Magdalena is a Latina teenage girl looking forward to her big day, her quinceañera. A quinceañera  is a big 15th birthday celebration that marks the transition into becoming a women for Mexican american women. When Magdalena sees what big things her cousin Eileen gets for her big day, she expects more when her occasion comes. As for her parents, they are more focused on the meaning of a quinceanera than on the big things for the party. Throughout the movie, you discover that Magdalena becomes pregnant by her boyfriend Herman. Once her parents find out her father becomes furious to the point where he doesn't want to see her so she leaves to live with her uncle Tomas. Living with her uncle as well is her cousin Carlos who she develops a surprising friendship. Carlos lives with uncle Tomas because he was having problems with his family when they find out that he is gay.

In the beginning of the movie you soon realize that there is tension between Carlos and his family. It isn't til later on in the movie and you discover and that reason for that is because he is gay. His father and is mother become ashamed of who he is and disclaimed him as a part of the family so when he shows up to his sister's quinceanera, Eileen, he was kicked out. As a Latino man, Carlos is portrayed as a tough and muscular man. Although he is gay they still make him seem tough on the outside. He is very serious throughout the movie and doesn't really show emotion. Carlos is a man who is struggling to accept who he is. Being rejected by his own family put him in a spot that where he fears to show his true colors because he wants to be accepted by people.

As a young fourteen year old, Magdalena is supposed to live up to the expectations her family has for her. She is a kind and humble girl that goes to church and spends time with her family. When her family finds out she is pregnant, they are disappointed in her. Her father doesn't want her at the house because she has sinned and does not want to confess to her sin. Magdalena got pregnant without penetration and when she tells her father that he does not believe her. It wasn't til she went to the clinic that she was able to believe her because the mother goes with her to find out. He father strongly believes in the church and is old school when it comes to raising his children. Magdalena is forced to grow up and help out her uncle Tomas when they find out they are being evicted. She is only fourteen so it becomes hard when she goes out and tries to look for other places to live.

Family plays a big role in this film.  This Latino family is very strict on their morals and values so when it comes to Magdalena and Carlos they have their uncle Tomas there for support. Even though each of their family turned their back on them he was the one that took them in and gave them the support that they needed. Tomas is a very religious person. He turns to the virgin mary a lot when he faces struggles with both Carlos and Magdalena. He has a lot of religious figures in his garden that was filled with plants, beads, and colorful tiles where he also had pictures of Carlos and Magdalena next to them so they can be there helping them and guiding them. Tomas is your typical elderly Latino man. He is nice to everyone regardless of who you are and does not judge anyone for anything. He is known by everyone in his town and was loved by everyone. He prays a lot when it comes to trying to achieve something in the sense that la virgen will hear him out.

In the film we come across a gay couple that moves in right by where Carlos lives. He gets to know both of them one day when they invited him to a housewarming party they were having soon after they moved in. Carlos became extremely close to them that night that lead to them to go farther into their friendship. Carlos developed a relationship with one of the two guys whose name was James. They met on the side trying to avoid Gary to catch them even though they all previously had been together. Even though his father made him ashamed of how he was, he was slowly coming out of his shell and letting it be. Being with this guy, Carlos finally was able to show who he was and was not afraid. He knew who he was and wanted to be able to fully express himself so when Magdalena asks him about it he isn't afraid to tell. Yeah he is not living up to the typical expectations of a latino man, but he is finding himself and is not ashamed of if along the way.

This film gives you a strong sense of how a Latino family stick to their values and morals. They are a very religious family that regardless if their own family goes against those values they will no longer want you in their home. Both Carlos and Magdalena had to learn that no matter how much they wanted their family to be there for them that is was not going to happen because they believe that are a shame to the family. The struggles they faced made them stronger as well as the incident with Tomas passing made the family realize something that they didn't know before. Family is everything and no matter what they are the ones that are always going to be there for you when times get tough.