Synopsis
Biographical story of the rise from nowhere of early rock and roll singer Ritchie Valens who died at age 17 in a plane crash with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper.
Scores
Overall Score
84.6
Popularity Percentile (Year)
81.3%
Box Office Percentile (Year)
92.6%
Review Aggregate
78.3
Critic Consensus
Critic reception is largely positive, with 81% of 67 logged reviews marked Fresh. Across reviews, critics repeatedly emphasize historical, lighthearted, coming of age. Most critics frame the film as an effective delivery of its core style and intent.
historicallightheartedcoming of ageemotionalfamily-friendlytragicupliftingpsychologicalcharacter-driven
Cast
| Cast | Year | Reported Salary | Inflation Adjusted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Esai Morales | 1987 | $374,000 | $1,032,000 | (est) |
| Rosanna DeSoto | 1987 | $230,000 | $635,000 | (est) |
| Elizabeth Peña | 1987 | $173,000 | $478,000 | (est) |
| Joe Pantoliano | 1987 | $142,000 | $391,000 | (est) |
| Lou Diamond Phillips | 1987 | $6,000 source | $16,569 | reported |
Aggregated Reviews
Rotten Tomatoes critic score83.0
RT critic review count80
Rotten Tomatoes audience score79.0
RT audience rating count50,000
IMDb rating7.0
IMDb votes38,511
Box Office ?
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | 1987 | $54,215,416 | $149,712,820 |
| International | 1987 | N/A | N/A |
| Worldwide | 1987 | $54,215,416 | $149,712,820 |
Earnings / Profitability
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | |||
| Theatrical Net Revenue | 1987 | $27,107,708 | $74,856,410 |
| Digital Rentals ? | 1987 | N/A | N/A |
| Digital Purchases ? | 1987 | N/A | N/A |
| Physical Rentals ? | 1987 | $33,165,000 | $91,583,281 |
| Physical Purchases ? | 1987 | $15,470,000 | $42,719,534 |
| TV & Streaming Revenue | 1987 | $13,553,854 | $37,428,205 |
| Total Revenues | 1987 | $89,296,562 | $246,587,430 |
| Expenses | |||
| Budget ? | 1987 | $6,500,000 | $17,949,384 |
| Print & Advertising (P&A) ? | 1987 | $7,918,000 (est) | $21,865,111 (est) |
| Participations | 1987 | $7,144,000 | $19,727,754 |
| Residuals ? | 1987 | $4,241,000 | $11,711,283 |
| Interest & Overhead | 1987 | $1,300,000 | $3,589,877 |
| Total Expenses | 1987 | $27,103,000 | $74,843,409 |
| Movie Net Profit or Loss | 1987 | $62,193,562 | $171,744,021 |
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 | Great Balls of Fire! | 1989 | Shared genres: 4 | 67.0 | $16,779,384 |