It is the year of the product movie and Eva Longoria’s first narrative feature, Flamin’ Hot, is one of the more charming and fun forays into the origins of the stuff we buy.
Based on his memoir, Flamin’ Hot tells the story of Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia), a husband and father of two who takes a job as a janitor in a Southern California Frito Lay plant to make ends meet. It’s grueling, unpleasant work and Richard has the drive and the smarts to ask a lot of questions and learn new skills to move up in the company. He befriends Clarence Baker (Dennis Haysbert), a factory floor manager who becomes a teacher and mentor for the curious Richard.
Through a bit of movie sparkle and fancy, Richard soon realizes Frito Lay is missing out on a giant slice of the convenience food market: his own Latino community. And because he doesn’t know the rules, protocol, or etiquette of working for a major corporation, he winds up on the phone with the CEO, Roger Enrico (Tony Shaloub), pitching a flavor that would change everything.
There are two reasons this film works. First is the casting of Jesse Garcia in the role of the affable and funny family man who wants a better life for his kids. Through Garcia, Richard’s eagerness and tenacity remain delightful and entertaining. We want to cheer for Richard from start to finish. Through Garcia’s kind-hearted nature, we can laugh about some of the silly things he does without ever laughing at him for the things he doesn’t know. Garcia makes sure Richard is never a joke, nor does he ever take himself too seriously.
(From L-R): Hunter Jones, Jesse Garcia, Brice Gonzalez, and Annie Gonzalez in FLAMIN’ HOT. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2023 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.
The script, adapted by Lewis Colick and Linda Yvette Chávez, coupled with Longoria’s playful direction, keeps Richard’s story optimistic and upbeat. Even when giving necessary backstory that includes drugs, jail, and abuse, Flamin’ Hot always focuses on Richard’s cheerful disposition and enthusiasm for accomplishment. We get everything we need to know about his rough childhood and adolescence, but with the sense that Richard refuses to be held back by it.
Considering that this is a movie about cheesy snack foods, a lighthearted approach makes so much sense. After all, who wants to watch a tear-soaked downer about Cheetos? By acknowledging the bad but focusing on the good, Flamin’ Hot makes for an entertaining movie and also something of an example to the audience that we can get bogged down in our misfortunes, or we can rise above them with grit and determination.
The story of Richard Montañez is a fascinating one. His rare, unlikely rise from janitor to Vice President has been begging for the movie screen treatment. Though the actual origin of the Flamin’ Hot flavor is contested, centralizing the story on this incredible success story within a Latino family and community calls attention to the countless unknown tales of success within typically white enterprises.
As Richard’s wife Judy, Annie Gonzalez occasionally steals the show. Richard and Judy lift each other, motivate each other, and move forward together. This is not just a story about one upwardly mobile employee in a Fortune 500 company. It is about the necessity of a supportive partner matched with personal drive and determination.
Whether or not Montañez deserves the credit for inventing these specific spicy chips, this film unfolds as though there is no question. And it does so with the finesse and structure of a superhero origin story. Instead of fighting against decked out supervillains with grudges, Richard fights against a lack of opportunity and access. It’s as feel-good of a movie as they come, and we could always use more of those.