Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It (2021)

Many actors are referred to as legends, but in Rita Moreno's case even the word "legend" seems like an understatement. She was a trailblazer with regards to Latina actresses, overcoming stereotypes to carve out a career for herself. In the Fifties, Sixties, and Seventies she was one of the few Latinas to be seen on both the big scree and TV screen. Along with Mike Nichols and Barbara Streisand, she is one of thnly three PEGOT winners (people who have won a Peabody Award, an Emmy, A Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony). She appeared in her first film in 1950 and is still working today.

Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It, directed by Mariem Pérez Riera, is a loving look at the actress, her life, and her career. Its structure is roughly chronological, with forays into various aspects of her life: her childhood in Puerto Rico and New York City; the racism she has faced; the sexual harassment and outright abuse she experienced; her relationship with Marlon Brando; her marriage to Leonard Gordon; and, of course, her work in film, television and on on stage. The centrepiece of the documentary is an interview with Rita Moreno, interspersed throughout the film. Also interspersed throughout the film is commentary by such diverse individuals as Puerto Rican actor, singer, songwriter, playwright, and producer Lin-Manuel Miranda; actress Eva Longoria; West Side Story co-star George Chakris; Electric Company co-star Morgan Freeman; television producer Norman Lear; her daughter Fernanda Gordon Fisher, and others.

Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It goes into her life in some depth. As expected, West Side Story is discussed, but so is some of her other work, including the children's TV show Electric Company, her guest appearance on The Rockford Files, and the Broadway play The Ritz. Miss Moreno talks about the many "exotic" roles she was forced to play early in her career, including Tuptim in The King and I. Watching Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It can be rough going at times, as Rita discusses some unpleasant subjects, particularly the racism and sexual harassment she experienced in her career. What makes Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It succeed as a documentary is Miss Moreno's at times brutal honesty, even about herself on topics ranging from Hollywood to the low sense of self-esteem she had throughout her life.

If Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It has one flaw it is that I sometimes wish more time could be devoted to each topic. Indeed, entire documentaries could be devoted to Rita Moreno's work on West Side Story, the racism she faced in Hollywood, or even her work on The Electric Company. In the end, Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It could have been much longer.

Even though I wish more time could have been devoted to each topic, Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It is well-worth watching. It is a loving and honest look at an actress who broken own barriers in her long career and is still working to this day.