
El Manantial
Seen it?2001 | 1 seasons | 45 min | Drama
Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It drew serious awards attention, though it had almost no lasting buzz and a lukewarm 7.3 out of 10 from audiences. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who loves a strong character drama.
- The mood
- Thoughtful and character-driven.
- The pace
- 1 season: a few weeks of evenings, episodes of about 45 minutes, about 71 hours in all.
- What might put you off
- It's in Spanish, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
In the village of San Andres, the rivalry between two families the Valdes and the Ramirez is centered on "El Manantial", a beautiful fountain of water that happens to bathe the small property of the Valdes and not the neighboring ranch, the rich and prosperous hacienda "Piedras Grandes", where the best cattle are raised and is property of the Ramirez. But the spring is not the real reason for the hatred between the families. Justo Ramirez, married to Margarita Insunza, had a relationship with Francisca Rivero, wife of his enemy and neighbor Rigoberto Valdes. This relationship, founded in the betrayal, will cause the utmost bitterness and the destruction between the two families. The Valdes have a beautiful daughter named Alfonsina, who was born in the same year as Alejandro, the son and heir of the Ramirez. Although they have grown separately with their souls full of prejudices against their respective families, the two cannot avoid feeling attracted to each other. Margarita will not permit this and so she tells her husband to make sure her son will never be together with Alfonsina so he could marry Barbara, her cousin's daughter. Justo rapes Alfonsina and she leaves along with her mom and her aunt. Five years later... Alfonsina is graduating from school and has a good life until her mother commits suicide because she found out she was deathly ill and could no longer live with the guilt of her lifestyle. Before dying, her mother confesses to Alfonsina that Justo Ramirez destroyed her life and after that Alfonsina vows revenge on the man who destroyed her family. She returns to San Andres and there she once again sees Alejandro who is now engaged to Barbara. Their love is still present in their hearts. They will have to fight for their love and see if they can be happy by the shores of El Manantial... El Manantial is a Mexican telenovela that first aired in 2001, starring Adela Noriega and Mauricio Islas. The telenovela received TVyNovelas Award for Best Telenovela, in 2002.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsNot counted
Not enough reviews on record yet
- AudiencesBelow par
7.3 out of 10
- AwardsStrong
24 wins and 6 nominations from smaller awards and festivals
- Reach & staying powerBelow par
Ran for 1 season and reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 12K people sought it out in the past year
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Cast & crew
Created by Víctor Manuel Medina, Cuauhtémoc Blanco
- Adela NoriegaAlfonsina Valdés
- Daniela RomoMargarita Insunza de Ramírez
- Karyme LozanoBárbara Luna
- Mauricio IslasAlejandro Ramírez Insunza
- Azela RobinsonFrancisca Rivero Vda. de Valdéz
- Alejandro TommasiDon Justo Ramírez
- Olivia BucioGertrudis Rivero
- Sylvia PasquelPilar Castillo de Luna
- Raymundo CapetilloDr. Álvaro Luna Castillo
- Patricia NavidadMaría Magdalena "Malena" Osuna Castañeda