Musical biopic of 1950s singer Ritchie Valens, whose promising career was cut short by the fatal plane crash in 1959 that also claimed the lives of Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper. The film focuses on Valens' thwarted romance with Donna Ludwig and his rivalry with his older step-brother. Starring Lou Diamond Phillips, Esai Morales, Rosana De Soto, Marshall Crenshaw and Danielle Von Zerneck, with music by Los Lobos.

Los Angeles teenager Ritchie Valens becomes an overnight rock 'n' roll success in 1958, thanks to a love ballad called "Donna" that he wrote for his girlfriend. But as his star rises, Valens has conflicts with his jealous brother, Bob, and becomes haunted by a recurring nightmare of a plane crash just as he begins his first national tour alongside Buddy Holly.