La Bamba
Luis Valdez · 1987
La Bamba (1987), directed by Luis Valdez, tells the story of Ritchie Valens’ rapid rise and early death, centred on his family in 1950s California. Lou Diamond Phillips stars, performing all vocals live; Los Lobos arranged and performed the music. The film avoids myth-making in favour of domestic texture, grounding Valens’ story in his mother’s quiet strength, his half-brother’s resentment, and his own fear of flying. It was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2017.