What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this romantic comedy has some
serious themes, like the death of a single parent and an aunt
who must care for her orphaned niece. Although it's rated PG
and stars popular child actress Abigail Breslin, the film's
protagonist, an emotionally withdrawn chef who doesn't have any
healthy relationships, is not going to seem compelling to most
kids. The dramedy also perpetuates the idea that ambitious,
professionally successful women all have lonely personal lives.
Still, at its heart, this is the typical odd-couple romantic
movie with a little girl thrown in to stir the pot.
Families can talk about the difference between personal and professional success. How was Kate successful in one way but not the other? What did her kitchen employees think of her, and how did they react to Nick's work style? What did Zoe and Kate learn from each other?
Common Sense Media Review
There's romance in NO RESERVATIONS, but not the kind you
would expect from a Hollywood romantic comedy. The emotional
connection between Kate (
Catherine
Zeta-Jones), a type-A chef (think of a less quirky, blander
version of Monica from
Friends
) and the cuisine she artfully creates is entertaining and
satisfying.
But Kate's slow-but-predictable relationship with the restaurant's carefree new sous chef Nick ( Aaron Eckhart with a floppy 'do, pajama pants, and orange Crocs) is less exciting than watching the many close-ups of haute cuisine. These may be attractive Hollywood actors, but they lack convincing chemistry.
At work Kate is all business. She's the talk of Manhattan with her secret saffron sauce and perfectly prepared quail dish. But at home, she's a mess. Her sister unexpectedly dies, and suddenly Kate's the guardian of her young niece Zoe ( Abigail Breslin). Kate's so clueless she tries to feed Zoe a whole steamed fish -- whole fish, with head and milky eye intact -- instead of the fish sticks the girl would prefer.
But soon enough Nick, with his Italian flair for cranking up arias and making the kitchen staff sing along, wins over Zoe with a plate of good ole spaghetti marinara. With Zoe playing Cupid, she hooks her aunt up, and the odd-couple chefs start rubbing off on each other -- he becomes more ambitious and she more laid back.
Although director Scott Hicks couldn't coax a magical spark out of his leads, he does a fine job of showing how food, especially beautifully prepared food, can be a sensuous delight. And while the movie's lesson -- about letting your hair down once in a while to go with the flow -- is trite, it's also familiar and sweet.
Families who love food-fueled movies might enjoy the original Mostly Martha, Big Night , and for animated fare, Ratatouille .
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
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