History Film / Chef

''Chef'' is a 2014 comedy film written by, directed by, and starring Creator/JonFavreau. It tells the story of the chef of a successful Los Angeles restaurant who is [[DisgruntledChef unhappy]] at where he is in his life. After a devastating review and misunderstandings on how Website/{{Twitter}} works, wackiness and job loss ensues, so he follows his ex-wife and son to Miami and begins a new venture running a food truck. Has appearances by a bunch of people from his other films, including Creator/ScarlettJohansson and Creator/RobertDowneyJr.

* SupremeChef: Carl has reached the pinnacle of a chef's career, running the kitchen of a highly successful kitchen. Even when he's chafing under Riva's control and producing uninspired food, no one can say that it isn't delicious or made without care.

** The movie Percy and Carl go to see has a [[Film/IronMan1 repulsor sound effect]].

** The movie they go to see has a [[Film/IronMan1 repulsor sound effect]].

''Chef'' is a 2014 comedy film written by, directed by, and starring Creator/JonFavreau. It tells the story of the chef of a successful Los Angeles restaurant who is unhappy at where he is in his life. After a devastating review and misunderstandings on how Website/{{Twitter}} works, wackiness and job loss ensues, so he follows his ex-wife and son to Miami and begins a new venture running a food truck. Has appearances by a bunch of people from his other films, including Creator/ScarlettJohansson and Creator/RobertDowneyJr.

-->''"You will never be happy, cooking for someone else."''

''Chef'' is a 2014 comedy film written by, directed by, and starring Creator/JonFavreau. It tells the story of chef of a successful Los Angeles restaurant who is unhappy at where he is in his life. After a devastating review and misunderstandings on how Website/{{Twitter}} works, wackiness ensues. Has appearances by a bunch of people from his other films, including Creator/ScarlettJohansson and Creator/RobertDowneyJr.

* AmicableExes: Despite getting divorced, it is clear that Carl and Inez care for each other greatly. Inez is also friendly with her other ex-husband, Marvin.
* BatmanGambit: [[spoiler: Ramsay Michel's bad review was intended to get Carl offended and angry enough to ditch his current safe culinary style.]]
* CausticCritic: The food blogger whose mediocre review of Carl leads to the events of the film. In his case, he was a former fan of his work, but finds his current work devoid of passion. [[spoiler:However, at the end, they end up patching things up as they start a new restaurant together]].

* CoolCar: It may start out as a heap but after a thorough cleaning, new equipment, colorful paint job, and a gratuitously good sound system, the food truck is a thing of beauty.
* DoingItForTheArt: In universe. The film's plot revolves around whether or not someone should be true to their artistic vision despite the risks or to stick with what they know will work in exchange for financial security.
** Carl's conflict with Riva revolves around Carl wanting to be experimental and follow his passions, while Riva wants him to stick to the standard menu that is time-tested and well loved by the restaurant clientele

* GilliganCut: Chef Carl takes his son produce shopping for his restaurant. When surrounded by the most amazing fruits you have ever seen, Percy asks for some kettle corn. Carl dismisses kettle corn as nothing but processed sugar over starch and wouldn't this delicious looking fruit be way better? Cut to them pigging out over a huge bag of kettle corn.
* InnocentlyInsensitive: [[spoiler:Ramsey Michel thought Carl was tweet-warring with him for fun and publicity - he had no idea that Carl had meant to reply privately and was genuinely upset, or that he'd caused a major conflict between Carl and his boss.]]
* InstantHumiliationJustAddYoutube: Carl's career as a professional chef is ruined in the beginning when the videos of him blowing up goes viral.
* MundaneMadeAwesome: The same FoodPorn step-by-step meal preparation used for the various restaurant meals is used to make a grilled cheese sandwich.
* NewMediaAreEvil: Subverted. While Carl's lack of knowledge about how to send a private message on Twitter ends up ruining his career in LA, his son updating the food truck's Facebook and Twitter causes a massive surge in it's popularity since people will know ahead of time where they will be while his online infamy at least makes him known.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: Depending on how you define "villain" within the context of this film. [[spoiler: Ramsay Michel's bad review of Carl's cooking sends Carl on a soul searching trip that culminates in him rediscovering his passion and a bolder style of cooking. Played with, because that's what Ramsey wanted to see, and he was thrilled about it]].
* NoAntagonist: While the food blogger initially seems like he'll be the movie's main villain, the film ends with [[spoiler: him praising Carl's food truck, emphasizing that this was ''precisely'' what he wanted to push Carl into doing, and the two open a Cuban restaurant together. So, if anything, he's sort of the movie's ''hero'' instead.]]
** Riva is probably the closest the film has to an antagonist, his constant overruling of Carl's decisions and stifling of his creativity is largely what kicks off the plot. But he becomes irrelevant by the time the film is halfway over, after which the plot is driven by Carl trying to build his new business.
* LanguageBarrier: Carl can't speak Spanish and this proves to be a recurring problem throughout the film.

** Carl's tries to get some workers to help him lift a heavy range into his foodtruck, but none of the workers speak English. It's only through Martin's timely arrival (since he speaks Spanish) that work can continue.
* MeanBoss: Riva's squashes all of Chef Carl's creativity and spontaneity.
* RomanticFalseLead: Molly and Carl clearly have some sort of romantic connection (whether or not they've actually acted upon it is left unclear), but she's completely forgotten about once Carl sets off for Miami.

* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney Riva originally promised Chef Carl complete control of the kitchen. That is until Chef Carl tried to do something Riva didn't like. Then Riva reminded him who paid for everything and said he would find another chef to do what Carl refused to. This sequence of events is ''phenomenally'' common in the restaurant trade, where the owners will talk 'artistic integrity' and 'culinary vision' in order to hire a chef, but will fall back on money when the crunch comes.
** A stealth TakeThat to the micromanagement of Marvel's film studio, which was the main reason Favreau didn't return to direct ''Film/IronMan3''.
* ShoutOut: Ramsay Michel's name is one to Creator/GordonRamsay and Michel Roux[[note]]It's unclear whether the "Michel" is in reference to Michel Roux, Sr. or Michel Roux, Jr., both acclaimed chefs[[/note]].

* YouAreInCommandNow: Carl walks out of Gauloise leaving Tony to run the kitchen on a night when the restaurant is overbooked. Tony must have done a decent job of it because he's formally promoted to Chef de Cuisine.

** Percy's iPad homepage image is one of ''[[VideoGame/TeamFortressTwo Team Fortress 2's]]'' Heavy Weapons Guy wearing a chef hat and eating his trademarked sandwich.

* NewMediaAreEvil: Subverted. While Carl's lack of knowledge about how to send a private message on Twitter ends up ruining his career in LA, his son updating the food truck's Facebook and Twitter causes a massive surge in it's popularity since people will know ahead of time where they will be while his online infamy at least makes him known.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: Depending on how you define "villain" within the context of this film. [[spoiler: Ramsay Michel's bad review of Carl's cooking sends Carl on a soul searching trip that culminates in him rediscovering his passion and a bolder style of cooking. Played with, because that's what Ramsey wanted to see, and he was thrilled about it]].

* BadBoss: Riva's squashes all of Chef Carl's creativity and spontaneity.

* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules: Martin promised Carl that he'd join him as soon as he found a new kitchen to work in. He doesn't hesitate to keep his promise, even when it means leaving a sous chef position in a high-end restaurant to work in a food truck.

* NiceJobFixingItVillain: Depending on how you define "villain" within the context of this film. [[spoiler: Ramsay Michel's bad review of Carl's cooking sends Carl on a soul searching trip that culminates in him rediscovering his passion and a bolder style of cooking]].

* AmicableExes: Despite getting divorced, it is clear that Carl and Inez care for each other greatly. Inez is also friendly with her other ex-husband, Marvin. [[spoiler:By the end of the film, Inez and Carl end up remarrying]].

* UglyGuyHotWife: Non-married example. He may be a talented chef, but the portly John Favreau having dated Sophia Vergara and Scarlett Johansson strains the imagination more than a little.

''Chef'' is a 2014 comedy film written by, directed by, and starring Creator/JonFavreau. It tells the story of chef of a successful Los Angeles restaurant who is unhappy at where he is in his life. After a devastating review and misunderstandings on how Website/{{Twitter}} works, wackiness ensues. Has appearances by a bunch of people from his other films, including Creator/ScarlettJohansson and Creator/RobertDowneyJr

* [[CoolCar Cool Food Truck]]: It may start out as a heap but after a thorough cleaning, new equipment, colorful paint job, and a gratuitously good sound system, the food truck is a thing of beauty.

* [[UglyGuyHotWife Ugly Guy, Hot Girlfriend and Ex-Wife]]: He may be a talented chef, but the portly John Favreau having dated Sophia Vergara and Scarlett Johansson strains the imagination more than a little.

* AmicableExes: Despite getting divorced, it is clear that Carl and Inez care for each other greatly. Inez is also friendly with her other ex-husband, Marvin. [[spoiler:By the end of the film, they end up remarrying]].

** A stealth TakeThat to the micromanagement of Marvel's film studio, which was the main reason Favreau didn't return to direct ''IronMan3''.

** On the other hand, the way Riva repeatedly overrules Carl's decisions and stifles his creativity makes him a pretty clear antagonist.

* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules: Martin leaves a job with a steady paycheck in order to work with Carl on the food truck because he believes that there's more meaning in pursuing something he's passionate about.

* BadBoss: Riva's squashes all off Chef Carl's creativity and spontaneity.

* NiceJobFixingItVillain: Depending on how you define "villain" within the context of this film. [[spoiler: Ramsay Michel's bad review of Carl's cooking sends Carl on a soul searching trip that culminates in him rediscovering his passion a bolder style of cooking]].

* ShownTheirWork: Favreau not only apprenticed under an actual chef before filming, he had a chef on hand for every single cooking scene, who would walk him, John Leguizamo, and Bobby Cannavale through the motions of whatever it was they were supposed to be cooking in the scene. And every time you see someone cooking? Its actual food, not 'set-dressing food' that isn't actually edible but looks good for the camera.

* [[UglyGuyHotWife Ugly Guy, Hot Girlfriend and Ex-Wife]]: He may be a talented chef, but the portly John Favreau having dated Sophia Vergara and Scarlett Johansson strains the imagination more then a little.

* [[UglyGuyHotWife Ugly Guy Hot Girlfriend and Ex-Wife]]: He may be a talented chef, but the portly John Favreau having dated Sophia Vergara and Scarlett Johansson strains the imagination more then a little.