My first and almost the only set visit was to look at Trey Parker and Matt Stone busy on the sound stage in Santa Monica, where they were working on ‘Teamerica: World Police.’ I remember an interview was supposed to be a part of this planned event. However, when I got closer, it was obvious that such a thing was out of the question, as the two of them were running around, often splitting up, between numerous setups with Chiodo Brothers marionettes, looking like children in a hurry, but swamped with anguish. Only after the shots were over did they express their remorse, vowing never to touch puppets again, stating that they had made a grave error, yet time and again, they have taken on ventures such as ‘Team America’ and ‘The Book of Mormon’ where the test of their will seems to be part of the attraction, and even with their original success ‘South Park’ still running, the two haven’t made it any easier on themselves by putting new jokes into the show right up to ts’ air time.
These sentiments, both of the atmosphere on set that day and Parker and Stone’s long history of working together, are beautifully summed up by, “Casa Bonita Mi Amor,” where longtime insider Arthur Bradford was asked by the duo to shoot what is perhaps the most pivotal point of their lives, their acquisition of Casa Bonita. This is a famous Mexican restaurant situated in Lakewood, Colorado, which Parker remembers visiting as a child but not necessarily for its food, rather the people dressed up in costumes who roamed the restaurant, the divers who jumped into a huge swimming pool, and the cave like formations that you would see while walking to your table.
The only reason this 52,000 square foot restaurant, once the Great of Colorado, was available for sale was due to bankruptcy; many would say that it closed its doors long before when it was sold to a British company in 1989, and more and more of its magic faded over the years, the floors were patched up with duct tape, and employees who once proudly had their names inscribed on the honor roll on the wall requested to have their names erased.
In “Casa Bonita Mi Amor” money is somewhat of an issue, the restoration blasts from $6.5 million to around $40 million but the one которое более cares about Parker and Stone is a creative challenge that is no different from what they have had in mind while working on any projects of theirs, which is the task of finding the right touch to a place that cannot be too different from how a lot of people remember it but also needs to be a bit to how they would want it. Parker’s father says he has never let go of considering any changes from age three while being there physically. This in itself reveals something about the connection between the two: both Parker and Stone are opinionated even though in this scenario, their focus is somewhat different. Stone admits that Parker is more driven and emotionally invested in Casa Bonita as a business, in his case, however, such sentiments are absent from both his investment and the role he plays as a strong supporter for the partner seeking to take imprudent chances with how meticulously Parker, the more so, notes details so there is no atmosphere devoid of the meaning behind it.
(Sure enough, after Parker compares his vision of Casa Bonita with the movie “Fun in Acapulco” starring Elvis Presley as “super white dudes singing Mexican songs”, he agrees to go to Oaxaca with the restaurant’s executive chef Dana Rodriguez for ideas on the restaurant’s cuisine).
In bringing to life Casa Bonita, Parker recalls earlier episodes from the series “Kitchen Nightmares” as the most difficult to watch. The film has what the British call a ‘guilty pleasure’ as construction workers joining the ensemble cast of Parker and Stone reveal new challenges on the site day by day. When, however, the local news reports about the plans to remove the fountain in the front yard which will be replaced, residents’ worries that Casa Bonita is going to be different fuel new hopes and expectations for the restaurant, so watching the film is enjoyable from an entirely different angle as you experience the challenge of creating something on such a large scale for the masses yet maintaining a personal touch.
It was also surreal for me to watch Parker stuff his hand in the sleeve of a talking taco puppet and play the character, despite having promised never to do such. “Casa Bonita Mi Amor” however, takes pride in illustrating what goes into the making of any great struggle and what it may cost one.
The documentary had its world premiere at the 2023 Telluride Festival and will be screened again on September 1st at Backlot at 1:45 PM and Elks Park at 8:30 PM. The theatrical release is expected to begin on September 6 in Denver at Alamo’s Sloans Lake before continuing opening across the U.S. on September 13 in Los Angeles Alamo DTLA, Alamo Brooklyn and Alamo Lower Manhattan in New York, and The Belcourt Theater in Nashville.
For more movies like ¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor! visit 123Movies.