Eva Longoria makes her directorial début with Flamin’ Hot, which is based on Richard Montaez’s memoir A Boy, a Burrito, and a Cookie: From Janitor to Executive.
Have you ever desired to view a movie about potato chips? This is the premise of Eva Longoria’s directorial debut.
Flamin’ Hot is the tale of Richard Montaez, a Frito-Lay janitor who helps establish the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos brand and rises through the company’s ranks to become an executive.
The screenplay is based on Montaez’s autobiography, A Boy, A Burrito, and a Cookie, and stars Jesse Garcia as the potato chip pioneer, Annie Gonzalez as his wife Judy, Dennis Haysbert as Frito-Lay production manager Clarence C. Baker, and four-time Emmy Award winner Tony Shalhoub as PepsiCo chief executive Roger Enrico.
Eva Longoria states that after reading the script for the 2021 Albuquerque, New Mexico production. She “fought for the job” and became “obsessed” with becoming the person to tell the story.
She tells, “It’s a pretty powerful story.” I’ve read it. I was astounded by Richard Montaez’s life and wondered, “How did I not know this?” He is Mexican-American, he is from my community, and I am Mexican-American; this narrative must be shared with everyone.”
Longoria believes she was prepared for the eight-week film production by directing television for a decade.
The production utilized approximately 204 New Mexican personnel members, 44 New Mexican principal actors, and 875 New Mexican extras.
Longoria says she used Flamin’ Hot to debunk Hispanic stereotypes and Mexican-American lifestyles.
“I believe there are long-standing stereotypes about our community, but also because we don’t see many films like this,” she says, adding, “Hollywood gets to define what a hero is.”
“I had the chance to create a hero, and I wanted him to resemble Richard Montaés.” AndI desired that he be tawny. I desired for him to sound like my father. I want our community to look at the screen and think, “Wow, that guy did all of that!”
Montaez and his contentious account of the events
In the late 1950s, Richard Montaez was born in an east Los Angeles barrio to Mexican-American parents.
He was a caretaker at a Frito-Lay facility in California when he says he had “his life-changing idea” to create and market a snack for the Mexican-American community.
Just before the start of filming for Longoria’s Flamin’ Hot, the LA Times published an article that appeared to contradict Montaez’s claims that he invented the Flamin’ Hot Cheeto.
Frito-Lay told the newspaper, “None of our records indicate that Richard was involved in any capacity with the Flamin’ Hot test market”, adding, “We have interviewed multiple personnel who were involved with the test market, and they all indicate that Richard was not involved in any capacity with the test market.
When asked if it influenced her directing decisions, Longoria responds, “No, it did not affect the film.”
“I never intended to make a documentary about how The Flaming Hot Cheeto was conceived. Richard Montaez’s story has always fascinated me, and I’ve always wished to tell it. His existence is extraordinary.”
Longoria states that he “accidentally had a hand in creating the most popular snack in the world, a multibillion-dollar product”.
The script for the Disney+ film was rewritten to be from Montaez’s perspective and to include fantasy sequences, enabling the audience to see “what was happening and how he felt it was happening.”
According to Longoria, this gave them more creative freedom to convey the story and Montaez’s version of events.
This is his truth, and this film is authentic. Therefore, that never significantly affected the script. The script has always been the same. It has always been Richard’s story,” she explains.
Since retiring from his executive position at Frito-Lay, Richard Montaez has become an author and motivational speaker.
