Raising Victor Vargas (2002) is a winsome comedy-drama that follows the romantic escapades of Victor Vargas (Victor Rasuk), a young Dominican-American teenager living in New York City's Lower East Side.
Victor lives in a small apartment with his strict grandmother (Altagracia Guzman), his baby sister Vicki (Krystal Rodriguez) and his younger brother Nino (Silvestre Rasuk). He's exceedingly charismatic and dreams of becoming a genuine lothario, though his attempts at wooing girls often end in abject failure. When he sets his sights on the beautiful and popular Judy Ramirez (Judy Marte), Victor believes he has finally found his match—yet his attempts at gaining her affections lead to valuable lessons about love, friendship and his own maturation.
Co-written and directed by Peter Sollett (Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, Freeheld), Raising Victor Vargas is a light-hearted yet warmly realistic depiction of life in the Lower East Side. Sollett sidesteps the clichés of many teenage coming-of-age films to deliver an honest and engaging tale of youthful exploration. Rife with witty humor and infectious vitality, it offers a refreshingly thoughtful immersion into the trials and tribulations of young love.
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