Queen of Tejano Selena Quintanilla-Pérez is on the minds of everyone this month. The 1997 film Selena celebrated the 24th anniversary of its theatrical release last week. This week also marks the 26th anniversary of her death (March 31).
As much as Selena fans adore the biopic starring Jennifer López, there’s always been a disagreement about the movie when it comes to one particular line of memorable dialogue. The words are spoken during the scene where the family’s tour bus gets stuck in the mud and two very nice cholos stop and try to help Selena and her entourage pull their bus out with their 1969 Chevrolet Impala.
When the cholos’ attempt fails and their lowrider’s bumper is ripped off in the process, “First Cholo,” played by actor Erick Carrillo, brushes off the fact that his car was damaged and utters the famous line, “Anything for Selenas.” Or was it “Anything for Salinas?”
It’s a question that has plagued fans for years. Twenty-four years later, there still is not a consensus on the line of dialogue, which has inspired countless t-shirts, bumper stickers, online memes and even used for the names of special events and celebrations to honor the late Tejano superstar.
So, which team are you on? Team Selenas or Team Salinas? Carrillo finally gives fans the answer.
“It’s ‘Anything for Salinas,’” Carrillo told Remezcla. “That’s how it was written.”
Carrillo isn’t sure why it was written as “Salinas” in the script, but he thinks it’s because writer and director Gregory Nava was “making the point” about how “silly” it would be not to know her name.
“Remember, in the movie this is when she first gets recognized,” Carrillo added. “It would be like not knowing her name now–or Elvis Presley or The Beatles.”
So, there it is Selena movie fans. If you’ve been saying anything other than “Anything for Salinas” for the last 24 years, you were Bidi Bidi Wrong Wrong. But don’t worry, we were wrong, too. Guess that means we need to watch the movie again–for the millionth time.
