Sweet 15 (1990): A Mexican American Focused Episode of WonderWorks

From the late Eighties into the Nineties, there was a cycle in movies centred on Chicanos that included such films as La Bamba (1987), Stand and Deliver (1988), and Mi Vida Loca (1993). Despite this, there was still very little in the way of Chicano content on American television during the same period. A notable exception aired on PBS in early 1990. Although most often described as a TV movie, Sweet 15 (1990) may be better described as a two-part episode of the TV series WonderWorks. For those either too young to remember or who were never aware of it, WonderWorks was an American children's anthology series that aired on PBS from 1984 to 1993. Sweet 15 (1990) aired in two parts on WonderWorks on January 13 1990 and January 20 1990. It was the first episode of the sixth season of WonderWorks. For myself, Sweet 15 (1990) is also notable because it features my dearest Vanessa Marquez in a small role.

Sweet 15 (1990) starred Karla Montana, best known as Claudia in Stand and Deliver (1988), as Marta Delacruz, a fourteen year old Mexican American girl looking forward to her quinceañera, the celebration held when a girl turns 15.. Marta's chances of having the quinceañera of her dreams are complicated when she discovers that her father migrated to the United States illegally years before. It is set in the final days of the amnesty for illegal aliens that had come about due to the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Sweet 15 (1990), featured some well-known names in its cast, including Tony Plana as Marta's father Samuel, Jerry Stiller as his boss Mr. Waterman, Liz Torres as Gloria Diaz, and Jan Merlin as one of Samuel's old employers. 

The teleplay for Sweet 15 (1990) was written by Sharon Weil, who also served as a co-producer. She later wrote the novel Donny and Ursula Save the World, as well as several non-fiction books. It was directed by Victoria Hochberg. She had earlier directed music videos for The Eagles, an ABC Afternoon Special, and the TV movie Jacob Have I Loved. She would go on to direct episodes of such shows as Touched by an Angel; Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman; and Melrose Place. Its casting director was Toni Livingston, who had earlier cast Stand and Deliver (1990). This perhaps explains the presence of Karla Montana and Vanessa Marquez in the film. Its cinematographer Hal Trussell had worked on the feature film Bachelor Party (1984)  and episodes of the show Downtown. Afterwards, he would direct episodes of CBS Schoolbreak Special and the TV movie Family Business.

Upon its debut on PBS, Sweet 15 (1990) received largely positive reviews. John Voorhes in The Seattle Times wrote, "Sweet 15 is a charming, funny, intelligent drama about a Latino family living in contemporary Los Angeles." He described Karla Montana as "...a delight as Marta." Lynne Heffley in The Los Angeles Times gave a more restrained,  but still positive review of Sweet 15. She described it as "...a predictable but well-acted drama about a Mexican American girl's coming of age." She noted that "The telling could be shorter" but "...a smooth ensemble makes it all worth while." John J. O'Connor in The New York Times also gave Sweet 15 (1990) a good, if somewhat restrained review, noting, " plot logistics are patly contrived, but Sweet 15 provides unusual glimpses into ordinary Hispanic-American lives."

Sweet 15 would also win some awards. Even though it aired in primetime, Sweet 15's director Victoria Hochberg won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Directing - Special Class. As writer and co-producer, Sharon Weil won the Women in Film Lillian Gish Award for Best Children's Film. 

Oddly enough for a WonderWorks episode that received positive reviews and awards upon its debut, Sweet 15 (1990) had received overly negative reviews from viewers on various websites. At IMDB it is rated a pathetic 4.1 out of 10. On Rotten Tomatoes, it does even worse, with a 28% on the Popcornmeter out of 500 ratings. Much more realistic is its rating at Letterboxd, where it receives a respectable rating of 2.7 out of 5. I think I have an explanation for why Sweet 15 (1990) has received such negative reviews on IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes. Just as Stand and Deliver (1988) has often been shown in mathematics classes, Sweet 15 (1990) was apparently shown in Spanish classes. Unfortunately, while many math students recognised the greatness of Stand and Deliver (1990), Spanish students simply resented having to watch Sweet 15 (1990).

Vanessa Marquez

Indeed, while I would not say that Sweet 15 (1990) is a classic waiting to be discovered, it is not a bad movie either. As critics pointed out when it was first released, it does benefit from a good cast. Karla Montana does a very good job of playing Marta. Tony Plana also does a good job of playing her father, Samuel. Both Jerry Stiller and Liz Torres deliver the quality performances one would expect of them. Most of the rest of the cast also does well. As to my dearest Vanessa Marquez, she played a small, but somewhat significant part as Marta's friend Lupe. Lupe is similar to Vanessa's other early juvenile roles, a sweet girl who at times takes up for Marta and can be determined when doing so. Sweet 15 (1990) also has good direction, and looks more like an independent movie with a good budget than an episode of a television series.

Of course, I do think Sweet 15 (1990) has some flaws. The one thing I do have to agree with its critics on IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes is that I think Panchito Gómez was miscast as Marta's romantic interest  Ramón. According to IMDB, Panchito Gómez was born in 1963, which would have made him 26 years old in 1989. While I suspect his character is supposed to be much younger (I am guessing anywhere from 16 to 18), Panchito Gómez looks his age. It is at times hard to suspend disbelief, so that instead of viewing Ramón as a teenager wooing a fellow teenager, the viewer might well view him as an adult grooming a teenager. Of course, here I must point out that Karla Montana and, for that matter, Vanessa were several years past 14 when they appeared in Sweet 15 (Vanessa would have been 21 and I believe Karla Montana was born before Vanessa was). The difference is that both Karla Montana and Vanessa Marquez could realistically pass for 14 or 15.

Another legitimate criticism of Sweet 15 (1990) is one that was expressed in The Los Angeles Times review from 1990. Quite simply, Sweet 15 (1990) could have been shorter. At nearly two hours in length, it is simply too long. Of course, here I must point out that it was made to fit the time slot occupied by WonderWorks, which was one hour. I have to think that Sweet 15 (1990) might have worked better in a more flexible format than an episode of a TV show, such as a feature film.

Regardless of any flaws that Sweet 15 (1990) might have, it broke new ground on American television. In 1990, it was rare to see Mexican Americans on television, and rarer still for viewers to be exposed to their culture. For many viewers, Sweet 15 (1990) may have been the first time they had ever hard of quinceañeras. I also have to think that in 1990 it was rare that one saw sympathetic portrayals of undocumented immigrants and also rare that one heard immigration law discussed in a TV show episode to any extent. Although it might not be particularly famous now, Sweet 15 (1990) was in many ways a pioneering work, exposing television viewers to a Mexican American family years before American Family or George Lopez.