What's Cooking with Culture?

What's Cooking with Culture?

The 2000’s film, What’s Cooking?, which includes stars such as Alfre Woodard, Julianna Margulies, and Dennis Haysbert is a film that revolves around the theme of family. There are four families represented within the movie, and within these four families, holiday traditions, multiculturalism, and ethnic identity are presented...and are presented heavily. 

The film centers around the fall favorite holiday of Thanksgiving. We see this day play out through the eyes of four different cultures, and their different cultural perspectives of how they celebrate this holiday. Each family cooks a meal that is consistent with its own racial and/or ethnic heritage. For example, the Nyguen family cook’s food such as noodles and egg rolls. While the Avilas family cook’s tamales, tortillas, and flan for dinner.

 They all live on the same street, some of their families even intertwined with one another, but they are still separated and divided. They are separated and distanced from each other both ethnically and ideologically, all while being neighbors.

Multiculturalism is represented in the film through relationships. Two of the Nyguen siblings are seeing people outside of their cultures. Jimmy is seeing a Hispanic girl, named Gina, who just happens to be...yes, a part of the Avilas family! While Jenny Nyguen is seeing a white boy. Their parents, who already think that they are losing their children to the American culture, do not know anything about their significant others, or anything about the “secret” lives that their children are living. They live their lives outside of their Vietnamese culture.  

Ethnic identity is tested within all the families in different ways. In the Williams family, we see ethnic identity tested through Haysbert’s character, Ronald. He is seen by his son as a man who hates his own people. He is seen as a black man who is always rooting for the white man, specifically the conservative white man.

Ethnic identity is also presented in a less complex way. It is presented through the music that is played during the film. We hear a lot of non-diegetic sounds, and for each family the music fits the traditional sound of each family.

One thing that I loved about What’s Cooking? is the amount of diversity within the film. The film did not center around not one white, middle class, western European families. The only time this type of family is seen is when they are GUEST at the William’s dinner. I got to see Thanksgiving through the eyes of different cultures, seeing different holiday traditions, multiculturalism, and the ethnic identities of the main characters and it was really enjoyable to watch. I would love to see more films like this one in the future. It was entertaining and informative all in one.     
                              

                                                                                             Trailer of What's Cooking?, so you can see a glimpse of some of the reasons why I enjoyed it ;)

Sources:

Keller, James R. Food, Film and Culture. A Genre Study. McFarland, 2006.p.60-67

http://www.allyivey.com/articles/2017/7/1/why-is-multiculturalism-so-important

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/whats_cooking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3p9Jx6xsvc