In the Time of the Butterflies

Told in flashback from the jail cell of a disheveled young woman, In the Time of the Butterflies traces the path to her imprisonment for rebelling against General Rafael Trujillo (Edward James Olmos), the brutal dictator of the Dominican Republic from 1930 to 1961. Veering from her glamorous roles, Salma Hayek stars as Minerva Mirabal, the most spirited of three daughters in a patriotic family that prefers to steer clear of political trouble. Incensed at the injustice she sees, Minerva wants to go to school to become a lawyer; instead, she joins the resistance movement after falling for a rebel leader. Originally shown on cable television, Mariano Barroso's true-story inspired film plays as if it were compressed to fit an hour-and-a-half time slot. Since it lacks the feel of a quality theatrical feature, however, that may be a blessing. Very optional. (T. Rich)