Watch All She Can

All She Can is a coming-of-age drama released in 2011 directed by Amy Wendel. Set in a small town near the border of Texas, this story follows the life of a Mexican-American girl named Luz (portrayed by Corina Calderon) as she navigates through the complexities of life that revolve around her family, school, love, and her long-standing dream.

Luz resides in a poor, working-class Hispanic neighborhood in a Texas city. Her dream is to secure a scholarship to attend the University of Texas and achieve something bigger than herself. She gets a taste of it when she becomes the star of her high school's lifting team. With her coach, Brazilian weightlifting ex-champion-turned-gym-teacher, Mr. Alvarado (played by Joseph Julian Soria), in her corner, she has all the support she needs to take on her rivals at the upcoming state championships and realize her dream.

Amid all this, Luz's life is also entangled with the presence of her boyfriend, a high school dropout named Raul (Jeremy Ray Valdez), who comes from a low-income, border-crossing family. Though they love each other deeply, Raul's frustration and pressure to support his father and brother's drug business put Luz at risk of losing everything she has worked for.

As Luz begins to work hard towards earning the scholarship and training hard for the weightlifting competition, the pressure to support Raul's endeavors becomes higher, causing tension between them. Despite her best efforts, she finds herself becoming part of Raul's world, which tempts her to deviate from the discipline she needs to maintain for her dream.

All She Can does an excellent job of depicting the realities of Mexican-American families living in poverty and how they are forced to engage in illegal businesses to survive. It also touches upon the hard work Luz puts in to break the cycle and create a better life for herself and her family. Luz's character is shaped by her unwavering determination and strength to do what is best for her future, even when it requires making some difficult choices. Corina Calderon gives a mesmerizing performance, portraying Luz's complexity and immense pressure with skill and conviction.

The film also delves into the impact of the education system on its students. It highlights how rigorous academic needs and lack of opportunities create unjust barriers, putting talented and intelligent students at a disadvantage. The movie uses Luz's story to highlight that the education system in America is broken, and it often leaves behind the students who need it the most.

As the movie progresses, it becomes clear that Luz's relationship with Raul is holding her back from achieving her dream. While Luz realizes the gravity of the situation and applies all her energy towards a much-needed change, Raul remains stagnant, resistive to change, and committed to his family's illegal activity. The film portrays how these factors derail progress and creates a toxic environment that Luz must escape to achieve her dreams.

All She Can is a raw and gripping film that captures the tension and intricacies of growing up and trying to balance different priorities. With fantastic performances by the cast and a well-written script, the film delves deep into the sacrifices and struggles that young people endure to move beyond their circumstances. This movie is an important piece that highlights the obstacles faced by first-generation immigrants and their determination to achieve the American Dream.

All She Can is a 2011 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 34 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.4 and a MetaScore of 50.