What's Cooking? (2000)

One of my all time favorites.

Excellent but underrated film

Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

As Good As It Gets

I particularly enjoyed this movie although I felt the audience was forced to endure the politically correct themes of the day. I was beginning to wonder how many dysfunctional acts could be shown in one movie. The acting was superb with Mercedes Ruehl taking top honors. The lesbian couple was one of the acts of pandering and could have been more realistically replaced by something more pertinent to a Jewish family. As the movie progressed I was able to look past the blatant pandering and look at what I thought was the basis of the plot. It never occurred to me that this was an attempt to show the multicultural diversity in one city or our country. Instead, I thought it was a good look at human nature in general, regardless of culture. Somewhere between Martha Stewart and Norman Rockwell we have developed an idea of what the perfect Thanksgiving and Christmas should be. We take this perception and then create it in accordance to our own specific culture. We think that certain foods are required and everyone will get along. As we all know the perfect Thanksgiving is only an idealistic goal very seldom achieved. Thirty minutes into the movie I was depressed because I have been through similar holidays. Maybe not with the same circumstances but nonetheless marred by burnt food, family arguments, etc. I thoroughly enjoyed this and would recommend any newlywed couple planning to host a holiday dinner for their combined families to watch. What I basically got from this movie was a reinforcement of real life holidays, relax, do what you can to make it a success, but most importantly, enjoy the fellowship of the family without the drive for perfection

Hey Where was the Handicap Guy and The Serial Killer and The Cross dressing "Nambla" String Quartet?This film had some good Acting, and great shots of delicious food being prepared. THAT however is all that speaks for it. It also had some NOT SO GOOD Acting. However but that is another issue.The story was a pretentious hodge podge- down your throat Politically Correct gnashing of the teeth. A Post Thanksgiving hi colonic of cleche. A melodrama served over Turkey with Sweet & Sour sauce ala Colonel Sanders as a side dish.Let's see we had the ever popular Lesbians in your face issues -one, pregnant apparently by a Homosexual sperm donor. And voila, after way too much kissing and cuddling (we get the idea already) enter "Diversity?" -, A Black Conservative, A Black Radical, Orientals, some who that might be gang members,, Hispanics issues, The betrayed latin mother now dating a likeable hotie- "Teacher" while scum bag husband gets his marching papers, (here-naturally rpleat with Flamenco playing during the back ground scenes) and of course, a story written and directed by an East Indian Woman...Ummm Humm.!? Well O.K., Why Not!Moving right along,. We had lovers and Liars, Gun Control Issues, Rebellious mis understood Condom Carrying teens.Now toss in one vegetarian-fruitarian body pierced rebellious smart mouth teen girl in puberty who is into Ebonics, charming the gastronomic holiday with her plight and spiel of the American Indian, as she picks over her hosts offering asking them if anything is prepared with animal fat.Of course moving on down the cinematic road to silliness- a film Replete with Affairs, Mother In Laws on the war Path, Ugly politicians (but of course) paint strewn with the "white" paint of black youthful truth and zeal. We even had the Jewish "Bris" issue, "To Circumcise or not to Circumcise, That is the Question"Naturally you had the philandering "Latin" Father, The upwardly mobile Black Conservative who is also a "cheat" but a repentant one.I am quite sure that had the film been just 15 minutes longer, the writer would have introduced a bulimic/anorexic porn star working her way through college while taking care of her HIV positive skin head boyfriend who had lost his job with the ACLU. But alas the movie was greatfully not long enough to go there.The only thing this movie missed was perhaps an introduction by Michael Moore. Or Michael Jackson and Barbara Striesand singing a chorus of "It don't matter if your black or White" They could have recorded it on their cell phones from Michaels Never never land in Santa Barbara, and from Barbara's 10 million dollar New York Penthouse.Isn't anyone tired of this drivel on screen? Actually I was born and raised in Los Angeles. I lived for more than 10 years right there close to Canter's Delicatessen, Near the Fairfax and Beverly Blvd, down the street from the Farmers Market. (the local of this supposed story) I never saw any of these folks.....there were characters and great people of all races of course. But this is touchy feely pabulum forced down the throat of anyone who will listen.O.K I am listening. But tell me a meaningful story about race, and life and love and poetry. Not this trite simplistic politically correct crap.

i've read a glowing review (above) and thought i might gave the movie a try. suffice to say, i was thoroughly disappointed. the story, switching from one family to another, seems jumpy and the flow was not well created. you often get lost where you are with which family.the multi-cultural theme is all well and good but with shallow story lines between each family and the poor connection, the result is a film with irrelevant bits and pieces chucked together.the acting was the only redeeming feature of the movie. the actors deserve full credit. i would have switched it off after twenty minutes were it not for decent acting. what irritated me the most though is the poor camerawork and editing. i caught, not just glimpses, the microphone appearing at the top of the screen three times.

Spoilers herein.I got around to viewing this film recently, as it was on two of my `too see' lists: the Food and Joan Chen lists.Food films are a new genre that can impress. `Eat Drink Man Woman,' `In the Mood for Love' and `Big Night' were successes. The images touch sensory memories that extend the visual vocabulary. It is both enjoyable and intellectually satisfying. But this pedestrian film fails to evoke those memories.The Joan Chen connection seems one worth following. She is sort of a minor phenomenon, which I first noticed with `Autumn in NY.' that film's subject was just as unremarkable as this. But it was so well constructed I spend all my viewing time marveling at the craftsmanship. As an actress, she's understated -- a contrast to the hispanically demonstrable Ruhl, but very apt. A study in dramatizing the Asian woman which is quite a challenge since the starting point is deliberately undramatic. I think this same challenge was behind `Fargo,' the notion of drama among a practiced non-dramatic people.Chen intrigues me. I'm going to check out her `Send Down Girl' and get back to you.