Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #52669 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-04-10
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Yiddish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 109 minutes

Amazon.com
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

Customer Reviews

Great movie, bad DVD
I loved this movie, and when my copy of the first release "went bad," I ordered this re-released DVD. Unfortunately, this copy doesn't do justice to the movie--the color is sporadically off, and the sound mixing makes it very hard to hear the dialogue over the soundtrack. If you can, order the first DVD (now discontinued, but available through sellers).

disappointed
I was looking for a Thanksgiving movie with comedy, since I have only 2 comedy movies for Thanksgiving. I was very disappointed in this movie. I love the different cultural ways people celebrate Thanksgiving dinner in America, but this movie should be a drama more than anything. It showed how society has changed families from a kid keeping a gun for a friend in his house, lesbians having kids, etc. I would not suggest anyone to buy this movie that has not already seen it and also not suggest to buy it, if they want a comedy. This movie has no comedy in it.

Really great movie!
I absolutely loved this movie! It's little different than average Hollywood produce. I believe it's because it was directed by non-Hollywood director. Funny, dramatic, and amazingly realistic. Great casting and superb acting!