Diksha Sundriyal
In ‘Queenpins,’ two women figure out a loophole in the system that allows them to make an exorbitant amount of money from things that basically cost them nothing. Connie and Jojo realize that there is a huge market for coupons, but there is nothing to fulfill that need. They figure out a way to steal coupons from the source and sell them at half-price, which would still get them a lot of money. They set their sights on a company called Advanced Solutions, which becomes the source of their income. Considering that ‘Queenpins’ is inspired by a real story, one is bound to wonder where the real-life Queenpins got their coupons from.
Advanced Solutions is a Fictional Company in Queenpins
While ‘Queenpins’ is inspired by the real coupon fraud committed by three women in Phoenix, Arizona, the movie doesn’t stick so close to the truth. Instead, the writer-director duo of Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly has delivered their own version of events, filling in the gaps where they didn’t have enough information. Advanced Solutions also falls in the category of trying to bridge the events and give the audience an explanation of how Connie and Jojo got millions of dollars worth of coupons so easily.
In the movie, Connie and Jojo discover that the legitimate coupons are printed by a company called Advanced Solutions in Chihuahua, Mexico. They manage to convince two of its employees, Rosa and Alejandro, to help them steal coupons by cutting them in on the profit. It is a profitable deal for the couple who are being paid only $2 an hour, which is nowhere near enough for them to afford even simple things. They also find the offer tempting, even though they know it is illegal, because they have a baby on the way, and they desperately need the money.
In real life, it is highly unlikely that the Queenpins had such a connection. Reportedly, Robin Ramirez was the brains behind the operation and carried out most of the tasks while also pocketing a good part of the profit. Most of the coupons that she and her accomplices, Marilyn Johnson and Amiko Fountain, sold were counterfeits. Apparently, Ramirez got the coupons as well as the counterfeits from outside of the US, which she brought back home to then sell them at about half-price off.
Whether she had any sources or accomplices outside the country remains unknown. It is possible that she had help, but that detail about her operation hasn’t come to light. The directors of ‘Queenpin’ were aware that the coupons were brought in from outside of the US. So, to fit the narrative of the film, they created the arc featuring the fictional Advanced Solutions, which gives the audience a proper insight into how Connie and Jojo’s system works.
Read More: Janet Mock to Make Her Feature Directorial Debut With Born Romantic
