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List Price: $14.98 | | Label: Lions Gate
Salesrank: 79476
Released: April 10, 2001 |
| Our Price: $99.99 |
| Used Price: $7.92 |
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MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
At first glance, What's Cooking? looks like it was dreamed up by some politically correct screenwriting committee: a series of overlapping stories that intercut among four families (one Hispanic, one Vietnamese, one African American, one Jewish) all preparing for Thanksgiving dinner. But what could be toothless and smarmy is made gripping and genuinely affecting by a mixture of observant writing, fluid direction, and a truly superb ensemble of actors, including Mercedes Ruehl, Alfre Woodard, Joan Chen, Julianna Margulies, Kyra Sedgewick, Dennis Haysbert, and a host of less well known but just as capable others. The script is a marvel of orchestration: small annoyances blossom into fierce conflicts, secrets are deftly revealed, and sanctimoniousness is subtly punctured. The acute but sympathetic portrait of family stress and tension is layered with quiet observations about race and class, as well as the capacity for tolerance and forgiveness. It's recently become a cliché to have characters express themselves through food (examples include Soul Food, Big Night, and Eat Drink Man Woman), but What's Cooking? turns food into a witty exploration of culture as everyone prepares their turkeys in entertainingly different ways--this is not a movie to watch on an empty stomach. Warm without false sentiment, What's Cooking? is deeply enjoyable. --Bret Fetzer
What's Cooking? Reviews:
worthwhile thanksgiving reflections 
2009-12-16 - As an Episcopal priest, I'm always on the lookout for films which offer grist for the spiritual mill. "What's Cooking" is a film which could profitably be used to open up a conversation about the angst holiday celebrations often stir up. In the midst of brokenness, how does one find joy? How do people overcome family estrangements in an atmosphere where everything is supposed to be perfect? How do people negotiate different sets of traditions in ways which honor all? If you find this film fruitful, I'd also suggest "Pieces of April," which deals with many of the same issues but in an edgier way. "What's Cooking" would be good to show to families with middle school aged children, while "Pieces of April" is more appropriate for high school and older.
Class Review
2009-12-01 - I thought the movie did a great job of portraying Thanksgiving as more than an American holiday. Personally, I find it very interesting how the movie shows how the families are all so different, to the point where they dont even know they are neighbors, yet they are all so similar in that they are partially Americans. The differences are shown by the kinds of foods they eat apart from the turkey which makes it American and it is what makes them all similar. One thing is shows is the adaptation everyone does when they migrate here. It is a partial adaptation that can also be explained through the different foods they eat. For example the mexican family makes the turkey, but they also make tamales. It shows how they have adapted to American culture by making the turkey and celebrating thanksgiving, yet how they also have been able to hang on to their own Mexican culture. This is shown by the tamales they make. Overall I think the movie is pretty funny, it shows the usual family struggles during holidays of who is coming, what is going on in the family, putting petty grudges aside for family purposes, etc.
What's Cooking? is an amazingly touching holiday movie, very unique 
2009-12-01 - The Thanksgiving film 'What's Cooking' uses its stacked yet unique cast to introduce the film's moral plot line and the heart-warming stories of four families living in LA. Throughout the film, the four families stories' interact with one another without knowing as they are complete strangers to the each other, despite the fact that they are all neighbors on a single street corner in an LA neighborhood. Each family is of a different descent and religion, helping the film to show the diversity of the families and how these differences are made even more apparent by the holidays. Each family in the movie shows a different kind of struggle, each that seem to be exasperated by the holidays. The struggles of the families are extremely relatable for the audience which provides the film with depth. As the movie continues, the stories of the families become more and more entangled, until the conclusion of the movie where the struggle of one of the families unintentionally involves all four families to come together and the struggles of each family to seem unimportant. 'What's Cooking?' allows a great look into different races and ethnicities, as well as a deep moral understanding of family and what is really important in your life. This film should be a classic holiday movie that everyone in the United States should see and appreciate.
A truthful way to represent family during the holidays 
2009-11-30 - This movie critiqued modern family and how in general we look at how thanksgiving is supposed to go within our families. Commonly things don't go as well as we would like them to. In the movie there are several families who live on the same block of different races and ethnicities and are not directly connected. They all go through things that are very uncomfortable. I think the film is showing that we need to embrace our families no matter what happens between our families. It is common for families to have tension between each other and common for silly mistakes to happen in a kitchen like burning or dropping to turkey. This was a very cleverly done movie. You get a great sense of a deeper connection that the human race holds as individuals. It shows our common bond with family and the problems that come up and often show a lot during the holidays when the family is together. It had an interesting way of showing different ethnic groups that live on the same block and probably don't think much of each other or their lives. The human race is deeply connected with each other even more then we really see or might never know. I think the movie critiqued the saying " It's a small world." There were a lot of suspenseful a funny parts. It was not the best but pretty good.
Makes you Hungry for Thanksgiving Dinner
2009-11-01 - Great Thanksgiving Movie. Story of 4 family all living on the same street corner and their Holiday.. Terrific... Will may you hungry!!
