La Bamba (1987)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
The film follows the life and short-lived musical career of American Chicano rock and roll star Ritchie Valens.
The story
During the summer of 1957 in Northern California, Richard "Richie" Steven Valenzuela is a 16-year old Mexican-American boy who lives with his mother, Concepcion "Connie" Valenzuela, and his younger brothers and sisters. His family is poor, and he works as a farmhand after school. He loves rock-and-roll music and dreams of becoming a rockstar. One day, Richie's troubled half-brother Bob Morales arrives after being released from jail, surprising him and his mother. They all decide to leave the farm and move to a house in Southern California, along with Bob's girlfriend and Richie's ex, Rosie.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1957, 16-year-old Mexican-American boy Richie Valenzuela dreams of becoming a rockstar while working as a farmhand in Northern California. After his troubled half-brother Bob arrives, the family moves to Southern California. Richie joins a band, falls in love with Donna Ludwig, and is discovered by producer Bob Keane. He becomes an overnight sensation, recording hits like "La Bamba" and "Donna." Despite his rising fame, he struggles with his fear of flying and the disapproval of his girlfriend's father. He eventually performs on American Bandstand and at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater. While touring with Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper, the group's plane crashes in a snowstorm in 1959, killing Richie and the others. The film concludes with Bob mourning his brother's death.
- First release year
- 1987
- Runtime (minutes)
- 108
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Luis Valdez
- Writers
- Luis Valdez · writer
- Cast and characters
- Lou Diamond Phillips · Ritchie Valens; Esai Morales · Roberto "Bob" Morales, Ritchie's half-brother; Rosanna DeSoto · Connie Valenzuela, Ritchie's mother; Elizabeth Peña · Rosie Morales; Danielle von Zerneck · Donna Ludwig; Joe Pantoliano · Bob Keane
- Genres
- biographical drama; rock music films
- Themes
- fame; family; overcoming fear
- Tone and mood
- sweet; sentimental
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical; musical; Chicano
- Source material / true-story basis
- Ritchie Valens, The Day the Music Died
- Reception
- The film received generally favorable reviews, with a Metacritic score of 65 and a CinemaScore of 'A'. Roger Ebert praised its portrayal of everyday life and the performances, though he noted the opening sequence established a sense of doom.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 65 · scale: 100 · review count: 12; CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- BMI Film Music Award · Broadcast Music Incorporated · 1988 · win; Imagen Latino media-image award · Hispanic Academy of Media Arts and Sciences · 1988 · win; Best Motion Picture, Drama · Golden Globe Award · 1988 · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry of the U.S. Library of Congress in 2017.; All of Ritchie Valens' songs were performed by Los Lobos.; The film is titled after a traditional Mexican folk song that Valens transformed into a rock and roll rendition in 1958.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…