Read on Twitter
let's compare the first four minutes of #selenatheseries 
and the 1997 Selena movie. why just the first four minutes? because that's all the effort I want to put into this right now but I think that's all the time I need anyways
and the 1997 Selena movie. why just the first four minutes? because that's all the effort I want to put into this right now but I think that's all the time I need anyways
Both begin with iconic shots of Selena from her Amor Prohibido Tour. The movie gives us the title card over JLo's silhouetted figure while the show gives us closeups of Christian Serratos' nails and lips.
The movie has a dreamlike transition and then we're in the middle of the backstage action. Crew is streaming the hallways, Selena's family is busy with last-minute touches like ironing. Selena herself is doing her hair, snacking on chips(?), and deciding what to wear.
The key thing to me? She figures out what to wear and pulls her purple jumpsuit from a suitcase (not one of the outfits prepared on the rack). We see that Abraham is outside speaking with the press, and then Selena kisses her husband as she goes to change.
Selena finishes styling herself(!) and walks out of the dressing room with her parents, smiling and waving to the press. She hugs them and makes a silly face as she walks away. Then, with the sound of the crowd rising, she looks back again, far away from her parents, and smiles.
That's the first two minutes. We see a dynamic, fast-paced universe with Selena in the middle of it. Literally everything is revolving around her, like a royal court. We see her make decisions, joke, love, and walk out to her stage.
The show, being a series, has more time to work with but they also start with a pre-concert scene. They also start earlier on the tour. Our first real shot of Selena here? She's silently smiling out at an adoring crowd from behind glass.
She writes, "Selena was here <3" while *Suzette* picks out her outfit. She sighs wistfully while Suzette tries to get her attention. And her first words? "I can't do this."
Suzette calls for AB. They stand over Selena, who is still sitting at the window, and talk to her like she's a scared child about her record deal. When Selena talks, she sounds like she's going to cry.
Selena says she's thinking about being on stage without her siblings, and I guess that idea is sad for her because she is now crying but I'm not sure if it's sad or scary, tbh. Siblings remind her it's their dream and they will be there, and then she waves to the crowd again.
That's the show's lead up to the walk on stage moment. Does Selena... want to go on tour...? Does this Selena even like performing?
A downside to the show starting at an earlier part of the tour (and probably due to budget too) is that it features a smaller crowd. In the movie, if you didn't know anything about Selena going into it, you knew right away from the crowd that she was a star.
Like, a *star* star. In the movie, Selena loves the crowd as much as they love her. In the show, honestly, to me, it looks like this is Selena about to do one last concert before she quits.
Yeah, the show might depict this same concert later on, but our first look at Selena there is a distant, angelic figure in candlelight. In the movie, they started with Selena at her height, received by *her* devoted fans who loved *her.*
This also has the effect of starting the movie with a visibly Mexican American crowd, esp in terms of costuming and props. I mean, the horses! The hats! We see a little brown girl shout, "¡Selena, acá!" and it cuts to make it seem like Selena actually sees and waves to her.
Finally, in the movie, we see Selena hype up the crowd and start with "I Will Survive." Big song and she owns it! She's a star who plays music she likes!! In the show, Selena starts with a thank you to the crowd for making Como La Flor a hit. (cont)
And obviously that speech actually happened but it's a very interesting choice to begin a show about Selena, the legend?!?!, with her sitting, crying, and then thanking the crowd for giving her a hit song.
I think it's also interesting to start with the movie with this clearly Mexican American star singing a big disco hit. But that's basically it for the opening scenes, and I think they set a clear tone for the depictions of Selena to follow (though I haven't finished the series).
In the movie, we meet Selena at the height of her career, dynamic, commanding, adored. In the movie, we meet Selena at a low point, scared about ...something?, grateful to have a song people might remember, more angel than star.
No big conclusion - I just needed to get that off my chest!! I’m done now!!
PS: The casting, though?! The casting.
PPS: okay, now that I’ve seen most of the series, I can say @mala_munoz was 100000% in her review when she said to lift up the other stories and characters, they had to make Selena smaller. https://www.instagram.com/tv/CIbftQPgYrv/?igshid=ybi91i0lhnht
