La fea más bella

Plot

Letty is the protagonist of La Fea Más Bella (The Most Beautiful Ugly Girl), and as the title suggests, she is not particularly good-looking. The story begins with her going to an interview at Conceptos, a famous Mexican modeling and advertising company, and being turned down for the job because of her appearance. The president of the company, Fernando Mendiola, however, calls her back. After receiving the job from an uncertain president, Letty tries to prove herself with the help of The Club of the Uglies or The Ugly Club (El Club de las Feas). She becomes Fernando's right hand, and soon develops a crush on him even though he is a womanizer and engaged to Marcia Villaroel. She is completely loyal to him and would do whatever he needed her to do. Fernando, knowing this, asks that she help him create a false company to put Conceptos in debt as opposed to the banks. Lety does as he asks, and this secret stays between her, Fernando, and the vice president, Omar Carvajal.

In order to keep up with the false company, Lety hires her best friend, Tomas Mora. Tomas is equally as ugly as she is, and they are like brother and sister. However, in order to keep her crush on Fernando a secret from her friends, she claims that Tomas is her secret crush. Fernando and Omar find out that Lety put Tomas in charge of finances of the false company, and then hear from her friends that she is in love with Tomas. Omar convinces Fernando that he needs to make Lety fall in love with him so that Lety won't hand over the company to Tomas out of love. Fernando begrudgingly agrees, but he feels guilt over tricking the person who always has his best interest at heart. Lety is completely surprised over the attention and affection that Fernando gives her, and although she is scared to love him she can't help it. Fernando feels like a disgrace because Lety is so good, and she gives herself to him. Though Fernando has been with plenty of women, he has never felt so loved and cared for her, and he soon starts falling in love with Lety. Marcia and Omar eventually leave to Germany for a work trip, and during their leave Fernando and Lety are in their little world. Then Lety discovers the truth behind their love.

Lety finds a letter written by Vice-President Omar Carvajal which basically states that Fernando needed to seduce Letty in order to protect the fate of Conceptos. Angered and broken-hearted by this, Letty uses the contents to her advantage and presents the letter at a quarterly meeting and reveals the true financial state of affairs of the company to the company's council and former owners. They find out that she actually owns Conceptos herself through a dummy company, Filmo Imagen. She resigns from her job during the meeting and runs away to Acapulco with a friend named Carolina Ángeles. There, she meets a part-time fisherman and chef named Aldo Domenzaín, who saves her (literally) and helps her realize her true potential. Fernando is devastated when she leaves, and loses a part of himself. He obsesses over her, wondering where she left to and if she will come back. Lety is adamant about not wanting anything to do with Conceptos, but she eventaully has to come home and is forced by her father to fix the mistakes that she and Fernando made. When she returns to Conceptos as the full owner of it, she realizes she must get the company back to its former glory so she can finally leave for good without a guilty conscience. Aldo follows her home with the hope of winning her love, but struggles because Fernando refuses to give her up so easily. Fernando continues a relationship with Marcia, but only because he is not sure that Lety will accept him. He struggles in trying to convince her that he was really in love with her despite what the letter said, but Lety will not allow herself to believe him. She continues to love him, but she feels so betrayed by him that she ignores her feelings towards him.

As problems with the company begin again, she undergoes a dramatic appearance change, visits the wedding of a long-time enemy and a long-time friend, and acts on a television show dressed as a diva. Fernando has been suffering from his own transformation as he realizes the error of his womanizing ways and tries to convince Letty that he really did love her. He breaks up with Marcia, trades blows with Aldo, and works as Letty's assistant as a sort of penance and to show his father he's serious about his work. Letty's indecisiveness comes to an end as she realizes that though she loves both, she chooses Aldo. Letty prepares for her wedding with Aldo, and things seem to finally be winding to a close with Conceptos, financially (she puts Marcia in charge of the company because Marcia deserves the title for her hard work). However, when Fernando decides to go to Brazil, Letty realizes that the man she really loves, and wants to marry, is Fernando (and surprisingly enough, Aldo seems to be alright with that). The story ends with Fernando taking Aldo's place and the wedding and he and Letty marry, realizing that Aldo was an angel who helped them get back together.

Mexico

La Fea Más Bella was the soap opera with the most watched finale in the history of Mexico, with a growing audience. In his last chapter, the audience of 43 points (62.8 nationally) overcame the transmission of Oscar 2007 with 9 points (14.9 in every country), displayed at the same time by TV Azteca. In an unprecedented end on a Sunday, lasting three hours. Was considered the best television series in 2007 due to its good ratings, which were not affected even after the extension of the novel. His first came from redisplay by March 2007 and again on July 14, 2014, replacing the rerun of Soy tu dueña. The last episode was broadcast on March 7, 2015 with Rubí replacing one half-hour it on March 9, 2015.

United States

Also achieved ratings success in the United States, constantly won the WB and UPN stations, displayed on the Spanish channel but seen in the country, Univision (3 million viewers), which at the time managed to defeat the CBS, NBC and ABC respectively, with the exception of Fox and the "America's Got Talent" on NBC. Came to get 21.3 points (4.6 million) and then 25.3 points. With 7.4 million viewers an episode, was the 15th most watched program in the country, in addition to achieving 4th position nationwide audience, then the 2nd, becoming the most watched soap opera in the Nielsen rankings. Univision broadcast 2 hour episodes of La Fea Más Bella from September 13, 2010, to April 15, 2011.

Percussion

Recordings of La fea más bella began in December 9, 2005 at Televisa San Ángel. Jaime Camil had to suspend a play in which was in Broadway to dedicate the recordings. Angélica Vale needed to lose weight 20 kilos to be characterized as "Lety". The recordings lasted about 8 hours and reached up to 18 hours daily, which was extended for 14 months. Beside the Banda El Recodo, Vale recorded the music video of the theme "El club de las feas" in a well known restaurant in the capital.

During the month of July 2006,Televisa hosted a some events during the FIFA World Cup in Germany, several actors from the cast traveled to record some scenes from the soap opera, and presented in a show before 15,000 people.

Problems

Angélica Vale had an infection caused by salmonella that made her cancel a trip that would make a city in the United States. In recording the scene where she rolls several things on a table in an office, the actress cut her finger, needed to rebuild 70% of the tendon of her left hand, which prevented her from returning to the studio for three weeks.

The actress had health problems again, this time by fatigue. "Do not fainted, but she was very sick. She was overwhelmed by the job since records on Sunday and had little time to rest. Already have chronic fatigue," said her mother, actress Angélica Maria.

In January 2007, again underwent medical treatment and was diagnosed with typhoid, she needed a strong antibiotic and rest.

DVD releases

La Fea Más Bella was released in stores and online on February 19, 2008 In just short version, consisting of 14 chapters, with durations ranging from 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes to about 700 minutes total in 3 DVD. Another version, also edited, was launched with an additional 250 minutes over the previous version, distributed on 4 DVD.

Repercussion

With the success of audience in Mexico, was the version that drew the most critical attention. In the United States, Angélica Vale, characterized as Letty, made a cameo on Ugly Betty as a secretary in the North American Betty consulting dentist. In Brazil, besides being exhibited by SBT in 2006 and again in 2014, reaching record audiences, Rede Record produced in an inspired plot that was titled "Bela, a feia" ("Beauty, the ugly"). In 2009 it was dubbed into Arabic and aired on MTV Lebanon as Letty instead of La Fea Más Bella.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack of La fea más bella was released in two separate volumes, one only digital format released on February 14, 2006 by Warner Music Mexico and other in physical format (CD) and digital on June 6 plumb the year by EMI Televisa Music.

Digital

1. La Fea Más Bella - Jorge Villamizar & Margarita
2. Tu Belleza Es Un Misterío - Angélica Vale & Jaime Camil
3. La Dueña De Mi Vida - Angels
4. Se Busca Un Hombre - Niurka Marcos
5. El Club De Las Feas - Banda El Recodo
6. Aquí Estaré - Angélica Vale
7. Canallá - Margarita
8. La Secretaria - Banda machos
9. Mi Bom Bon - Margarita
10. Bésala Ya - Bacilos, Celso Piña & Bogotá
11. Les Gusta El Cu - Margarita
12. La Fea Más Bella - Karaoke

CD

1. La Fea Más Bella – Angélica Vale Y Jaime Camil
2. El Club De Las Feas – Banda El Recodo
3. Simple – Daniela Romo
4. Con Tu Amor – Pandora
5. Haria Hasta Lo Imposible – El Coyote and your band Tierra Santa
6. Sigue Tu Ruta – Graciela Beltran
7. La Verdad – Los invasores de Nuevo Leon
8. Que Vuelva Pronto – Los originales de San Juan
9. Me Quiero Casar – Control
10. Lucero De Mi Alma – Emilio Navaira
11. Lo Eterno – Celso Piña