Directed By: Jon Favreau
Written By: Jon Favreau
Running Time: 114 minutes
Starring: Jon Favreau, Sofia Vergara, John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson, Bobby Cannavale, Dustin Hoffman, Oliver Platt, Emjay Anthony, Robert Downey Jr.
Premise: A professional chef quits his job at a popular Los Angeles restaurant after an altercation with a food critic and returns to his home town of Miami to fix up a food truck.
Why You Should See It: With powerful emphases on personal expression and modern media, Chef helps show audiences what people's jobs and families can mean to them while also delivering consistent laughs and serving up some mouth-watering dishes.
Written By: Jon Favreau
Running Time: 114 minutes
Starring: Jon Favreau, Sofia Vergara, John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson, Bobby Cannavale, Dustin Hoffman, Oliver Platt, Emjay Anthony, Robert Downey Jr.
Premise: A professional chef quits his job at a popular Los Angeles restaurant after an altercation with a food critic and returns to his home town of Miami to fix up a food truck.
Why You Should See It: With powerful emphases on personal expression and modern media, Chef helps show audiences what people's jobs and families can mean to them while also delivering consistent laughs and serving up some mouth-watering dishes.
Plot Synopsis
Miami-born Carl Casper is the head chef of Gauloise in Brentwood, California. While popular with his kitchen staff and hostess Molly, the restaurant owner Riva wants Carl to stick to tired "classics" rather than innovative dishes. Carl has a strained relationship with his tech-savvy preteen son Percy and ex-wife Inez.
When Carl has a chance to prove his talents during a visit from prestigious critic and blogger Ramsey Michel, Riva demands that he stick with old favorites at the last minute, causing Carl to concede, leading to a scathing review. On Twitter, Carl insults Ramsey, not realizing that his reply is public, and gains a large Twitter following. Carl comes up with an inspirational new menu that his staff loves and invites Ramsey to a "rematch". After a confrontation with Riva, Carl walks out, quitting. At home, he prepares the menu he wanted to serve to Ramsey, goes to the restaurant, and angrily berates Ramsey.
Miami-born Carl Casper is the head chef of Gauloise in Brentwood, California. While popular with his kitchen staff and hostess Molly, the restaurant owner Riva wants Carl to stick to tired "classics" rather than innovative dishes. Carl has a strained relationship with his tech-savvy preteen son Percy and ex-wife Inez.
When Carl has a chance to prove his talents during a visit from prestigious critic and blogger Ramsey Michel, Riva demands that he stick with old favorites at the last minute, causing Carl to concede, leading to a scathing review. On Twitter, Carl insults Ramsey, not realizing that his reply is public, and gains a large Twitter following. Carl comes up with an inspirational new menu that his staff loves and invites Ramsey to a "rematch". After a confrontation with Riva, Carl walks out, quitting. At home, he prepares the menu he wanted to serve to Ramsey, goes to the restaurant, and angrily berates Ramsey.
Videos featuring Carl's meltdown go viral, and his professional credibility evaporates. Molly and Inez encourage him to run a food truck. He accepts Inez's invitation to Miami, where he spends some quality time with Percy and rediscovers his love for Cuban cuisine. Inez's ex-husband Marvin offers him a dilapidated food truck, and Carl reluctantly accepts. He and Percy bond while restoring the truck and buying groceries and Carl buys him a chef's knife. Martin, his friend from Gauloise, turns down his restaurant promotion to work with Carl, who has become an exuberant and passionate chef again.
The three drive the food truck across the country back to Los Angeles, serving top-quality Cuban sandwiches and yuca fries. Percy finds ways to promote the food truck on social media websites, and the truck becomes successful in New Orleans and Austin, Texas, where the daily specials include items made with local ingredients such as po' boys and barbecued brisket.
Back in Los Angeles, Carl realizes the importance of his relationship with his son and accepts Percy's enthusiastic offer to help out on weekends and holidays. Ramsey visits the truck to explain that he wrote the bad review as he knew Carl's creativity did not suit a restaurant which had been serving the same menu for years. He leaves with an offer to bankroll a new restaurant. In a flashforward set six months later, the new restaurant is a hit and closed for a private event: Carl and Inez remarry.
The three drive the food truck across the country back to Los Angeles, serving top-quality Cuban sandwiches and yuca fries. Percy finds ways to promote the food truck on social media websites, and the truck becomes successful in New Orleans and Austin, Texas, where the daily specials include items made with local ingredients such as po' boys and barbecued brisket.
Back in Los Angeles, Carl realizes the importance of his relationship with his son and accepts Percy's enthusiastic offer to help out on weekends and holidays. Ramsey visits the truck to explain that he wrote the bad review as he knew Carl's creativity did not suit a restaurant which had been serving the same menu for years. He leaves with an offer to bankroll a new restaurant. In a flashforward set six months later, the new restaurant is a hit and closed for a private event: Carl and Inez remarry.
Analysis
Chef Carl Casper
"I may not do everything great in my life, but I'm good at this. I manage to touch people's lives with what I do and I want to share this with you."
Carl Casper is a prestigious chef who has a problem with authority and others giving input on his dishes. He’s not a tyrant over his kitchen, but he is passionate about his creations. While people love Carl for his food, they love him even more because of his passion. For him, it is not about the money, but personal expression. This is why Riva’s changing of the menu hurts Carl. If he just keeps making the same food, he’s not adequately expressing or challenging himself. However, he does not initially leave his job because he fears starting over again. When his ex-wife, Inez, mentions starting a food truck, Carl sees it as beneath him.
Once Ramsey Michel publishes his bad review, Carl’s insecurity takes over when he focuses on the one bad review and he almost kills his career. First, he unknowingly and publicly insults Michel using Twitter. Then, after quitting his job, he goes back to the restaurant and completely humiliates himself. His insecurity is displayed earlier in the film when he experiments with new creations. Even though Martin and Tony rave about the food, Carl proceeds to ask them four more times about the taste.
Carl refuses to be a sellout while looking for a new job. He has the opportunity to make money by going on reality cooking shows or mentioning products on Twitter, but he declines. This artistic integrity defines Carl.
Chef Carl Casper
"I may not do everything great in my life, but I'm good at this. I manage to touch people's lives with what I do and I want to share this with you."
Carl Casper is a prestigious chef who has a problem with authority and others giving input on his dishes. He’s not a tyrant over his kitchen, but he is passionate about his creations. While people love Carl for his food, they love him even more because of his passion. For him, it is not about the money, but personal expression. This is why Riva’s changing of the menu hurts Carl. If he just keeps making the same food, he’s not adequately expressing or challenging himself. However, he does not initially leave his job because he fears starting over again. When his ex-wife, Inez, mentions starting a food truck, Carl sees it as beneath him.
Once Ramsey Michel publishes his bad review, Carl’s insecurity takes over when he focuses on the one bad review and he almost kills his career. First, he unknowingly and publicly insults Michel using Twitter. Then, after quitting his job, he goes back to the restaurant and completely humiliates himself. His insecurity is displayed earlier in the film when he experiments with new creations. Even though Martin and Tony rave about the food, Carl proceeds to ask them four more times about the taste.
Carl refuses to be a sellout while looking for a new job. He has the opportunity to make money by going on reality cooking shows or mentioning products on Twitter, but he declines. This artistic integrity defines Carl.
Through all of this, Carl tries to be a good father to Percy. Early on, it is clear that his job impedes on time with his son, but Percy wants to see what his dad does at his job. Instead of taking his son with him, Carl feels he needs to be alone in order to prepare the best menu possible. This changes after he quits his job and he finally accepts help from Inez.
In Miami, Carl gets a food truck (the one thing he condemned) and enlists his son to help him clean it. However, Percy gets frustrated because the first time he goes to work with his dad, he has to clean a disgusting truck. Carl does realize this and he apologizes to his son. Also, he accepts more help from Martin before he officially goes out on the road in the El Jefe food truck. On the road, Carl teaches Percy some cooking techniques and to care about the customer and take pride in the product.
Carl was aware of his happiness and joy in cooking again but he realized something else was going on when his son sent him the compilation video of the cross-country trip. He and his son had a great time together and made a lot of memories.
When Ramsey Michel tastes Carl’s new food, he recognizes the heart in it. Although Carl did not need Michel’s confirmation, the recognition does help give Carl a sense of validation.
In Miami, Carl gets a food truck (the one thing he condemned) and enlists his son to help him clean it. However, Percy gets frustrated because the first time he goes to work with his dad, he has to clean a disgusting truck. Carl does realize this and he apologizes to his son. Also, he accepts more help from Martin before he officially goes out on the road in the El Jefe food truck. On the road, Carl teaches Percy some cooking techniques and to care about the customer and take pride in the product.
Carl was aware of his happiness and joy in cooking again but he realized something else was going on when his son sent him the compilation video of the cross-country trip. He and his son had a great time together and made a lot of memories.
When Ramsey Michel tastes Carl’s new food, he recognizes the heart in it. Although Carl did not need Michel’s confirmation, the recognition does help give Carl a sense of validation.
Themes
Creative and Original Expression
Every artist wants to move on to the next thing. There is no such thing as static progress for Carl Casper or any other forward-thinking innovator. He loves the fact that he has signature dishes, but he can only become better by challenging himself. Customers want something new, and with food, there are an infinite number of possibilities to please them in different ways. So, when Riva wants an entire menu based on Carl’s past successes, Carl is hurt because he thinks Riva doesn’t have faith in him. This is the primary reason why Carl goes out on his own. He only has a food truck, but he is in charge of the menu every day. If he messes up, he is wholly accountable, but he can then learn from his mistakes and make something better. As a result, his food truck becomes hugely successful.
The Power of Media
This is evident when Carl first attacks Ramsey on Twitter. The topic immediately starts trending and the restaurant receives its most reservations ever. Also, Carl’s freak out quickly spreads throughout the web and all of his previous job offers disappear. Percy’s marketing through both Facebook and Twitter drums up a lot of business for the El Jefe food truck. Once the truck enters a new city, he immediately posts a tweet or a status and word travels about El Jefe.
Creative and Original Expression
Every artist wants to move on to the next thing. There is no such thing as static progress for Carl Casper or any other forward-thinking innovator. He loves the fact that he has signature dishes, but he can only become better by challenging himself. Customers want something new, and with food, there are an infinite number of possibilities to please them in different ways. So, when Riva wants an entire menu based on Carl’s past successes, Carl is hurt because he thinks Riva doesn’t have faith in him. This is the primary reason why Carl goes out on his own. He only has a food truck, but he is in charge of the menu every day. If he messes up, he is wholly accountable, but he can then learn from his mistakes and make something better. As a result, his food truck becomes hugely successful.
The Power of Media
This is evident when Carl first attacks Ramsey on Twitter. The topic immediately starts trending and the restaurant receives its most reservations ever. Also, Carl’s freak out quickly spreads throughout the web and all of his previous job offers disappear. Percy’s marketing through both Facebook and Twitter drums up a lot of business for the El Jefe food truck. Once the truck enters a new city, he immediately posts a tweet or a status and word travels about El Jefe.
Citation
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 08 June 2015.
- ONLY USED FOR THE PLOT SYNOPSIS
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 08 June 2015.
- ONLY USED FOR THE PLOT SYNOPSIS