A trailer has landed for Salma Hayek-starrer “Beatriz at Dinner,” and the spot is full of cringe-inducing moments. “This woman is a saint. It’s like birds fly out of the sky and land on her shoulder,” we’re told of Beatriz (Hayek), a spiritual health practitioner attending a dinner party. Seconds later, Beatriz is asked by a fellow guest, “Can I get another bourbon, hon?” Everyone else attending the party is white. “Oh, you were hovering. I just assumed you were part of the staff,” an unapologetic, boorish, Donald Trump-like real estate mogul named Doug Strutt (John Lithgow) says. And things only get worse from there.
At the dinner table, Beatriz begins a story: “When I first came to the United States a long time ago — .” She’s interrupted mid-sentence by the billionaire, who asks, “Did you come legally?” Rather than admonishing Doug for his inexcusable rudeness, the other guests try to change the subject by commenting on the meal.
“I think fate brought us together,” Beatriz tells Doug. But the smug businessman has no interest in what Beatriz has to offer. “The world doesn’t need your feelings,” he says. “It needs jobs. It needs money. It needs what I do.”
Hayek received an Oscar nomination in 2003 for her role in “Frida,” Julie Taymor’s Frida Kahlo biopic. “Septembers of Shiraz,” “30 Rock,” and “Once Upon a Time in Mexico” are among her other credits.
“Beatriz at Dinner” made its world premiere at Sundance in January. The ensemble cast includes Connie Britton (“Nashville”), Chloë Sevigny (“Bloodline”), and Amy Landecker (“Transparent”). Directed by Miguel Arteta (“The Good Girl”), “Beatriz at Dinner” hits theaters June 9.