Chef (2014) | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

87% Tomatometer 188 Reviews 85% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings

After a controlling owner (Dustin Hoffman) pushes him too far, chef Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) quits his position at a prestigious Los Angeles restaurant. As he tries to figure out what his next step should be, he finds himself in Miami. Carl joins forces with his ex-wife (Sofía Vergara), best friend (John Leguizamo) and son (Emjay Anthony) to launch a food-truck business, and the venture provides a chance to reignite his passion for cooking -- as well as his zest for life and love.

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Chef

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Critics Consensus

Chef's charming cast and sharp, funny script add enough spice to make this feel-good comedy a flavorful -- if familiar -- treat.

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Critics Reviews

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Chef (2014) | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Liz Braun Toronto Sun It's such a treat to see such an endearing slice o' life in the middle of this blockbuster season. There's not a single comic book character in sight. Rated: 3.5/5 Jan 5, 2015 Full Review Chef (2014) | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Laurence Phelan Independent (UK) The result is a small, unashamedly feel-good film that makes up for what it lacks in dramatic jeopardy with gentle comedy, heartwarming family scenes, ladles of food porn, and time spent among characters you like. Rated: 4/5 Jul 7, 2014 Full Review Chef (2014) | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Kate Muir Times (UK) Chef is a foodie-gasm of a film, directed by and starring Jon Favreau as a designer cook past his sell-by date, who goes on a road trip from Miami to Los Angeles to find his soul -- and soul food. Rated: 3/5 Jul 7, 2014 Full Review Chef (2014) | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Richard Crouse Richard Crouse A lightweight, but enjoyable film; an amuse bouche that may leave you hungry for something more substantial but still manages to satisfy. Rated: 3.5/5 Feb 1, 2021 Full Review Chef (2014) | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Mike Massie Gone With The Twins When every conflict is quashed within minutes and the predicaments barely register concern, the power to affect audiences dwindles. Rated: 4/10 Dec 4, 2020 Full Review Chef (2014) | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Brent McKnight The Last Thing I See The first time you do something it might be fresh and risky, but the tenth, twentieth, you risk becoming repetitive and bland. "Chef" is about a creative personality trying to break free from a system that fosters this repetition and stagnation. Rated: B+ Jul 8, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Glen M Is this supposed to be a movie with a story or an episode of Hell's Kitchen without the hell part - where all the drama (though there's very little drama) is cutely caked in tinsel and fluffy marshmallows? Either way, it definitely fires up one's tastebuds but fails miserably as a movie. Retitled as a fun documentary with nice people might do it. Rated 2/5 Stars • Rated 2 out of 5 stars 09/23/24 Full Review Jonathan K This is a solid feel-good affair. But the second half was markedly less exciting than the first. There was something about the energy of the restaurant at the beginning and the tension for the characters that was more compelling than the food truck adventure it became, transforming into more of a father/son drama. Which honestly was fine, and the kid was great in it. But the high-end restaurant chef drama had higher stakes and pull, translating to more spiritedness, and a snappier script. In the end though, it is pretty touching, with a not-too-hollywood happy ending. It just felt a little like two different movies. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 09/09/24 Full Review Bahad j The idea behind this movie moved me a lot, but it was a movie with really satisfying expectations Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/05/24 Full Review Julian C De mis pelis favoritas de comida con buen reparto, historia y mensaje. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/31/24 Full Review Matt P A movie in search of a dramatic plot... Rated 1.5/5 Stars • Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 06/09/24 Full Review Audience Member 10 years old and Jon Favereau shows he can make a film on a smaller scale. An indie project of his own making that takes an appreciation for food and how a chef can learn to take pride in his own craft out of criticism and loss. He’s a chef and a father but also divorced from his wife. The owner of the restaurant doesn’t care about his contribution to the dishes served and one critic has been affecting them the most after a poor review. Favareau’s character then decides to do what he loves best by starting a food business in a food truck without the harsh feedback on the internet from Twitter and maybe bond more with his only son. The film has a lot of great cameo actors from Sofia Vergara to Scarlett Johansson to Robert Downey, Jr to Dustin Hoffman to John Leguizamo. The first half is a bit droll before the food truck portions start but after that it’s a wonderful bonding experience between father and son. Each can learn what the kitchen means to the cook and what they can contribute on their own under no pressure or worrying about negative feedback. A lot can change over the course of learning to cook but also rearrange the ingredients of your own life going forward. Favereau does a good job here with an indie picture seeing how a chef can concoct more room in his life for love of food and life itself. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/30/24 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

Jon Favreau Director Jon Favreau Carl Casper Sofía Vergara Inez John Leguizamo Martin Scarlett Johansson Molly Dustin Hoffman Riva
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Synopsis After a controlling owner (Dustin Hoffman) pushes him too far, chef Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) quits his position at a prestigious Los Angeles restaurant. As he tries to figure out what his next step should be, he finds himself in Miami. Carl joins forces with his ex-wife (Sofía Vergara), best friend (John Leguizamo) and son (Emjay Anthony) to launch a food-truck business, and the venture provides a chance to reignite his passion for cooking -- as well as his zest for life and love.

Director
Jon Favreau

Producer
Sergei Bespalov, Jon Favreau

Screenwriter
Jon Favreau

Distributor
Open Road

Production Co
Aldamisa Entertainment

Rating
R (Some Suggestive References|Language)

Genre
Comedy, Drama

Original Language
English

Release Date (Theaters)
May 9, 2014, Wide

Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 16, 2014

Box Office (Gross USA)
$31.2M

Runtime
1h 55m

Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
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