Sir.
What is it, Rolf?
Your nephew is here.
Can you put this in the box, please?
Uncle Máximo!
Hugo! Welcome back to Malibu.
Happy birthday.
I have been waiting for this for weeks.
So, what's the big surprise you have planned for me this year?
Are we taking your private jet somewhere cool?
Can I buy sneakers in Shanghai?
Well, we are going on a journey of sorts.
Now that you're 14 and on the road to manhood,
I've decided to tell you my life story.
You're worth hundreds of millions of dollars,
and your gift to me is a story?
Believe me, Hugo...
...what I'm about to tell you
is more valuable than any amount of money.
But I already know your whole rags-to-riches thing.
You grew up on the poor streets of Mexico,
blah, blah, blah, and now you own, like, 50 companies.
So, yes. Yes, I have many houses,
lots of cars, an all-white butler.
100% too. I had him do a 23andMe.
But it's important for you to know how I got here.
You have no connection to our family's history.
You can't even speak Spanish without
sounding like a spring breaker in Cancún.
My Spanish I am very good.
Stop. Stop.
It's just sad for everyone.
This story is about me, but it's also...
It's also about a place that changed everything.
And this is better than Shanghai because?
Wrong attitude.
Maybe this will help.
Uncle Máximo, how does this story start?
That's a great question, Hugo.
It all starts... in Acapulco.
Back when I was growing up,
Acapulco was the destination for the very rich and the very famous.
Elvis Presley, Liz Taylor, Cary Grant--
I have never heard of any of those people.
Quiet. I'm on a roll.
And the center of it was Las Colinas.
The most glamorous resort of all.
For tourists, Las Colinas and Acapulco were a magical getaway.
But for locals, it was a different story.
By age eight,
I was doing everything I could to help the family.
But the only real way to make a better life
was to get a job at Las Colinas.
Just like Don Pablo did.
Don Pablo Bonilla was a former street kid
who had charmed his way into a job at Las Colinas.
But to me, he was a legend.
I still remember the day he came back to the old neighborhood.
Don Pablo! I want to be like you when I grow up!
Careful what you wish for, kid.
Here… this is for you.
Stay away from him, son.
I already told you anything he has comes straight from the devil's lair!
That night, I went up to the roof of our building
and told my sister that one day I would work at Las Colinas,
and it would change everything.
Of that, I was certain.
Well, Dad, it's here. My first day at a real job.
You have any advice for me?
Okay, maybe next time then.
Anyway, watch over me today, will you?
I don't want to mess this one up.
Not just for me, but for our family.
Your abuelita was working
three housekeeping jobs just to support us.
But also, her eyesight was failing,
and we didn't know how much longer she could keep working.
Even though your dad's not here to say it, we're both so proud of you.
All your coworkers at the bus depot are going to love you.
Máximo.
I love you, dear brother!
I'll have dinner ready for you when you get home.
Wait. Hold on. That's my mom?
There's just no way she was ever like that.
Okay, you're right.
It was more like...
Máximo.
Good luck at work.
Enjoy being just another cog in the wheel of capitalism!
Máximo!
Guess what?
The moment we've been waiting for our entire lives is here!
You lost your virginity?
That's big news!
Who'd you do it with? Your third cousin?
Don't tell me it was your second cousin. Any closer than a third cousin is weird.
No, no. I didn't lose my virginity. This is better news!
Well, maybe just as good.
My neighbor Tito has a buddy, Jorge,
whose brother is Miguel,
and Miguel said that his friend, Francisco, told him
that Las Colinas Resort put out an announcement
that they're hiring new staff!
And I got us interviews there this morning!
Wow, that's amazing!
But I can't.
Today's my first day of work at the bus depot.
But this has always been our biggest dream!
Just picture your mom,
her eyes totally healed.
And she's in a huge oceanside mansion
not because she's cleaning it, but because you bought it for her!
Hey!
The service entrance is around the back.
Go on, get over there!
I hate interview day.
I don't even know what to put here.
What do you mean you were
"President of Advertising for a late-night entertainment company"?
Of course I was!
What would you call passing out flyers for the city's most popular strip club?
I'd call it lying, Memo.
No, it's called embellishing.
You gotta stand out.
Máximo Gallardo?
Go see Miss Garcia. Last office on the left.
As I walked past the other applicants,
I wondered how I'd stand out from the rest.
And then I saw his name on a door.
I realized I had nothing to lose.
Excuse me, Don Pablo?
We speak English here.
My name is Máximo.
I'm interviewing for a job at the resort.
Interviews are over there.
I understand.
It's just, I grew up on Arenal Street just like you.
I still live there.
-But the reason I'm here today-- -Please.
Close the door on your way out.
You gave me this once,
and I've carried it around in my pocket ever since,
hoping that one day I'd get to meet you again.
And now that I have,
I'm just gonna see my way out.
What did you say your name was?
Máximo Gallardo Ramos, sir.
Let me see your application.
We have over a hundred applicants.
Every one of them speaks English and has more experience than you.
Why would I hire you over one of them?
Because those other people, they are here for a job.
I'm here because I love this place, just like you do.
You've worked at Las Colinas since
the day the gates opened on March 12th, 1949.
You've been through four owners,
three hurricanes, two renovations,
the great jicama recall of 1972,
and one awful bed bugs infestation.
Rumor has it, you've only missed one day of work, ever.
Would it have been so hard
to have Grandpa's funeral on a Saturday?
It's been my dream to work at Las Colinas since I was eight years old.
Now here I am.
And the only thing that I truly lack is opportunity.
If you give me that, then I promise you,
you will never regret it.
Hey, I'm home.
Hi, Mama.
"Mama"?
And you're washing the dishes?
Máximo Gallardo Ramos, what did you do?
Yeah, Máximo, tell Mom what you did.
I didn't make it to work because I got a better job...
at Las Colinas Resort.
I told you to always stay away from that cesspool of lust and sin!
That exploits its workers and romanticizes our culture.
That's also full of lust and sin.
What would your dad say?
Maybe he'd be happy.
Dad worked his ass off as a bus driver, and for what?
To end up falling asleep at the wheel and dying!
At least this job gives me the chance to make a better life for us.
We can finally get your eyes checked out, Mom.
My eyes are fine.
Last week, I saw you praying to one of my old wrestling action figures.
It's 'cause I wanted him to win.
Mom...
you raised me to be a good person.
I promise you nothing will ever threaten that.
Promise me you're not gonna let that place change you.
And that you'll wear your father's pendant so he can protect you.
How boring! I thought this was gonna be way more exciting.
I can't believe I'm sitting here.
I can't believe I'm sitting anywhere.
My family just has the one chair.
Hello, my fabulous darlings.
Welcome to the famous
and infamous Las Colinas Resort.
It's me, Diane Davies.
You might remember me from...
I love you.
My celebrated roles in daytime TV,
my groundbreaking workout videos...
And grind, and grind, and grind--
My line of meal-replacement shakes.
I feel thinner already.
And my best-selling autobiography.
I bought this little slice of heaven
with two words in mind, "total excellence."
So if you've made it this far,
it's because my hiring staff saw potential in you. Hooray.
You can clap now.
The wealthiest, most fascinating
international jet-setters come here to play.
Stupid laser disc.
Hello, folks. My name is Chad.
And as the General Manager,
it is my job to protect the brand of Las Colinas.
And what is that brand, you may ask.
Well, I'll show you.
Vámonos. Come on.
The number one thing we pride ourselves on here is discretion, okay?
People come here to take a break from their lives,
not to have their lives splashed all over the Enquirer.
So, sure, I can tell you why there was a bloodstain
right there that would've landed multiple parties
in la prisión, but I won't.
You know why? Discretion.
Good. Let's proceed.
So this is the lobby.
Pretty bodacious, right? You guys know the word "bodacious?"
This is our head bartender, Beto.
This guy's got thousands of stories about celebrities he's met,
and a few of them are actually true.
My friend Marlon Brando makes the same joke about me.
Is this even reality?
If it's a dream, I never wanna wake up.
Hey! Hombre, let's go.
This is the epicenter of the entire resort.
This is where all the action is.
Máximo Gallardo, you're working here.
Memo Reyes?
That's me. Am I at the pool too?
Actually, your application stated that you were the
"Chief Operating Officer of an international garment organization?"
That's correct, sir.
What? My mom used to make me fold our Guatemalan neighbors' laundry.
No, no, no. No Spanish around the guests, hermano, ever.
And I felt that only someone with your credentials
could handle this very coveted assignment.
See. I embellished and look where that got me.
Sheets first, then the towels.
Get on it!
So whatever questions you have, Héctor can answer 'em all.
He is the best export to ever come out of Argentinia.
-Hey. Take care of the new guy, will ya? -No problem, boss.
I'm Héctor, but people call me Héctor the Protector.
And I'm actually from Spain, but to the gringos,
it's all the same.
We take care of everything and everyone around here.
That should get rid of it, ma'am.
My hero.
The key is to anticipate everyone's needs.
You do that, poof, you are golden.
Not on my watch.
I and the father are one.
Teach me everything, master.
Trust me, amigo, I would love nothing more
than to freely teach you all that I know, but I don't want to.
Héctor, a little help with this raft, please?
Of course, my horse.
Good luck, papi.
-Hi, Amy. -Héctor, I need your help.
-The kids are torturing me. -Yes? Right away. Right away, sir.
As I looked around,
my mom's talk of sin and excess seemed completely ridiculous.
To me, they just seemed like normal tourists
enjoying their vacations.
Okay. Maybe they weren't quite as normal as I thought.
Wow.
And that's when I saw her again.
And she saw me this time too, Hugo.
And do you know what that means?
It means we saw each other.
I had to go speak to her.
Hi. I'm Máximo. Just started today.
Hi, nice to meet you. I'm Julia.
So I just served filet mignon to a dog.
Is that normal here?
It's more normal than you'd think.
Where are you working?
Right now, I'm a pool boy.
But before you know it, I'll be the manager.
And one day, I'm gonna own this place.
Well, I love the confidence.
And your English, it's quite good.
Thank you. I had the best English teachers,
Luke Skywalker, Indiana Jones, Danny Zuko...
I had pretty good English teachers too,
Jane Austen, Emily Brontë, Virginia Woolf...
No offense, but those sound like
really boring movie characters.
They're actually authors.
Some of the great ones too.
But I am also hopelessly devoted to Grease.
In that moment, it was clear Julia was the one.
I could tell just from the look in her eyes.
-You want to kiss me, don't you? -Yes.
Wait. Stop.
You kissed her? Just like that?
Okay, no. I'm just trying to spice things up.
I know you kids need stuff to happen every two minutes,
or you start texting each other peach and eggplant emojis.
But I did feel a connection.
Well, until you own the place and tell me not to,
I have to get back to work.
Bit of free advice, son?
Yes. I'd love any advice from you.
If you wanna keep this job,
maybe don't hit on the boss's girlfriend.
What does mean? Who's Julia's boyfriend?
If it makes you feel better, you never had a shot anyway.
Stop it.
I don't know, Memo.
It seems like this place isn't what I thought it was.
Are you serious?
What could be better than this?
Okay, maybe not this this.
But you have the opportunity of a lifetime.
Make the most of it!
For example, see this awesome earring?
Lupe let me pick out something from the guest lost and found
because I gave her one of my mom's famous tortas.
You would not believe what's in there.
Diamonds, Cuban cigars, rings, an iguana that's...
And you chose that earring?
Exactly!
I claimed it as soon as I saw it.
Dreams come true here.
So if it seems like something's out of your reach,
just reach a little farther.
Great advice.
Terrible earring. But great advice.
Nothing in life should be this difficult.
I'm so sorry about this.
These are usually served opened.
Well, be careful. Don't hurt yourself.
-I only need a cigar. -Can I help with that, Ms. Davies?
I don't know. Do you happen to carry
a spare bottle opener on you?
They brought the bucket, but we can't seem to find the opener.
Is he doing a magic trick?
Maybe he'll turn it into a margarita.
Bravo.
It's an old trick.
But it only works in Mexico.
The dollar is stronger down here.
That's funny.
-He's funny. -He's funny.
Are you new?
Today is my first day actually.
Well, you're off to a good start.
Guys, this is our new Héctor the Protector.
I give you...
I'm sorry, what's your name?
I'm Máximo the... Just Máximo.
Máximo the Just Máximo.
That's terrible. You have to work on that.
These are my friends, the Bennetts.
They just arrived all the way from Schenectady.
Will you please show them to their cabana?
-And take very good care of them. -Thank you, Diane.
You're so welcome.
Whatever you need, Ms. Davies.
You're burning.
-I always burn. -I see you.
Here we are.
This is perfect.
Oh, I love this.
Come sit.
Anything else I can do for you?
Yes. We'd like some grass.
No problem.
Do you mean, like, from the golf course, or front lawn or...
Funny.
No. She meant Mary Jane. Reefer.
Acapulco Gold. Comprende?
Oh, I see. So, you're asking me to get you drugs?
Yes.
We have five days without the kiddos,
and we want to get baked.
So, you gonna help us out, Máximo,
or should we just ask Héctor to do it?
Need me, Mr. Bennett?
Do we, Máximo?
No.
When do you need these medicinal aids?
Sunsets in Acapulco are a stunning experience to behold.
And we wanna be zonked out of our minds when it happens.
Better hurry. 'Cause if we miss the sunset,
it'll be no bueno, amigo.
Okay, I'll be right back.
I suddenly found myself in a terrible situation, Hugo.
If I didn't help the owner's friends, I could get fired.
If I got caught with drugs, that could also get me fired.
I had to navigate this very carefully.
Hi, Beto. I'm Máximo. I'm new here.
Some guests just asked me to get something for them.
Oh, you want a menu.
No, I doubt this is on the menu.
It's a plant, but I can't say what it is.
I see.
-Javier! Come here. -What's up, Beto?
Listen, Máximo here needs a plant,
but doesn't know the name of it.
It's an indoor plant or outdoor plant?
I don't--
It's more in the herbal realm. It relaxes you...
Gotcha.
Juanita! Come over!
Juanita loves to make different iced teas.
-What's the flavor like? -No, it's not really a tea.
Usually. And it might not exactly be...
-approved. -This is a tough one.
It's a real head-scratcher.
Okay, just so we're all on the same page,
it's a plant, but we don't know what kind.
And it's a herb, but it's not a tea.
-Basil! -Tarragon.
-Coriander! -It has to be basil.
-Sorry, it's a trick question. -Coriander!
You're all correct! Yay!
I love hazing the new recruits.
Hey.
Memo! I've got a problem.
I need to get weed for some of Diane's friends, or else she'll fire me.
But I have no idea where to get it.
What should I do?
Well, maybe Lupe has some in the lost and found.
I'll wait here.
Hi, Lupe.
I'm Máximo, Memo's best friend.
By any chance, do you have any marijuana in the lost and found?
No, yes. Yes, I have some.
What are you gonna give me for it?
Just this morning, Jorge in accounting
gave me one of his teeth for a Rolex.
What did you want his tooth for?
I don't care about his tooth.
I just wanted to know how badly he wanted what I had.
Well, I don't have valuables to give you.
I only have a few coins, some meal vouchers,
my dad's pendant necklace...
Let me see it.
And how important is this necklace to you, kid?
Really important. More than you can imagine.
Hand it over.
No. This?
Yep.
You don't want this. How about a tooth? I don't even use this one.
My offer expires in three...
Please, Lupe, anything but this.
Two...
I'm begging you. Don't do this to me.
One...
Here you go. With minutes to spare.
Well done, Máximo.
Good work, sport.
I hope it's to your liking.
I couldn't believe what I had done.
All my mom's fears came to life on my very first day.
I felt awful about it.
Máximo.
So?
How was your first day?
Not great.
I had to do…
some bad stuff.
You? Yeah, right.
What "bad stuff" did you have to do?
I traded Dad's pendant to get drugs for a guest.
No shit!
And Mom says I'm the problem child?
I feel horrible, but I didn't have a choice.
Well, yeah, I did have a choice, but I didn't want to get fired.
Sara, do you think I'm a bad person?
Nah.
Annoying? Yes. But, bad? Not even one bit.
I know that whatever happens there,
you're only doing it so we can have a better life.
And maybe a convertible.
Yeah, that too.
Thanks.
-So what kind of drugs? -And we're done.
Máximo.
Everything all right?
Yeah. I'm just...
Not sure I feel comfortable here.
I think I had this idea in my head of
what it'd be like working at a place like this.
But it's...
Not that.
I see.
How have you done it?
I mean, the things you must have seen
and been a part of here over the years.
It's been my greatest honor working at this resort.
It gave me pride. A sense of purpose.
And enough money to give my wife and son a better life.
But because of my devotion to this place...
I've also sacrificed more than I ever would have imagined.
Yet, somehow, I still feel lucky every day I'm here.
Sounds like you've given up a lot to work at Las Colinas.
Every dream has its price.
I was willing to risk it.
Are you?
Thank you so much for this incredible opportunity, Ms. Davies.
It was a dream come true to work here.
-I just don't think I can-- -There he is!
Máximo the Just Máximo.
I think I'm starting to like the name.
Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Bennett.
If you don't mind, I think I'd like to talk with Ms. Davies.
Diane, this guy's amazing.
A real find.
He is so hardworking, committed--
-A little something from us. -Thank you.
$200?
You earned it, my man.
You really did.
Máximo.
Is there something you wanted to say to me?
This was the deciding moment in my life, Hugo.
The money or my principles?
Back to the bus depot or into the great unknown?
My mother's approval
or my family's entire financial future?
Surprise!
-What's up? -What's this?
I don't need these.
At least try them on. For me.
What do you think?
I think... I can see again.
Máximo, you look so handsome!
Sara!
Why are you dressed so weird?
Oh, cool, Máximo. Mom can see again.
Máximo, these seem like expensive glasses. How did you get them?
I told you I could make some good dough at this job.
But these glasses are just a quick fix.
We still need to take you to a real eye doctor.
Máximo, now that I can look straight into your eyes,
tell me the truth.
Did you get this money...
doing something I wouldn't be proud of?
Mom, you know I can't lie to you.
Not in the slightest.
And that's how my whole journey began.
Wait. But that can't be the whole story.
I wanna hear more.
Like, what happened with Julia?
And abuelita's eye problems.
And your job now that you're clearly on Diane's good side.
Look who likes my birthday present after all.
Come with me.
What is all this stuff?
The answers to your questions.
Here.
Man, this is a thick book.
I said the same thing to her.
Hugo, my boy.
Life often takes unexpected turns.
Máximo. Máximo.
-What's this? -It's called a book.
Yes, I know that much.
Why are you giving it to me?
I thought you'd want to read one of the classics.
And if you like it, we can start a book club or something.
Are they always this thick?
You're lucky I'm not giving you War and Peace.
But look inside.
Thank you.
This is very nice.
Well, read chapter one before the end of the week,
'cause there is gonna be a test.
Memo, working here is gonna be good for us, right?
You bet it is.
Lupe said that on my birthday, I get to wash my own clothes here.
I'm telling you.
One day, I'm gonna buy one of those mansions in the hills,
and you're gonna buy the one next to me.
And me, you, my mom, Sara, your family,
whatever cousin you decide on,
and Julia are all gonna live happily ever after.
It's possible. Maybe not the Julia part,
-but the rest can totally happen. -Why would you say that?
'Cause of Chad? Who's this Chad anyway?
Mom! The car is here!
Thank you, Chad.
Please don't call me mom in front of the guests.
Did he just call Diane mom?
If he did, that would mean the boyfriend of the girl I like
is also the son of the resort owner.
And that's no bueno, amigo.
We're not supposed to speak Spanish at the resort, remember?