. Expect lots of humor and stereotypes based on Mexican-American culture, but the movie also celebrates the beauty of this heritage and offers positive messages about family, friendship, and love.
What's the story?
FROM PRADA TO NADA is a modern, Latino-centric tale loosely based on Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. When law student Nora Dominguez (Camilla Belle) and her shallow younger sister, Mary (Alexa Vega), suddenly lose their father, they find themselves penniless. Forced to sell their Beverly Hills home to their estranged half-brother (Pablo Cruz) and his self-centered wife, Olivia (April Bowlby), to cover their father’s debts, the sisters move in with their great aunt, Tia Aurelia (Adriana Barraza) in East L.A. It isn’t easy, but things look up when Nora attracts the interest of Olivia’s brother, Edward (Nicholas D’Agosto), and Mary finds love with wealthy graduate tutor, Rodrigo Fuentes (Kuno Becker) ... much to the dismay of Aurelia’s proud neighbor Bruno (Wilmer Valderrama). As the sisters navigate a new world of romance, heartache, and love, they also discover the beauty of their Mexican heritage.
Is it any good?
The movie offers a unique version of the Austen classic in that it draws on the contrasts between the upscale neighborhood of Beverly Hills and East Los Angeles’ prominent Mexican-American community as a way to illustrate class distinctions. But the poignant loss of the sisters’ father and the discovery of a new brother gets a little lost in the narrative about the young women losing their material wealth.
There's also some stereotyping here, and the clash of the two cultures can often feel predictable and formulaic, which results in jokes that are only mildly funny. But it's clear that overall the movie seeks to celebrate the beauty and richness of America’s Mexican heritage and offers this message within the context of family and love.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how the media represents different races and ethnicities. Is it
possible to offer a humorous look at a culture’s specific
characteristics without using stereotypes? When does this humor cross the line into being critical and/or
insulting?What do the main characters learn over the course of the movie? Are they -- and their challenges -- relatable?
How do films stay true to classic tales written by
masters like Shakespeare or Jane Austen while reflecting modern-day
culture and values? What are the different ways that their stories have
been told over the years? What's your favorite adaptation, and why?
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- Teens & kids
AGE
There are positive messeges
This movie is teaching young girls (and boys) to see how life is when you grow up. How you have to get a job, a house...and so on...
Movie shows how these girls grow up to be mature and good role models.
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AGE
it was SOOO boring! i didn't understand ANY ANY OF IT!!!! what the yuck?!?!?!? SO AWFUL!
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I'm a filmmaker from East L.A.
I'm a filmmaker from East L.A. who made an independent family friendly film called "Alondra Smiles". I haven't see "From Prada to Nada" but can't wait to see it. Unfortunately I didn't have a lot of money for publicity and marketing but won lots of awards!
*alondrasmiles*
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matt review
i loved it but to old for young kids.
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all ages
love this movie!! great for 10+ seems very positive. cant wait to see it!!
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From Prada to Nada
Good movie. Too dramatic. Confusing at times.
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| Studio: | Lionsgate |
| Director: | Angel Garcia |
| Cast: | Alexa Vega, Camilla Belle, Wilmer Valderrama |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Run time: | 107 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | January 28, 2011 |
| DVD release date: | May 3, 2011 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | brief drug use and a sexual situation |
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