It centers on the plight of cholas (the female counterparts to cholos) growing up in the Echo Park section of Los Angeles, who face the struggles of friendship, romantic entanglements, motherhood, and gang membership.

Other plot lines involve La Blue Eyes, Sad Girl's college-bound sister; Whisper, who learns the drug-dealing ropes from Ernesto; and Giggles, who is fresh out of prison after doing time for a crime committed by her boyfriend.

When Ernesto is killed in a drug deal gone wrong, Sad Girl and Mousie realize they must put betrayals, heartbreak and tragedies behind them if they hope to rise above their situations.

But because of the criminal element and police harassment, I felt an extra responsibility to discover and convey their hopes and dreams, no matter what they were, and not through society’s expectations.

I felt like if after seeing Mi Vida Loca if one person who connected to Whisper or Baby Doll or Ernesto any of the characters saw a chola on the street, maybe they’d not just dismiss them, they’d know a beating heart with dreams all their own.

"[7] In a positive review, The Buffalo News wrote the film captures a world "where romantic dreams, friendships, codes of honor, and ambitions are played out with every bit of the intensity found just a few dozen blocks away [in Hollywood], in million-dollar neighborhoods packed with moguls and stars.