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What's Cooking?

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Slight But Engaging
Review: This four-stories-about-one-story movie about families airing their dirty laundry at Thanksgiving isn't likely to replace "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" as my favorite, but it's worth a look for the great cast. Of note is the always incredible Alfre Woodard; the woman never fails to move me.

My chief gripe is the way the film is edited. Just as some scenes are ready to take off, they cut to something else. Too bad they didn't hire Mike Figgis to shoot this in his "Time Code" quadrant style.

Still, any film that prominently features a dachshund in the cast is alright by me.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: fun film about four families
Review: This is a fun premise -- spending the Thanksgiving holiday with four very different LA families -- that is executed very well, with capable direction and a fine cast. Children are coming home and families are setting extra places as friends and members of these families -- one Asian, one Hispanic, one Jewish and one African-American -- get together and face various real-life issues such as parent-child disagreements, meeting the SO's parents, in-laws, adultery, etc. The movie could have been riddled with cliches, but a decent script and excellent cast -- including Mercedes Ruehl, Alfre Woodard, Lanie Kazan, Dennis Haysbert and Joan Chen -- make this an entertaining film that is part drama but mostly comedy. Don't watch this while you're dieting, though, as there are many scenes of the wonderful dinners being prepared.

DVD features include subtitles in English, French or Spanish; a commentary track with writer/director Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Backham) and co-writer Paul Berges; interview segments with the director on the characters and on Thanksgiving, with Kyra Sedgwick on Julianna Margulies, with Mercedes Ruehl on the film's premise, with Dennis Haysbert on Los Angeles, with Joan Chen on food, and with Alfre Woodard on Chadha; and recipes for Vietnamese spring rolls, tamales, rustic (apple) pie, macaroni & cheese, noodle kugel and oyster-shiitake stuffing.

Definitely a worthwhile rental.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: fun film about four families
Review: This is a fun premise -- spending the Thanksgiving holiday with four very different LA families -- that is executed very well, with capable direction and a fine cast. Children are coming home and families are setting extra places as friends and members of these families -- one Asian, one Hispanic, one Jewish and one African-American -- get together and face various real-life issues such as parent-child disagreements, meeting the SO's parents, in-laws, adultery, etc. The movie could have been riddled with cliches, but a decent script and excellent cast -- including Mercedes Ruehl, Alfre Woodard, Lanie Kazan, Dennis Haysbert and Joan Chen -- make this an entertaining film that is part drama but mostly comedy. Don't watch this while you're dieting, though, as there are many scenes of the wonderful dinners being prepared.

DVD features include subtitles in English, French or Spanish; a commentary track with writer/director Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Backham) and co-writer Paul Berges; interview segments with the director on the characters and on Thanksgiving, with Kyra Sedgwick on Julianna Margulies, with Mercedes Ruehl on the film's premise, with Dennis Haysbert on Los Angeles, with Joan Chen on food, and with Alfre Woodard on Chadha; and recipes for Vietnamese spring rolls, tamales, rustic (apple) pie, macaroni & cheese, noodle kugel and oyster-shiitake stuffing.

Definitely a worthwhile rental.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Nice Movie
Review: This is a great movie about families from different backgrounds having their Thanksgiving dinner together. I love the way the Lesbian daughter has to confront her parents and how two families are forced to deal with their differences because their kids are dating.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Nice Movie
Review: This is a great movie about families from different backgrounds having their Thanksgiving dinner together. I love the way the Lesbian daughter has to confront her parents and how two families are forced to deal with their differences because their kids are dating.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Thanksgiving Dinner
Review: This is a story of 4 families as they sit down for Thanksgiving Dinner..There are secrets, affairs, and even a child thinkin about shooting someone..Maybe Love can help these people find there way back to each other...

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: an human being
Review: This is the first movie I've ever watched which was bad enough to inspire me to write a negative review. This movie is disturbing, depressing, and socially harmful. It's attempt at portraying various cultures is a good idea. However, in this film it fails these cultures badly. As all cultures have strengths and weaknesses, this film entirely focuses on the negative, without giving any real voice or show of their strength. It does not give the viewer insight into what strengths have brought these families through generations to now. Rather, it even disparages the good in them by flipping social right and wrong. In the end, this movie does not portray the american family. It does however take the viewer on a long grueling tour of the writer/producer's social/political designs. The thought that this movie might have any influence with viewers is indeed disturbing.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: great
Review: this movie is fanny, real, interesting, ect, bottom line is GREAT

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: a good entertaning movie
Review: This movie is not the best i've seen. but it is good for a rainy day. I say rent this and if you like it good if not sorry. This is kind of a chick flick just to worn.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Typical Thanksgiving Day
Review: This movie was great. It shows a typical thanksgiving day in four different households. It goes without saying, there are
problems in every family. If you are expecting A WALTON MOUNTAIN THANKSGIVING or even THANKSGIVING WITH THE CLEAVERS, I'm sorry this is real.


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