Don't listen to the negative reviews

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Incredible how they got the issues around Asian-American right, and African-American right, and Jewish-American right. Very, very perceptive and well done! The Asian American issues with the girl and the mother are very well done and so true to life. Same with the problems with the African American father and his son--and his mother. the Latin-American wife-husband-boyfriend problem was exceptional. So many things about the Jewish American were absolutely true. and mixing up the gay-lesbian thing with the Jewish family was perfect. it was a bit unrealistic that even in l.a. all these people live within hearing distance of each other, and that was the only contrived element of the movie. Wasn't there some other way around that?

WHAT'S COOKING? (2000) ***1/2 Mercedes Ruehl, Joan Chen, Alfre Woodard, Kyra Sedgwick, Julianna Marguilies, Dennis Haysbert, Maury Chaykin, Lainie Kazan, Victor Rivers, Douglas Spain, A Martinez, Francois Chau, Will Yun Lee, Estelle Harris, Ralph Manza. Wonderful sleeper depicting four Los Angeles melting pot families all celebrating Thanksgiving, cross cutting between homes sharing the universal theme of family, love and ultimately acceptance of one another. Funny, emotional, intelligent and superbly acted with an equally impressive script by Gurinder Chadha (who directed) and Paul Mayeda Berges her real-life companion. Stand out performances especially by Ruehl, Chen & Woodard as strong-willed matriarchs and Sedgwick and Marguilies as one of the sexiest onscreen lesbian couples in some time. Kudos to the off-screen cooks who whip up some truly mouth-watering displays in uniquely different yet delicious dinners for the quartet broods.

Hey Where was the Handicap Guy and The Serial Killer and The Cross dressing "Nambla" String Quartet?This film had some good Acting, and great shots of delicious food being prepared. THAT however is all that speaks for it. It also had some NOT SO GOOD Acting. However but that is another issue.The story was a pretentious hodge podge- down your throat Politically Correct gnashing of the teeth. A Post Thanksgiving hi colonic of cleche. A melodrama served over Turkey with Sweet & Sour sauce ala Colonel Sanders as a side dish.Let's see we had the ever popular Lesbians in your face issues -one, pregnant apparently by a Homosexual sperm donor. And voila, after way too much kissing and cuddling (we get the idea already) enter "Diversity?" -, A Black Conservative, A Black Radical, Orientals, some who that might be gang members,, Hispanics issues, The betrayed latin mother now dating a likeable hotie- "Teacher" while scum bag husband gets his marching papers, (here-naturally rpleat with Flamenco playing during the back ground scenes) and of course, a story written and directed by an East Indian Woman...Ummm Humm.!? Well O.K., Why Not!Moving right along,. We had lovers and Liars, Gun Control Issues, Rebellious mis understood Condom Carrying teens.Now toss in one vegetarian-fruitarian body pierced rebellious smart mouth teen girl in puberty who is into Ebonics, charming the gastronomic holiday with her plight and spiel of the American Indian, as she picks over her hosts offering asking them if anything is prepared with animal fat.Of course moving on down the cinematic road to silliness- a film Replete with Affairs, Mother In Laws on the war Path, Ugly politicians (but of course) paint strewn with the "white" paint of black youthful truth and zeal. We even had the Jewish "Bris" issue, "To Circumcise or not to Circumcise, That is the Question"Naturally you had the philandering "Latin" Father, The upwardly mobile Black Conservative who is also a "cheat" but a repentant one.I am quite sure that had the film been just 15 minutes longer, the writer would have introduced a bulimic/anorexic porn star working her way through college while taking care of her HIV positive skin head boyfriend who had lost his job with the ACLU. But alas the movie was greatfully not long enough to go there.The only thing this movie missed was perhaps an introduction by Michael Moore. Or Michael Jackson and Barbara Striesand singing a chorus of "It don't matter if your black or White" They could have recorded it on their cell phones from Michaels Never never land in Santa Barbara, and from Barbara's 10 million dollar New York Penthouse.Isn't anyone tired of this drivel on screen? Actually I was born and raised in Los Angeles. I lived for more than 10 years right there close to Canter's Delicatessen, Near the Fairfax and Beverly Blvd, down the street from the Farmers Market. (the local of this supposed story) I never saw any of these folks.....there were characters and great people of all races of course. But this is touchy feely pabulum forced down the throat of anyone who will listen.O.K I am listening. But tell me a meaningful story about race, and life and love and poetry. Not this trite simplistic politically correct crap.

SPOILERS - First review must have gotten "lost" in the email, here's a brief version for my own future use. Four LA families - Black, Hispanic, Asian, Jewish -- prepare Thanksgiving dinner. Each turkey prepared according to old family traditions. Cooking looks great. DVD even has recipes in "extras." But each family unit also has warts. Asian teenager daughter has condom fall out of her coat. Is she already sexually active? Older son is sweet on Hispanic girl, afraid to tell family. Black son is a political activist, throws pie at mayor, who his father works for, father and son are not speaking. Jewish adult daughter has brought her gay lover home from SF, at the end they find out she is pregnant, donor is gay brother of her sister-in-law. Hispanic father had left after an affair with wife's cousin, gets invited to TG dinner by son, but mom's new boyfriend is coming too. Husband pleads for her to take him back, but it is too late. At end, a gunshot gets all families to go outside, overhead shot shows they all live at the 4 corners of the same street. Good, entertaining movie with some good messages about family and resolving differences.