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What's Cooking? (2000) 6.8
Ratings:
6.8/10 from 1,741 users
Metascore: 57/100
Reviews: 51 user | 35 critic | 22 from Metacritic.com In LA's Fairfax district, where ethnic groups abound, four households celebrate Thanksgiving amidst family tensions. In the Nguyen family, the children's acculturation and immigrant parents... See full summary » Director:Gurinder Chadha |
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Mercedes Ruehl | ... |
Elizabeth 'Lizzy' Avila
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| Victor Rivers | ... |
Javier Avila
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| Douglas Spain | ... |
Anthony 'Tony' Avila
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Maria Carmen | ... |
Sofia Avila
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| Isidra Vega | ... |
Gina Avila
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Elena Lopez | ... |
Grandma Avila
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| A Martinez | ... |
Daniel 'Danny'
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| Richard Yniguez | ... |
Robert Avila
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Lorraine Perez | ... |
Auntie Delores
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Eva Rodriguez | ... |
Auntie Eva
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| Adrian Armas | ... |
Avila cousin
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Caz | ... |
Gordo, the Avila's dog
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| Joan Chen | ... |
Trinh Nguyen
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| François Chau | ... |
Duc Nguyen
(as Francois Chau)
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| Will Yun Lee | ... |
Jimmy Nguyen
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
In LA's Fairfax district, where ethnic groups abound, four households celebrate Thanksgiving amidst family tensions. In the Nguyen family, the children's acculturation and immigrant parents' fears collide. In the Avila family, Isabel's son has invited her estranged husband to their family dinner. Audrey and Ron Williams want to keep their own family's ruptures secret from Ron's visiting mother. In the Seelig household, Herb and Ruth are unwilling to discuss openly their grown daughter's living with her lover, Carla. Around each table, things come to a head. A gun, an affair, a boyfriend, and a pregnancy precipitate crises forcing each family to find its center. Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
Taglines:
Families. Fights. Feasts. A holiday tradition. See more »Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated PG-13 for some sexuality, brief language and a perilous situation | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
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See full technical specs »
Details
Release Date:
31 August 2001 (UK) See more »Also Known As:
Négy vacsora See more »Filming Locations:
Los Angeles, California, USABox Office
Opening Weekend:
£45,445 (UK) (31 August 2001)Gross:
£45,445 (UK) (31 August 2001)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
DolbyColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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(1962)
Written by Brian Carman and Bob Spickard
Published by Regent Music Corp. (BMI)
Performed by Craig Pruess (as Craig), and Daryl Pruess
Produced by Craig Pruess
Executive producer by Gurinder Chadha
See more »
Did You Know?
Soundtracks
"Pipeline"(1962)
Written by Brian Carman and Bob Spickard
Published by Regent Music Corp. (BMI)
Performed by Craig Pruess (as Craig), and Daryl Pruess
Produced by Craig Pruess
Executive producer by Gurinder Chadha
See more »
"What's Cooking" is one of the most non-dogmatic feminist movies I've seen (as compared to say "24 Hour Woman") as exemplified by a climactic scene of one mother stuffing her face with two pieces of homemade pie amidst crisis while declaring "I'm weak? Is it weak to want to hold the family together?"
So many holiday or family gathering movies (like "Avalon" and "Hannah and her Sisters" and "Eat Drink Man Woman") have been made by men and they always felt off balance to me compared to my observations and experiences. Here the women in the kitchen are symbolically and functionally at the center of the meal preparation, the meal and the families.
Other women directors have been successful at portraying a single ethnic group's family issues, such as "Double Happiness" or Nancy Savoca's "True Love." But this is a multi-ethnic All-Americans Thanksiving in L.A. (reminding me of the children's book "Molly's Pilgrim") an L.A. where people from different traditions (Vietnamese, Chicano, African-American and Jewish) all integrate the trappings of the Pilgrims into that basic of ethnic identity--food-- to intersect in unexpected ways, at work, in the community, in their homes and in their hearts.
It's an impressive cast of actresses in particular; it's noteworthy that such a stellar cast would do a small indie -- clearly they jump at the chance to get "meaty" roles for women.
The audience laughed, and cried, and gasped. While your popcorn will pale beside the feasts before your eyes, be sure to eat something during the movie cause you'll be real hungry afterwards!
(originally written 11/19/2000)