What’s Cooking?

Director: Gurinder Chadha
(2000)

Four ethnically diverse extended Los Angeles families gather with friends and lovers to celebrate Thanksgiving in this uniquely moving film from Gurinder Chadha. The director covers many different topics leaving no issue unquestioned but somehow Chadha weaves everything together deftly by going back and forth much like a chef between the various family gatherings, using one situation to comment on another, one to echo something else, all the while leaving the viewer piecing things together in their mind, dazzled by the food and conversation. There are several excellent performances, most notably by Kyra Sedgwick and Mercedes Ruehl. Funny, surprising and true— destined to be a sleeper hit.