For those of you who like drama/romance and are a big fan of Thalia (who sang with Fat Joe), the pop Mexican singer and actress, this 1994 soap launched Thalia as an international star. Translated into all languages MARIMAR is the most popular and beloved soap that Thalia made and is the second of the so-called "Maria triligoy" in which she plays poor peasent girls named Maria.
STORY PLOT: Marimar, who's name means "Maria from the Ocean" lives by the sea with her grandparents in a small broken down shack. One day she meets a local soccor player named Sergio (Eduardo Capetillo) the son of Renato, the owner of an Hacienda (mansion.) Sergio's only desire is to recieve his part of the family inheritance in order to leave the small town along the coast and move into Mexico City. One day while stealing vegatbles from thier garden to feed her starving family, Marimar meets Sergio and falls in love immediately. Due to her innocence and lack of education, Marimar marries him shortly thereafter, unaware that Sergio was using her to further anger his father and cruel stepmother Angelica (Chantal Andere) because his father refused to give Sergio his part of the inheritance. Angelica does everything she can to embaress Marimar and force her out of the house. When Marimar returns to the shack, her husband informs her that he must go to the big city and find work...and so he leaves her despite her pleas not to. Angelica goes as far as forcing Marimar to her knees and pulling a bracelete out of the mud with her bare teeth, believing that the expensive bracelet belonged Sergio's mother. Angelica then accused her of theft and Marimar is sent to jail. While she's there her grandparents are killed when the small shack in which they lived is burned to the ground during the night as ordered by Angelica. When the charges are dropped by her, Marimar is forced to leave the small town and head into the big city to find work and make a living...where months later her path crosses once again with her husband. Believing that his wife is still at her home, Sergio at first does not recognize Marimar, as by now she had changed her name to "Bella" (Precious) and she had become a very-well educated woman, who appeared to have a very wealthy family. Marimar had in fact been taken in as a houseemaid by her own father, who had been looking for her. Not knowing that Marimar was his daughter and she not knowing that Gustavo was her father, he taught her how to walk, dress, speak, read...in the ways of the wealthy society. Eventually they both realize through Marimar's birth certificate who she really is. Months later when Marimar gives birth to a daughter and conceals that fact from everyone, except her family and close friends, she once again crosses path with not only Sergio, but also Angelica. Suspecting but not believing who she was, Angelica slowly falls victim to Marimar's plan to strip her and her husband of their fortune. Now the tables turn as it becomes an eye for an eye. Marimar would seduce Sergio only to reject him at the last minute. While she was in prison, Angelica had written and sent her a false letter suppoesdly written by Sergio in which he says he never loved her and that he wanted to divorce as soon as possible. Marimar does everything Angelica made her do when she was just a poor innocent girl...she manipulates Angelica, embaresses her, humilates her...by the time they all realize who Bella really is, it's too late. Marimar had by then forced them onto the street, becoming the new owner of thier Hacienda. In raged, Angelica vows to avenge herself and her husband by making Marimar "vanish from the face of the earth," however...the story has several more twists...including Sergio divorcing Marimar and then marrying another woman, thus adding yet another rival to the story. Marimar vows to avenge her grandparent's death and will stop at nothing until her enemy, Angelica, whom she knows is responsible for thier death, pays dearly "with tears of blood."
Altough MARIMAR losses her innocene and becomes a bitter cold woman, she is still very good at heart. The story never does cease to surprise and capitivate audiences worldwide! The soap, along with the theme song, earned Thalia the title as "The Queen of Telenoelas."
OTHER SOAP TITLES STARRING THALIA: MARIA MERCEDES (1991)
MARIA LA DEL BARRIO (1995) ROSALINDA (1999)
NOTE: THIS PARTICULAR NOVELA DOES HAVE ENGLISH SUBTITLES.