For decades, filmmakers Patrick Perez Vidauri and Cristina Nava of Porter Ranch and Nancy De Los Santos of Los Angeles have worked separately to portray Latinos more accurately in Hollywood. An upcoming romantic comedy brought them together to tell a story about three Latinas, and in making the film, they recruited a global music star of “Despacito” fame.
“Say a Little Prayer” tells the story of three girlfriends, who in their search for love, together say a prayer to St. Anthony of Padua, the patron of lost things – love and spouses included. The invocation brings them surprises beyond just romance.
Starring in the rom-com are Jackie Cruz (Netflix’s “Orange Is the New Black”), Vannessa Vasquez (Hulu’s “East Los High”) and Vivian Lamolli (Paramount +’s “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies”), who respectively play a multiple-gig worker, an art gallery owner and a teacher.
Joining the cast is Luis Fonsi, the singer and songwriter of the mega-hit “Despacito” who plays a love interest that tests relationships among the girlfriends.
A production of Perez Vidauri’s and producer Nava’s Migrant Filmworks, the movie also features some seasoned Latino actors in supporting roles: Pepe Serna (“Scarface,” “American Me”), Dyana Ortelli (“Three Amigos,” “La Bamba”), Chris Kattan (“Saturday Night Live”) and Angelica María (“Sea of Dreams”). The cast also includes up-and-coming actors Tatanka Means, Jack Murillo and Julian Rangel.
The Film’s Inspiration
Written by De Los Santos, the film was inspired by a family anecdote at home years after the Chicago-born filmmaker graduated from college. She was 30 years old, had a job and was single. The latter seemed to concern her grandmother Soledad Gallegos, a traditional woman who “just wanted everybody to have a good husband,” recalled De Los Santos.
“My abuelita told me, ‘Nancy, your husband is lost, and you have to say this prayer to San Antonio. It will help you find your husband.’”
Thinking her granny’s advice was “funny and cute,” she accepted the prayer, putting it away for a long time but often fondly remembering Nana’s gesture.
A few years ago, De Los Santos pulled out the religious supplication from her drawer and got inspired to write a movie script about a 35 year old, Adela, who receives the San Antonio prayer from her grandmother, who claims to be at death’s door. Adela recites it with two friends.
“Then crazy things happen, and everybody falls in love with the wrong person until everything turns around,” said De Los Santos.
But unlike doña Soledad, the granny in the movie is a bit of a trickster, according to Perez Vidauri, the film director.
“She only pretends to be dying,” he said, noting the grandmother has a secret game plan: to guilt-trip her granddaughter into reciting the prayer to find a spouse.
Reluctantly, Adela gives in out of respect for her supposedly dying abuelita. Returning home, she tells her friends Ruby and Cristina about the prayer, and they all join together to say it.
“Then men start coming into their lives,” added the director.
Along with the men, problems arrive, too. Singer/songwriter Fonsi’s character, a museum curator and recent widower named Rafael, goes to Adela’s gallery and a love triangle forms between him, Adela and her best girlfriend – unbeknown to the two friends.
Casting Fonsi
Perez Vidauri credits a friend of De Los Santos’ with bringing Fonsi on board.
Robert Treviño, who serves as co-producer on the film, knew the “Despacito” artist from his time working for Gibson Guitars Latin America. As the search for the film’s male romantic lead began, Treviño asked, “How about Fonsi?”
The popular Puerto Rican singer accepted the invitation.
“When he said, ‘Yes!’, we were jumping up and down, thrilled and excited,” exclaimed Perez Vidauri.
Fonsi has played minor roles in TV and movies but “Say a Little Prayer” marks his lead role debut in a film feature. The singer also joins Oscar-nominee actor Edwards James Olmos, who is the film’s executive director.
Fighting Against Stereotypes
“Say a Little Prayer” adds to the credit lists of Perez Vidauri, producer Cristina Nava and De Los Santos that provides an antidote to Hollywood’s negative, or at the very least limiting, stereotypes of Latinos and Latinas.
“Wedon’t like to make films, or don’t look for films [to make], that have anything to do with maids, drug dealers, narcos, gangbangers or even border crossing,” said Perez Vidauri. “We don’t touch on those themes that have already stereotyped us. The world has Latinos who are doctors, journalists and lawyers, as well as [are] other American’s best friends.”
The director also seemed intent on making people laugh through his films, helming about half a dozen comedies in recent years – one filmed in the San Fernando Valley.
His first feature was “Lola’s Love Shack,” about three Latino boys coming of age in LA, reportedly earning a nod from Will Ferrell who called it “heartfelt and silly.”
His other credits include “In Other Words,” about love across the language barrier that was picked up by HBO Max in 2020 and “Divorce Bait,” a suburban rom-com shot in 2020 during the pandemic in the San Fernando Valley, specifically, his hometown of Porter Ranch, written by Nava.
Like Perez Vidauri, De Los Santos creates characters that seek to nullify the run-of-the-mill stereotypes of Latinos that abound in Hollywood.
“Say A Little Prayer,” a creative slice born from her own life experience, has also provided opportunity for a Latino cast that is rare in Hollywood. In a clever twist, the movie was shot in San Antonio, Texas, giving another notable connection to the storyline.
Her credits include associate producer on the movies “Selena” and “My Family/Mi Familia,” and the TV series “Resurrection Blvd.” and “East Los High.”
Women as Protagonists
Besides being inspired by real events, “Say a Little Prayer” is special for De Los Santos for other reasons.
“I’m so proud of this movie because it’s one of the first movies in a long, long time that has Latinas in the center, as the stars of the film,” she said with pride in her voice. “And they’re not crying, not doing drugs, not stealing, not in gangs.”
The actresses and characters are also diverse, she added.
“They’re all kinds of Latinas – they’re Mexican American, Tejanas, Puerto Rican, Dominicans. And it’s just beautiful to see that, because that’s what the world is like. That is my world, my world has everyone in it,” she said.
Describing her characters as “striving and aspirational,” she pointed out that they include entrepreneurs, writers and educators.
“That’s the world I live in, that I wanted to show on the big screen,” stated De Los Santos, who is also a producer of the film.
De Los Santos is also a recipient of the ALMA Award for Community Service.
“Say a Little Prayer” was world premiered at this year’s Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, where it sold out two shows. The positive reception led to a partnership with New Cadence Productions, helmed by Jeff Valdez, executive producer of the HBO Max family comedy series “The Garcias.”
Perez Vidauri hopes his latest film will be acquired soon for distribution and come out before the end of the year.
“With our partners, we’re going to the majors [distributors],” said Perez Vidauri, adding with optimism, “We’re anticipating [releasing it] the latest around Thanksgiving.”
Editor Diana Martinez contributed to this article.