"Real Women Have Curves" is a very nice and entertaining but not deep film that centers on the lives of one teenage latin-american girl and her life with her family.  On comparison with the current huge ethnic hit film called "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", this movie is not as rich and not as nearly as funny as that one.  However, it does have it's sweet moments and I do recommend seeing it.

      We first find Ana who is preparing to go to her last day of high school and see one of her teachers strongly urge her to complete her college applications because he sees the big potential that Ana has.  However, we quickly find out that her family and especially Ana's mother has different plans for her.  Ana is destined to work in the dress making company which is managed by her older sister and where her mother also works.  Ana is torn between her desire to get ahead in life and attend college and the need to help her family out by working in her sister's sweat shop factory.  Ana has a difficult time because her mother constantly puts her down and makes reference to her being overweight with comments like she will never be able to wear and fit into a certain size dress.  But Ana is tough and tries her best to learn the work at the dress making shop while at the same time dreaming about getting a full scholarship so that she can afford to go to college.

      To the degree that this film succeeds is due so much to the engaging and smart performance by America Ferrera as Ana.  She is so real playing an overweight teenager who already has the disadvantage of being a minority who has the potential to make it big in the world outside her somewhat bleak surroundings.  Even though her family is a close knit unit, Ana has the strong desire to get away and make something better for herself.  And Ferrara does such a good job that the audience pulls so hard for Ana to succeed.  All of the other actors in this film are fine too.  Even though the mother does and says so many hurtful things, she is still found to be likeable and good at heart.  And there is one hilarious scene where all the women working in the factory talk about their imperfect bodies and brag about who has the most fat.

      The film has lots of interesting characters and is a joy to sit through.  However, it needed to be funnier and probably somewhat edgier in places in order to be a highly rated film.   Although, I hate to criticize any film like this one which has it's heart in the right place.  Go enjoy this film and watch this fine performance by Ferrara.  If you don't expect a deep and often hilarious film, then you won't be disappointed.