a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

The movie runs out of plot and jokes well before the end of a two-hour running time, long for a light comedy.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

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

this movie is great for the entire family and talks about real issues. you get to see how four culturally different families have thanksgiving dinner- something that ties all americans together. it went by quickly and the actors portrayed their characters amazingly accurately. you must see this movie if you have even a slightly opened mind.

The film was half over before I managed to figure out what was going on. It's a dog's breakfast of a movie about four family Thanksgiving dinners. The cliches and stereotypes tumble over each other. When it's all over ten hours later --- well, it seems like ten hours --- you're puzzling over what it was all about. I don't want to see a movie about dinner table squabbling. There is enough of it in my own family. The turkeys looked pretty good. The rest gave me indigestion.

Spoilers herein.I got around to viewing this film recently, as it was on two of my `too see' lists: the Food and Joan Chen lists.Food films are a new genre that can impress. `Eat Drink Man Woman,' `In the Mood for Love' and `Big Night' were successes. The images touch sensory memories that extend the visual vocabulary. It is both enjoyable and intellectually satisfying. But this pedestrian film fails to evoke those memories.The Joan Chen connection seems one worth following. She is sort of a minor phenomenon, which I first noticed with `Autumn in NY.' that film's subject was just as unremarkable as this. But it was so well constructed I spend all my viewing time marveling at the craftsmanship. As an actress, she's understated -- a contrast to the hispanically demonstrable Ruhl, but very apt. A study in dramatizing the Asian woman which is quite a challenge since the starting point is deliberately undramatic. I think this same challenge was behind `Fargo,' the notion of drama among a practiced non-dramatic people.Chen intrigues me. I'm going to check out her `Send Down Girl' and get back to you.

You know i usually like to see a film at least twice before i say anything about it...i love the way you take something different out of it every time. This time...theres no need...but i WILL be off to see this one again if not again :) I admit i knew little of What's Cooking and to be honest i like it that way. Going into a film with no pre-conceptions. I guess i expected a fairly average 'done before' story line and boring underdeveloped characters. Well...scene one...i was sold..this movie is fantastic.I love the way that What's Cooking draws on a somewhat universal experience- in Thanksgiving, while at the same time highlighting that this one day is so very different for people. It chose to show this difference across a spectrum of cultral backgrounds: The Asian family struggling with tradition, the Hispanic family dealing with a family breakdown; the African-American family facing infidelity and rebellion and the Jewish family struggling with conformity. Strangely through such different stories it was plain to draw something from each one and relate back to your own experiences. This i think was one of the strongest points of this movie....it deals with something that most people are familiar with. Holidays with family that we love to hate and hate to love! The holidays that we can't wait to end but then can't wait for them to come around again. Even in the music score this was reflected (listen for the 'same but different' tune!)differently by all but still in many ways the same.The characters were perfect..you felt you knew them- again i think it comes down to relating back to your own experiences... You could take something from each one. I think that he cast was brilliant. I couldn't single out a single performance..this one was a team effort that paid off in a big way. Of the whole movie i would pick maybe one scene that seemed 'off'. The revelation at the Jewish table seemed to be played a little out of context of the characters. It just didn't seem right i guess but other than that i loved everything about this flick! i loved the movie, i loved that it wasn't predictable, i loved the music, the feel, the atmosphere, humour and warmth. It's not very often that you go to a movie and sit for the whole time with a smile on your face and if it wasnt that in this one it was an equally moving emotion. The best way to sum up this cleverly structured peoples piece is that it is incredibly warm. I had tears in my eyes for practically the whle film from laughter, fear, anticipation, sadness or a little bit of everything all at once! That in itself signifies the imense depth this film created from its inocent simplicity of just looking at life and people at their best and worst! I liken it in many ways to 'Playing By Heart' in its structure and insight into everyday people issues, but this film was far better in its reach to the audience and more powerful and sublte in its storyline. One of the best i've seen