"Flamin’ Hot" Celebrates Americanism
Eva Longoria's Chicano biopic adds spicy chips to the melting pot
In the entertainment industry, the concept of “diversity” was supposed to open the door for a vibrant proliferation of stories and traditions. Instead, it became a rigid prescription: depict groups of people who look different on the outside and think the same on the inside. Rather than creating opportunities for filmmakers to tell stories that felt authentic, the diversity mandate resulted in everything from Bridgerton to Lord of the Rings feeling artificial and forced.
This cultural milieu makes Flamin’ Hot - a rags-to-riches story set in the unlikely context of a potato chip factory - even more enjoyable than it otherwise would be. Directed by Eva Longoria, the film tells the colorful story of Richard Montañez, an uneducated maintenance worker who helped Frito-Lay’s spicy chips become the snack food of choice among the Latino community, driving billions of dollars in sales and earning himself a spot in the executive suite in the process.
Although there is some controversy about whether Montañez actually invented the Flamin’ Hot flavor, there is no doubt that he was hired as a janitor at the Rancho Cucamonga Frito-Lay plant in 1976, and retired as a marketing VP for PepsiCo North America (Frito-Lay’s parent company) in 2019. While critics are not overly impressed with his bootstrap story, audiences have embraced the film’s blend of fast-paced action, rowdy Chicano humor, and old-fashioned values.
Speaking to The New Yorker recently, Eva Longoria diplomatically but firmly pointed out that Hollywood’s obsession with diversity is both literally and figuratively skin-deep. Although her family had lived in Texas since the 1700s, she was turned down for roles early in her acting career because she didn’t have the stereotypical Spanish accent required to play Latina roles. When she finally broke into the industry as part of the Desperate Housewives ensemble, she discovered that there were even fewer Hispanics behind the camera than in front of it - a realization that fueled her desire to evolve from actress to filmmaker.
For Longoria, the parallels between her own story and Montañez’s are obvious. Just as he struggled to convince Frito-Lay executives that Latino-oriented products would be profitable, she struggled to convince Hollywood moguls that US Latinos - who are 18% of the population but buy 25% of the movie tickets - would respond positively to a film that reflected their culture authentically. And, just as Montañez persevered and was successful, Longoria did the same - beating out more-established directors for the job of helming Flamin’ Hot.
“I knew who Richard was. I am Richard Montañez. I’ve been doubted and told, ‘That job is not for you,’ ‘Ideas don’t come from people who look like you,’ ‘Women like you shouldn’t be doing that job.’ And he had the audacity to ask, ‘But why not? Why not me?’”
-Eva Longoria, The New Yorker
Once in the driver’s seat, Longoria carefully assembled her crew. Since she herself had been unable to get jobs without experience, and unable to get experience without jobs, she looked outside the usual Hollywood caste system to find talented professionals from the TV and music video industry who would understand the project and value the opportunity to work on a feature film. This included cinematographer Federico Cantini, composer Marcelo Zarvos, costume designer Elaine Montalvo, and production designer Brandon Mendez - all of whom were critical in establishing the 1980s - 1990s Chicano aesthetic of the film.
To be clear, Longoria did not discriminate against non-Latinos. Art director Billy W. Ray, production designer Cabot McMullen, and many others lent their talents to the production, as did a wide variety of actors, including Dennis Haysbert, who portrayed Nelson Mandela in Goodbye Bafana, and Lebanese-American Tony Shalhoub, of Monk fame. In this respect, Longoria seems to have threaded the diversity needle with more common sense than anyone else in Hollywood: bring in the people who best understand the story and best have the skills to tell the story.
It’s worth noting that Longoria is not the first person to crack this code. Since the early ’90s, writer-director-cinematographer-editor-composer Robert Rodriguez has been making films that have broad appeal while spotlighting Latino talent. From R-rated action movies like Desperado and From Dusk Till Dawn to the family-friendly Spy Kids franchise, as well as the “Mexploitation” Machete series. However, early on in his career, Rodriguez gave up on Hollywood, and built his own film studio in Austin, Texas.
While Rodriguez succeeded as a maverick operating outside the Hollywood system, Longoria seems to be applying the same principles to mainstream production. Aside from Flamin’ Hot, she is producing and hosting Searching for Mexico, a food series for CNN; producing and directing The Gordita Chronicles, a nostalgic TV show set in 1980s Miami; and directed La Guerra Civil, a documentary about the boxing rivalry between Oscar De La Hoya and Julio César Chávez.
Longoria describes herself as “100% Mexican and 100% American,” and both her attitude and her work are reminiscent of the traditional idea of the American melting pot - a place where people come from all over the world, not to become the same, but to add their unique flavor to the national platter. Throughout Flamin’ Hot, the themes of persistence, hard work, and dedication to family are emphasized. These may be considered Latino values, but they are also American values. By depicting the triumph of Richard Montañez, Longoria follows the long tradition of movies that tell a culturally-specific story in a way that is universally relatable.
Of course, in today’s political climate, rags-to-riches tales are not necessarily what people are looking for. Reviewer William Schwartz sneered that Flamin’ Hot is “an extended motivational speech … if you’re the sort of person who’s inspired by tales of meritocracy in corporate America.” The implication is that we ought not to find such things inspiring … but why not? Perhaps both Montañez and Longoria were in the right place at the right time to make their mark, but both have had to prove their worth, and neither has had it easy.
In fact, for a generation being raised on nihilistic narratives of victimhood and oppression, a feel-good story about meritocracy might be exactly what’s needed. Both the subject of Flamin’ Hot and its filmmaker saw an opportunity to do something different, and had the courage to pursue it. Rather than viewing the status quo as as insurmountable obstacle, they saw it as a challenge to be overcome. Instead of looking for ways to tear established people down, they looked for ways to build new people up. Maybe that’s the value of diversity, or maybe it’s the value of the American ethos. Either way, it’s worth celebrating, and - whether you enjoy spicy snacks or not - worth savoring.
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