My tween and teen years were relatively uneventful. Growing up as an only child in a Puerto Rican family, my parents kept the lines of communication open. The attention they poured over me and the important life lessons they modeled ensured that I felt loved and respected, even if they were a bit overprotective. My parents set boundaries yet encouraged my independence. It is their guidance and wise parenting that helped me become a mature, responsible adult.

Photo Credit: Lionsgate Publicity
Girl In Progress, the independent coming-of-age film about a young girl (Cierra Ramirez) desperate to connect with her preoccupied single mother (Eva Mendes), is connecting mothers and daughters across the country, encouraging them to spend time together and communicate. I recently sat down with director Patricia Riggen, Eva Mendes (Grace), Raini Rodriguez (Tavita), and Cierra Ramirez (Ansiedad) to talk about the joys and challenges of making an independent film about the female experience. “There is a huge audience out there that wants to see films about women with real issues…with characters that are realistic, smart, hardworking, flawed, beautiful” (Riggen). One of the reasons why the film works so well is that Grace is so flawed, yet so likable, Riggen continued. For Mendes, the draw was in Grace’s character. “She [Grace] was so flawed and so human…such a mess,” (Mendes). Yet it was in Grace’s character that Mendes found that she was on her way to playing a real person.
Riggen, who’s previous work includes the 2011 Disney Channel original film Lemonade Mouth and is currently working on a remake of Elsa and Fred, “wants to tell good stories.” She’s drawn to female characters…to the underdog. Riggen’s work on the film began after screenwriter Hiram Martinez had written the script. Riggen liked the clever, coming-of-age story, but wanted to make a movie about girls, for girls, and the R-rating it was originally assigned was very crude with strong themes. Riggen worked to tone down some of those strong themes, while presenting some of the more difficult scenes in an elegant way. “It was always a balancing act between keeping it light, fun, and entertaining. I worked on bringing the well-rounded, female characters and the heart into the movie.”
Riggen knew that Eva Mendes was the perfect person to portray the role of Grace, and after hearing from Mendes, I can see why. She’s elegant but simple, wears minimal makeup, and virtually no jewelry. Mendes knew what Grace’s character was and she kept it real, showing us a side we’ve not seen before (Riggen). Having portrayed a mom on several occasions, including her breakout role in Training Day, Mendes felt like “subconsciously you bring certain things to a role as you age…more experience and more life… Mendes made her character human and Riggen was happy with the end result.
One of the most interesting things I learned about the film was the fact that it was shot in just 22 days. Given the fact that Riggen was working with several actors under the age of 18, those days were shortened making the end result that much more impressive. The film also stars the vibrant and incredibly talented Cierra Ramirez, who makes her acting debut as the mature-beyond-her-years daughter Ansiedad. Speaking with both Ramirez and Rodriguez, who stars in the hit Disney Channel show Austin & Ally and whom I adored in Prom, was refreshing. Both girls are eloquent, mature, and incredibly talented.
Eighteen-year old Rodriguez never went through a “rite of passage” like Ansiedad did in the film and I wondered if that made it difficult for her to portray the best friend assisting and fueling this coming of age plan. Rodriguez looked to director Riggen who connected with each of the actors on a personal and emotional level, helping her feel that emotion. “To be in that moment was real and overwhelming,” Rodriguez muses as she recalls particularly difficult scenes like being bullied in the school cafeteria and wrestling with an eating disorder. Rodriguez remembers thinking, “So this is what hitting rock bottom feels like. You hear about it but to actually portray it is completely different.” Despite the intensity of such scenes, Rodriguez considers it an honor to portray Tavita and enjoyed every moment.
When Riggen saw the tape of 11 year old Ramirez singing like Aretha Franklin at the Apollo Theater in New York, she didn’t know if she could act, but she wanted to watch her for two hours, which is ultimately how she cast the tween breakout star. Riggen worked one-on-one with Ramirez, helping her break down Ansiedad’s character. Mendes complimented Ramirez, stating “she was so committed…her emotions are so available to her…it’s gorgeous to watch a young talent.” Ramirez, who will play a young pregnant girl on ABC Family’s The Secret Life of the American Teenager, had this wise-beyond-her-years piece of advice: “You shouldn’t really get into things you know in your heart you’re not ready for,” a theme that is prevalent throughout the film. For young girls struggling with their own mother-daughter relationships, Rodriguez offers this advice: “Be yourself…don’t grow up too fast…be true to yourself. Don’t try to change who you are…you’re great just the way you are.”
Girl In Progress is a film about the female experience. Take your mother or your daughter to see it this weekend!
No compensation was received for this post. I attended a press junket and participated roundtables with the talent from the film.
Photo Credit: Yolanda from Sassy Mama in LA
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