{"id":7429,"date":"2021-06-14T09:49:06","date_gmt":"2021-06-14T16:49:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/?p=7429"},"modified":"2021-06-14T09:56:29","modified_gmt":"2021-06-14T16:56:29","slug":"rita-moreno-just-a-girl-who-decided-to-go-for-it-stunning-in-depth-look-at-one-of-hollywoods-most-trailblazing-actors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/2021\/rita-moreno-just-a-girl-who-decided-to-go-for-it-stunning-in-depth-look-at-one-of-hollywoods-most-trailblazing-actors\/","title":{"rendered":"Rita Moreno: Just A Girl Who Decided To Go For It * Stunning In-Depth Look at One Of Hollywood\u2019s Most Trailblazing Actors"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/ritamoreno.poster.jpg?resize=137%2C201&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7437\" width=\"137\" height=\"201\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Over a 70+ year career, Rita Moreno defied both her humble upbringing and relentless racism to become a celebrated and beloved actor, one of the rare EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) Award Winners of our time. Born into poverty on a Puerto Rican farm, Moreno and her seamstress mother immigrated to New York City when Moreno was five years old. After studying dance and performing on Broadway, Moreno was cast as any ethnic minority the Hollywood studios needed filled, be it Polynesian, Native American or Egyptian. Despite becoming the first Latina actress to win an Academy Award for her role as Anita in &#8220;West Side Story&#8221; (1961), the studios continued to offer Moreno lesser roles as stereotypical ethnic minorities, ignoring her proven talent. <em>Rita Moreno: Just A Girl Who Decided To Go For It <\/em>illuminates the humor and the grace of Moreno, as well as lesser-known struggles faced on her path to stardom, including pernicious Hollywood sexism and abuse, a toxic relationship with Marlon Brando, and serious depression a year before she emerged an Oscar winner. Moreno&#8217;s talent and resilience triumphed over adversity, as she broke barriers, fought for representation and forged the path for new generations of artists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Heather S. comments, \u201c<em>Rita Moreno: Just A Girl Who Decided To Go For It<\/em> is the ultimate in-depth documentary about one of Hollywood\u2019s most trailblazing actors. This film is the absolute tear-jerking, hysterical, educational experience of the year.\u201d Ashleigh C. adds, \u201c<em>Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go\u00a0For\u00a0It<\/em>\u00a0is a trailblazing documentary that will inspire girls across the world who have a dream! Rita Moreno\u2019s life story\u00a0is a testament to her perseverance and others like her who had a dream and decided to go for it.\u201d See their full reviews and Ashleigh\u2019s interview with director Mariem Perez below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rita Moreno: Just A Girl Who Decided To Go For It<br>By Heather S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 15<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OOsLO1i8cx8?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/ritamoreno.a.jpg?resize=225%2C127&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7430\" width=\"225\" height=\"127\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/ritamoreno.a.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/ritamoreno.a.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/ritamoreno.a.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/ritamoreno.a.jpg?w=1500&amp;ssl=1 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><figcaption>Rita Moreno in Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For it, Photo credit, Roadside Attractions<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Rita Moreno: Just A Girl Who Decided To Go For It<\/em> is the ultimate in-depth documentary about one of Hollywood\u2019s most trailblazing actors. This film is the absolute tear-jerking, hysterical, educational experience of the year. By the movie\u2019s end, you just want to go for it too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Rita Moreno: Just A Girl Who Decided To Go For It <\/em>recounts the life story of critically acclaimed actress Rita Moreno. Rita, who is best known for her roles of Anita in <em>West Side Story<\/em> and Carmela in<em> The Electric Company<\/em>, stars in the documentary, along with stars like Whoopie Goldberg, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Eva Longoria and more. The film features clips from a large variety of Rita\u2019s films throughout her career as well as from award shows, and photographs and footage from her personal life, including interviews with her friends and family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/ritamoreno.b.jpg?resize=225%2C146&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7431\" width=\"225\" height=\"146\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/ritamoreno.b.jpg?resize=300%2C195&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/ritamoreno.b.jpg?resize=1024%2C667&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/ritamoreno.b.jpg?resize=768%2C500&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/ritamoreno.b.jpg?w=1500&amp;ssl=1 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><figcaption>Rita Moreno behind the scenes, West Side Story, Courtesy of MGM Media Licensing<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>This film shines a light on how incredible Rita is, and how human as she leads the way for Puerto Ricans and all Hispanics in the 1960s, stands up for women\u2019s rights and fights to be able to choose which roles she plays. She deals with being type-cast as an island or Hispanic character, and decides and turns down roles that would shove her into a tiny box. We see the good, the bad, and the ugly side of Rita\u2019s life, not just grazing at the surface. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It shows how Rita struggled with hating her Hispanic roots, because it limited her as an actress. She tells how she was sexually abused, was forced into an abortion by her then-boyfriend Marlon Brando, and tried to commit suicide. The film shows exactly why Rita is such a beloved actress and person. Despite all she\u2019s been through, she never gives up and learned to value the woman she is. Rita grows into her own person throughout the movie, telling how everything that put her down at the time just made her stronger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/ritamoreno.f.jpg?resize=225%2C127&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7435\" width=\"225\" height=\"127\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/ritamoreno.f.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/ritamoreno.f.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/ritamoreno.f.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/ritamoreno.f.jpg?w=1500&amp;ssl=1 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><figcaption>Rita Moreno, Tony Awards 1975, Photo credit: American Theater Wing, Courtesy of Tony Awards Productions<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The moral of the film is to stay strong and keep fighting. Rita is not eighty-nine years old and one of 15 EGOT winners (acronym for the&nbsp;Emmy,&nbsp;Grammy,&nbsp;Oscar, and&nbsp;Tony&nbsp;Awards), just because she gave up. Being a Puerto Rican actress in New York and trying to find your way in the world wasn\u2019t as easy as Moreno makes it look. She has maintained her humbleness and blossomed into a modern woman who fights for human rights and looks great while doing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I give <em>Rita Moreno: Just A Girl Who Decided To Go For It<\/em> 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 13 to 18, plus adults. It is available in theaters June 18, 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go&nbsp;For&nbsp;It&nbsp;<br>By Ashleigh C., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, 17&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/AhPGxaPBH9A?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go&nbsp;For&nbsp;It<\/em>&nbsp;is a trailblazing documentary that will inspire girls across the world who have a dream! Rita Moreno\u2019s life story&nbsp;is a testament to her perseverance and others like her who had a dream and decided to go for it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jl0msIgW46o?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/ritamoreno.g.jpg?resize=146%2C225&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7436\" width=\"146\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/ritamoreno.g.jpg?resize=194%2C300&amp;ssl=1 194w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/ritamoreno.g.jpg?resize=664%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 664w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/ritamoreno.g.jpg?resize=768%2C1185&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/ritamoreno.g.jpg?w=972&amp;ssl=1 972w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 146px) 100vw, 146px\" \/><figcaption>Mariem Perez Riera, Photo: Elaine Torres, Courtesy of Roadside Attractions<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>This documentary profiles Rita Moreno&nbsp;(<em>West Side Story, One Day at a Time<\/em>), following her life from its beginnings as a poor&nbsp;Puerto Rican&nbsp;girl to becoming an EGOT&nbsp;(Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) award-winning actress. We see her struggles and trials throughout her life and how she confronts and handles them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Latina Mariem Perez Riera directs this documentary and brings a great deal of passion to it, making the film very personal and authentic.\u00a0The film employs stop motion animation, film excerpts to show Moreno\u2019s\u00a0life as a young woman to a legendary entertainment icon and political activist.\u00a0Not only are the scenes diverse, so\u00a0are\u00a0its features. I particularly enjoyed hearing from Morgan Freeman, Lin- Manuel Miranda\u00a0and Hector Elizondo. My favorite parts of this documentary are actually the sad parts. So many people in the limelight tend to sugar coat\u00a0the\u00a0truth about\u00a0their troubles,\u00a0which makes\u00a0them seem perfect.\u00a0This film\u00a0is raw to the point that, even though her life has a Hollywood spin to it, it actually tells a story that many young girls can relate to today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The message of this documentary is in the title &#8211; be a girl (or boy) that goes for your dream. Rita Moreno came from\u00a0less than many, yet lived a life bigger than most. You can do it! You won\u2019t know unless you try. This film does contain a description of sexual violence and some profanity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I give&nbsp;<em>Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go&nbsp;For&nbsp;It<\/em>&nbsp;5 out 5 stars and recommend it for ages 13 to 18, plus adults. You can watch&nbsp;it only in theatres starting June 18, 2021. &nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over a 70+ year career, Rita Moreno defied both her humble upbringing and relentless racism to become a celebrated and beloved actor, one of the rare EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) Award Winners of our time. Born into poverty on a Puerto Rican farm, Moreno and her seamstress mother immigrated to New York City when Moreno was five years old. After studying dance and performing on Broadway, Moreno was cast as any ethnic minority the Hollywood studios needed filled, be it Polynesian, Native American or Egyptian. Despite becoming the first Latina actress to win an Academy Award for her role as Anita in &#8220;West Side Story&#8221; (1961), the studios continued to offer Moreno lesser roles as stereotypical ethnic minorities, ignoring her proven talent. Rita Moreno: Just A Girl Who Decided To Go For It illuminates the humor and the grace of Moreno, as well as lesser-known struggles faced on her path to stardom, including pernicious Hollywood sexism and abuse, a toxic relationship with Marlon Brando, and serious depression a year before she emerged an Oscar winner. Moreno&#8217;s talent and resilience triumphed over adversity, as she broke barriers, fought for representation and forged the path for new generations of artists. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Heather S. comments, \u201cRita Moreno: Just A Girl Who Decided To Go For It is the ultimate in-depth documentary about one of Hollywood\u2019s most trailblazing actors. This film is the absolute tear-jerking, hysterical, educational experience of the year.\u201d Ashleigh C. adds, \u201cRita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It is a trailblazing documentary that will inspire girls across the world who have a dream! Rita Moreno\u2019s life story is a testament to her perseverance and others like her who had a dream and decided to go for it.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[15],"tags":[3495,1783,3492,3493,3494,63,3491,3487,3488,1166,471,62,3485,3483,3482,3486,3484,3490,3489],"class_list":["post-7429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-feature-film-reviews","tag-broadway","tag-by-kids-for-kids","tag-freeman","tag-hamilton","tag-lin-manuel-miranda-2","tag-lin-manuel-miranda","tag-morgan","tag-morgan-freeman","tag-morgan-freeman-voice","tag-movie-reviews","tag-music","tag-musical","tag-one-day-at-a-time","tag-rita-moreno","tag-rita-moreno-just-a-girl-who-decided","tag-rita-moreno-just-a-girl-who-decided-to-go-for-it-trailer","tag-west-side-story","tag-west-side-story-america","tag-west-side-story-maria"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paS5I2-1VP","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7429"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7429\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7446,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7429\/revisions\/7446"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}