Michael Peña is one of those actors. No, I’m not being racist towards Hispanics, I’m talking about actors who most general audience members could probably recognize on sight, but have no clue what his name is. This is mainly due to a string of supporting roles, that were all solid turns, but for the most part never really saw him getting the spotlight all to himself. That’s all changing with Cesar Chavez, which will see him not only getting that aforementioned spotlight, but also placing it on the life of a Latino American hero.
In Cesar Chavez, director Diego Luna presents a powerful cinematic portrait of the legendary activist. The film stars Michael Peña (End of Watch, Lionsgate’s Academy Award-winning Crash) in the title role, along with America Ferrera (Ugly Betty, End of Watch), Rosario Dawson (Sin City, Seven Pounds) and John Malkovich (In The Line of Fire, Summit Entertainment’s Red and Red 2).
Chronicling the birth of a modern American movement, Cesar Chavez tells the story of the famed civil rights leader and labor organizer torn between his duties as a husband and father and his commitment to securing a living wage for farm workers. Passionate but soft-spoken, Chavez embraced non-violence as he battled greed and prejudice in his struggle to bring dignity to people. Chavez inspired millions of Americans from all walks of life who never worked on a farm to fight for social justice. His triumphant journey is a remarkable testament to the power of one individual’s ability to change the world.
I must admit, the film – especially the way it’s cut in this trailer – does appear a bit Hallmark-y, but the acting talent here can maybe elevate this a bit.
Cesar Chavez also stars Rosario Dawson, America Ferrara, and (not a complete evil bastard for once) John Malkovich. The film will be making it’s debut at the Berlin Film Festival next month, before getting an official release on March 28, 2014.
Last Updated: January 20, 2014
