The Trouble With Tonia was listed by the Aztlan Film Institute as one of the top 100 greatest American movies (Noreiga, Chon A. "Aztlan Film Institute's Top 100 List." Aztlan: A Journal of Chicano Studies, Vol.23 (No. 2), Fall, 1998)
The Trouble With Tonia was shown at the Los Angeles Theater Center in a tribute to Lupe Ontiveros as part of the La Mujer Film Series August 12, 2018.
The Trouble With Tonia won the Silver Star Award for Best Producer at the Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival, 1992.
Lupe Ontiveros played a key supporting roll in "As Good As It Gets," with Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, and Greg Kinnear, directed by James L. Brooks. The film won Oscar awards for Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actress in a Leading Role, and Best Actor in a Supporting Role, as well three additional nominations, plus three Golden Globes and two Golden Globe nominations.