A recommendation: ¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor! documentary
Who has been to Casa Bonita before? Who wants to go to Casa Bonita sometime? If you grew up in Colorado (like I did!) you know this place. My parents took my brother and me many times to Casa Bonita, and I have so many memories (let’s say some good, some bad) from this place. Now there’s a whole documentary about it! And it’s damn good! One of the funniest, surprisingly uplifting, inspiring, most wholesome and thoroughly entertaining doc films I’ve seen in 2024. The film is titled ¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor! and it’s already streaming now on Paramount+. It first premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival with a stop at the Telluride Film Festival (in Colorado, of course) this fall. Directed by Arthur Bradford, and produced by MTV Doc Films at Paramount (who has a stake in South Park), ¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor! is a remarkable inside look at what happens when South Park creators Trey Parker & Matt Stone decide to buy Casa Bonita and renovate it and bring it back to life. Yes the film does cover the history of Casa Bonita, its early days, its dark days, eventually leading to the pandemic. Which is when it went under, and Parker & Stone bought it. But the film is really about how hard it is to renovate something like this, the effort it takes, the money you must put in, the problems that arise. And it’s so incredibly fascinating following them because they are not ashamed to show to everyone the honest truth about how brutal it is to take on a massive project like this. I loved it. I haven’t stopped thinking about how funny and warm-hearted and transparent this film is - I hope I can spread the word and more people will take the time to watch ¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!.
(Opens in a new window)Casa Bonita (on Google Maps here (Opens in a new window)) opened in 1974 in an unassuming strip mall. The massive "Disneyland of Mexican restaurants" is an Old West and Acapulco-inspired fever dream made famous by its indoor waterfall, cliff divers, and haunted caves. The restaurant was featured in a classic 2003 episode of South Park. When Trey and Matt learn that Casa Bonita might close its doors for good, they attempt to preserve a crumbling piece of their childhood and Denver history. ¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor! is a feature documentary about Matt & Trey rebuilding and reopening Casa Bonita. It is now open again, and you can book a table online because you have to make a reservation in advance. Back in the day, I remember rolling up to this place. We’d drive up to Denver but then you’d drive into the suburbs and in some random little strip mall you’d finally spot the pink tower and the fountain. There it is! There it is…? Once inside, it was as fabulous and as dreadful as you could imagine. The food was bad, but the vibes are incredible. The film spends time with Matt & Trey reminiscing about growing up in Colorado and going here. And it’s so much fun to spend time with them. It’s a bit strange to say that I laughed more watching this than any other film this year but it’s true - Trey Stone is a hilarious guy and he’s always cracking jokes, even in the most uncomfortable moments during the reconstruction. It made me realize just how important humor is to keeping people positive and happy. Laughing makes us feel good, it makes things fun even if they’re not so fun at the moment. We laugh off the bad times! And then we go to Casa Bonita and get some tacos and enchiladas - and most importantly, the honey-drenched sopapillas. I definitely need to visit this place again now that it’s re-open and run by these two comedy geniuses. And so do you, too.
For more info or to watch ¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!, visit the Paramount+ site (Opens in a new window).
