Hour of the Star (Portuguese: A Hora da Estrela) is a Brazilian film directed by Suzana Amaral and released in 1985.

[1] It was selected as the Brazilian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 59th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.

[2] "Macabea is an example of the mental underdevelopment of the poor people of the world", the director, Amaral, has written.

Macabea is an impoverished 19 year old orphan girl who recently moved to Rio de Janeiro after her aunt, who raised her, died.

She is described as unattractive by coworkers and makes many mistakes at work since she slowly types one key at a time.

Eventually she meets Olimpico, an insecure steelworker from Paraiba with a massive chip on his shoulder who dreams of being rich one day.

They begin dating which mainly consists of their sitting on a park bench while Olimpico brags about his bright future.

He is extremely defensive about his lack of education and quick to anger when Macabea questions him telling her that whorehouses are full of girls who asked too much.

Their first date Olimpico offers to buy her a cup of coffee but tells her that if she wants milk in it, she must pay for it.

Excited and looking forward to the future for the first time, Macabea buys a new dress and runs out into the street without looking.

Umberto D stood for all the proud, angry old people who couldn't live on their pensions, but he was himself too - his own ornery old man.

Macabea is most herself in her moments of contentment: she smiles serenely as she celebrates her Sunday by taking a ride in the subway.