THE REWATCHABLES · May 9, 2023
A 2014 drama / comedy directed by Jon Favreau, covered in the complete Rewatchables archive.
ON THIS EPISODE
FROM THE CONVERSATION
WHY IT WORKS
WHAT DID NOT WORK
SCENES THEY KEPT COMING BACK TO
The opening establishes Favreau as a real chef through prep work and market shopping.
Opening minutesA sharp debate over artistic food versus crowd-pleasing hits frames the central conflict.
About 24 minThe scathing review becomes a devastating public humiliation and catalyst for the story.
About 32 minDowney’s appearance provides an abrupt, hilarious burst of star power and chaos.
About 32 minThe knife gift, market trip, and sandwich prep become key bonding moments.
About 40 minThe truck’s rise, social media buzz, and quick montage style are praised as energetic and satisfying.
About 40 minThe Austin barbecue sequence is treated as a standout real-world food moment.
About 16 minFavreau making simple pasta for Scarlett Johansson is singled out as a very believable cook detail.
About 1:04A small domestic scene becomes a favorite because of the food-porn styling and parent-child dynamic.
About 1:12WHERE THEY DISAGREED
Bill SimmonsIt felt realistic in 2014 because critics still had real power.
David ChangFood criticism had much more influence then, though less now.
David ChangThe owner character is highly realistic and the dynamic is common.
Bill SimmonsThe movie compresses some of the restaurant drama, but the conflict feels true.
David ChangNo, the sous-chef is too weak-sauce and not believable.
Bill SimmonsHe fits the role as a hired-in replacement and a potential disaster.
Bill SimmonsGrilled cheese is the top food-porn moment.
David ChangFranklin barbecue is the most joyful and craveable sequence.
David ChangYes in the 2014 food-media moment, but less so now.
Bill SimmonsIt might be exaggerated, though the movie sells it well.
Says he keeps getting sucked into it and may like it more than any other food movie.
Opening minutesExplains why the movie was perfectly timed for the rise of chefs, critics, and food trucks.
Opening minutesArgues Favreau is now underrated and points to his whole career arc as evidence.
About 24 minSees the food truck as the ultimate expression of culinary freedom and entrepreneurship.
About 1:28Highlights the play-your-hits debate as a great encapsulation of the creative conflict.
About 24 minSays Hoffman’s owner character is the most accurate and relatable person in the film.
About 24 minThinks this is the most he has ever liked Leguizamo in anything.
Opening minutesTreats Downey’s cameo as perfect, unrepeatable casting that only he could do.
About 32 minLoves the moment where Favreau humiliates the critic over the chocolate lava cake.
About 32 minSays the Franklin segment is one of his favorite parts and loves the real location’s energy.
About 16 minPoints to the simple aglio e olio for Scarlett Johansson as a very real cook move.
About 1:04Says the trip through Miami, New Orleans, and Austin makes the movie feel like a fun reality show.
About 16 minThe movie reflects a time when food critics, Eater/Lucky Peach-style coverage, celebrity chefs, and food trucks had outsized cultural power.
Opening minutesThe central conflict is between creative cooking and the restaurant owner’s demand to play the hits.
About 24 minBill and Dave both come to view the film as a father-son story more than they initially did.
About 8 minThe food truck is framed as the ultimate expression of culinary independence and risk-taking.
About 16 minThe episode explores how reviews can shape careers, and how criticism used to carry more power.
About 24 minChef had an $11 million budget and made about $46 million theatrically.
About 40 minThe critic character is modeled on a real LA food critic tradition and is linked to Jonathan Gold.
Opening minutesDave says food critics used to announce themselves in Europe/UK but not in America.
About 32 minFavreau reportedly learned to cook for the movie and developed real knife skills.
Opening minutesThe movie’s road-trip truck scenes were improvised to capture kitchen life.
About 1:12The first-second social media montage was an early attempt at showing online posts on screen.
About 40 minDave says cornstarch in kitchen bathrooms is used to handle sweating.
About 1:20The road-trip barbecue stop references Franklin Barbecue and its popularity at the time.
About 16 minMentioned as part of the era’s food-media ecosystem and as something Dave had on his desk.
Opening minutesUsed to explain how food journalism and discovery were changing.
Opening minutesCited as part of the rise of food celebrity culture.
Opening minutesReferenced as a major food-competition show and later as a PR joke in the film.
About 48 minUsed as a comparison point for another food movie and as a foil for Chef’s realism.
About 24 minMentioned as part of Favreau’s career path before Chef.
About 24 minReferenced as the movie that made Favreau famous and the start of his evolution.
About 24 minMentioned as another major Favreau milestone.
About 24 minReferenced as another major Favreau success later in his career.
About 24 minDiscussed as a companion/spinoff vibe that extends the movie’s world.
About 16 minUsed as an early example of onscreen social-media graphics.
About 48 min · medium confidenceReferenced as a sign of the era’s internet-culture TV.
About 1:20 · medium confidenceNamed explicitly as the show that followed the movie’s vibe and world.
About 16 minReferenced as a benchmark for restaurant realism on screen.
About 24 minMentioned as Favreau’s earlier restaurant-based conversation show.
About 1:28The hosts keep returning to how special and transient the 2014 food moment felt.
Opening minutesThe owner’s “play your hits” philosophy becomes a repeated punchline and serious restaurant maxim.
About 24 minThey repeatedly return to how powerful and underrated the Cubano sandwich is.
About 8 minDave drops a detailed explanation of cornstarch as a sweaty-kitchen survival trick.
About 1:20They frequently compare the movie to their own experiences with reviews, chefs, and restaurants.
About 16 min“It defines a rewatchable movie”Opening minutes
“Play the hits.”About 24 min
“I'm good at this.”About 56 min
“It's fucking molten, asshole.”About 32 min
“You dip your balls in it.”About 1:20
MAKE IT A MOVIE NIGHT
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
Three movies to watch before Chef, and three to watch next.
ON THE MIC
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