Lena's Dreams (1997)

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How long can a grown-up hold on to her childhood dreams? That's the question posed in this independent drama. Lena (Marlene Forte) is an actress who has just turned 32, and she doesn't feel especially good about it. Lena promised herself years ago that once she turned 30, if she hadn't become a… More How long can a grown-up hold on to her childhood dreams? That's the question posed in this independent drama. Lena (Marlene Forte) is an actress who has just turned 32, and she doesn't feel especially good about it. Lena promised herself years ago that once she turned 30, if she hadn't become a success in her profession, she would quit the theater and get a "real" job. Two years after her deadline, she still clings to her dream, but with considerably less hope and enthusiasm. Her boyfriend Mike (Gary Perez) just packed in his own acting career for a job with a steady salary and health insurance, and he's pressuring her to do the same so that they can get married and raise a family. Lena's agent Jorge (David Zayas) doesn't seem to believe in her and doesn't send her out for important auditions, while casting directors find her too difficult to cast; a Cuban-American, Lena looks too ethnic for many roles, but she isn't dark enough to conform to the visual stereotype of a villain. Lena is forced to ask herself if she's willing to take the route of Mike's friend Johnny (Jeremiah Birkett), who has learned to be content doing a television spot every once in a while as he keeps up with a straight job, or if she should heed the warnings of Suze (Susan Peirez), who traded in a failing acting career for a good job with decent pay and stability -- and has hated every minute of it. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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