Set in El Paso, Texas, in the summer of 1987, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe tells the story of two Mexican-American teenagers – Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza (Max Pelayo) and Dante Quintana (Reese Gonzales) – as they form a bond that puts them on a road to self-discovery and the realization that the world is full of infinite possibilities.
Written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Aitch Alberto, the LGBTQ+ coming-of-age drama is adapted from the novel of the same name by Benjamin Alire Sáenz and produced by Latine stars like Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eugenio Derbez, among others.
In an exclusive clip provided to Remezcla, Dante and his parents, Soledad (Eva Longoria) and Sam (Kevin Alejandro), are going on a camping trip and have invited Ari to come along. At the start of the clip, Soledad and Sam are loading the trunk of their car with supplies and playfully teasing each other about their packing strategy. Ari is quietly sitting in the back seat of the car waiting for the trip to begin.
“Ari, honey, are you going to be warm enough?” Soledad asks her son’s friend, in an 80’s look complete with oversized glasses. “I’m so happy you’re coming with us.”
When Dante joins Ari in the back seat, he tells him, “You’re going to love it out there. No light pollution.”
The scene then cuts to Ari and the Quintana family camping outdoors as the 1983 song “Cruel Summer” by Bananarama plays on a portable radio. “Dante loves it out here,” Soledad says as she adds a log to the fire. “You know, I never used to be an outdoor person until I met Sam.”
We’ll soon learn more about Ari and the Quintana family when Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe premieres at theaters nationwide on September 8, 2023.
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe being covered here wouldn’t exist.