La Bamba
“Born into poverty. Destined for stardom. He lived the American dream.”
Synopsis
Los Angeles teenager Ritchie Valens becomes an overnight rock 'n' roll success in 1958, thanks to a love ballad called "Donna" that he wrote for his girlfriend. But as his star rises, Valens has conflicts with his jealous brother, Bob, and becomes haunted by a recurring nightmare of a plane crash just as he begins his first national tour alongside Buddy Holly.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Official TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2020-10-14
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Lou Diamond Phillips
Ritchie Valens
Danielle von Zerneck
Donna Ludwig
Elizabeth Peña
Rosie Morales
Rosanna DeSoto
Connie Valenzuela
Esai Morales
Bob Morales
Joe Pantoliano
Bob Keane
Marshall Crenshaw
Buddy Holly
Brian Setzer
Eddie Cochran
Daniel Valdez
Lelo
Howard Huntsberry
Jackie Wilson
Felipe Cantu
Curandero
Eddie Frias
Chino
Mike Moroff
Mexican Ed
Geoffrey Rivas
Rudy
Sam Anderson
Mr. Ludwig
Maggie Gwinn
Mrs. Ludwig
Jeffrey Alan Chandler
Alan Freed
Stephen Lee
Big Bopper
Release History & Theatrical Window
Seattle International Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
July 24, 1987
Wide Cinema Exhibition
April 6, 1999
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$6.5M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$54.2M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
8.34x
+$47.7M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Luis Valdez
- Screenplay & Story
- Luis Valdez
- Original Score
- Miles Goodman, Carlos Santana
- Original Title
- La Bamba
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English, Spanish
- Runtime
- 1h 48m
- Production Budget
- $6.5M
- Worldwide Gross
- $54.2M
- Production Studios
- New Visions Pictures, Columbia Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Luis Valdez
Luis Valdez
Miles Goodman, Carlos Santana
Adam Greenberg
Sheldon Kahn, Don Brochu
Taylor Hackford, Stuart Benjamin, Bill Borden
Department Leadership Roster
Luis Valdez
Director
Luis Valdez
Writer
Sheldon Kahn
Editor
Sylvia Vega-Vasquez
Costume Design
Taylor Hackford
Producer
Adam Greenberg
Director of Photography
Bill Borden
Producer
Vincent M. Cresciman
Production Design
Don Brochu
Editor
Ronnie Rondell Jr.
Stunt Coordinator
Steve M. Davison
Stunt Coordinator
Miles Goodman
Original Music Composer
Carlos Santana
Original Music Composer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG-13: Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.
International Certification Matrix
Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.
FSK 6 — Restricted to viewers aged 6 and older.
Tous publics — Universal audience.
Suitable only for 15 years and over.
Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for La Bamba.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring La Bamba.
***Dramă***
Criterion Collection
The Complete Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection is a video distribution company that sells 'important classic and contemporary films' in editions that offer the highest technical quality. This list contains only the featured films released on DVD, BluRay and 4K Criterion releases — no supplements are included. Organized by spine number with the newest releases first. CC标准收藏完整收录版： 收录标准收藏（Criterion Collection）发行的重要经典及当代电影。仅包含正片（涵盖 DVD、蓝光及 4K 版本），已排除花絮补充内容。按 CC 发行编号倒序排列（最新发行在前）。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#214] Mangrove (2020) • [#215] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#216] Red, White and Blue (2020) • [#217] Alex Wheatle (2020) • [#486] Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) • [#647] Dekalog (1989) • [#944] World on a Wire (1973) • [#1187] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#1338] Fanny and Alexander (1984) • [#1341] Tanner '88 (1988) • [#1371] Scenes from a Marriage (1973) *注：以下影片因 TMDB 尚未收录，暂不在此片单中展示：* • [#531] First (2012) • [#1699] Ulysse (1983) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-11 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
Marcelo's International movies list
Now Showing at Cain Cinema
Cain Cinema features a 4K UHD picture on a 120" (16:9) screen, and a 7.2.4 Dolby Atmos audio experience.
Limelight Watchlist
My Movies
Master List In Progress
Similar Titles to La Bamba
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
7.1
7.2
7.7
8.4
7.5
6.6
7.0
8.0
4.9
6.2
7.3
7.0
7.1
7.4
6.8
8.6
7.3
5.5
More Like La Bamba
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About La Bamba
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is La Bamba about?
Los Angeles teenager Ritchie Valens becomes an overnight rock 'n' roll success in 1958, thanks to a love ballad called "Donna" that he wrote for his girlfriend. But as his star rises, Valens has conflicts with his jealous brother, Bob, and becomes haunted by a recurring nightmare of a plane crash just as he begins his first national tour alongside Buddy Holly.
Who directed La Bamba?
La Bamba was directed by Luis Valdez.
Who stars in La Bamba?
The principal cast of La Bamba includes Lou Diamond Phillips, Danielle von Zerneck, Elizabeth Peña, Rosanna DeSoto, Esai Morales.
When was La Bamba released and how long is it?
La Bamba was released in 1987 with a total runtime of 1h 48m.
What was the box office and production budget of La Bamba?
La Bamba had a reported production budget of $6.5M and grossed $54.2M at the worldwide box office (8.34 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for La Bamba?
The original motion picture soundtrack for La Bamba was composed by Miles Goodman, Carlos Santana.
What is the age rating and content advisory for La Bamba?
La Bamba holds official age classifications: AU: M (Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.); DE: 6 (FSK 6 — Restricted to viewers aged 6 and older.); FR: U (Tous publics — Universal audience.); GB: 15 (Suitable only for 15 years and over.); US: PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.).