Unconventional ways: Eugenio Derbez brings heart to the real-life story behind 'Radical'

Being patient pays off.

For Eugenio Derbez, in 2012, he heard the story of a teacher in Mexico who used unconventional ways for learning.

Inspired by the story, Derbez waited more than a decade to help bring the story to the big screen.

The result is the feature film, “Radical,” which is opening in theaters in New Mexico on Friday, Nov. 3.

The film is slated to screen at AMC 12, Century Rio 24 and Winrock 16 in Albuquerque and Dreamcatcher 12 in Española.

The film was awarded the “Festival Favorite” at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.

“Radical,” inspired by a Wired Magazine article by Joshua Davis, follows the 6th-grade students at José Urbina López Primary School in Matamoros, who are among the worst-performing students in Mexico.

The world they know is one of violence and hardship, and their school is a place of discipline, not possibility.

Everything changes when teacher Sergio Juárez Correa, played by Derbez, arrives with an outside-the-box approach.

Derbez is known for his comedic roles, and he had some concerns going into production for the film.

Unconventional ways: Eugenio Derbez brings heart to the real-life story behind 'Radical'

He says playing the role of Juárez Correa, which placed him outside his comfort zone as a performer.

Director Christopher Zalla counseled the actor that what he felt was no different than what Juárez Correa experienced on his first day of school – flying by the seat of his pants with his students.

That’s a bit of what Derbez himself felt jumping into this role. But he also knew he would not be alone in this portrayal once he was able to establish a connection with his real-life counterpart.

“Telling a true story is always a great responsibility,” Derbez says during a recent interview. “But telling the story of someone still alive, and you know they will see the final result is terrifying. I met the real Sergio and spoke to him for a while. He is such a kind, humble human being.

“He doesn’t want the spotlight; he doesn’t want the recognition. He wants to help the community that he comes from. He wants to feel he made a positive mark on the world.

“I’m an actor, producer, and filmmaker; I want that too, but I like the recognition! I admired his humility, but it made it more challenging to play him because he’s not perfect, and you can’t play him like a saint. You have to find his flaws, too, and sometimes that’s hard with exceptional people who give all of themselves to help others.”

Derbez says the film carries a powerful message that should impact the next generation of students.

“I hope a lot of teachers can apply the same message,” Derbez says. “Students don’t have to sit there and memorize everything. There’s no one way to educate students. The unconventional ways do work. We see it in this film.”

Derbez says production was rough.

“It was complicated,” he says of filming. “We had to wear goggles and masks when we weren’t shooting. A lot of kids got sick, and we got infections filming in the location. There were many days where the plan got really complicated. The purpose of the film was to show the hard conditions that these students were working in. Just because you’re from a poor environment, doesn’t mean you can’t succeed. Sergio and his students were in some of the worst conditions.”

Derbez is also excited that the film is resonating with audiences.

“At Sundance, the film had a great response,” he says. “We opened in Mexico last week and the film pulled in more money than both ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ and Taylor Swift’s movie. There’s a great message here. People want to see these types of stories.”