Image copyright Disney / Pixar
Anyone can cook. This is the opening idea presented by the film, Ratatouille, which follows a small rat named Remy as he attempts to become the greatest chef in France. Of course, given that he is a rat, he must obtain the help of a clumsy janitor named Linguini who will take the credit. Along the way, hijinx ensure and a corrupt head chef attempts to expose both of them, though they continuously fail and are kicked out halfway through the film. By the end of the film, Remy and his friends have opened their own restaurant where they cook with humans to the praise of France, though it is unknown whether this involvement is public knowledge. On the surface, this is a very simple film that exists largely as a novelty.
However, the audience is faced with that opening quote time and time again; “Anyone can cook”. From a literal standpoint, this is entirely inaccurate. A baby cannot cook, as it does not have the cognition. A rat cannot cook, as it is too small. I cannot cook, because I’m bad at it. The film does not hide the fact that much of this is fantasy, as not only do people sustain comically-fatal injuries without so much as a scratch, but the physical mechanics behind the collaboration between Remy and Linguini are completely made-up.
The narrative brilliance does not show itself until the response to this message is brought up. Anton Ego is a critic in the world of the film that had previously belittled the central restaurant to the film, tearing into it in a scathing review. When the restaurant suddenly becomes popular again, Ego is suspicious, as he believed that this ran counter to his perspective. He held the similar thought that not just anyone can cook, believing that the restaurant did not sustain itself against this critique. They could manage a few surprising recipes to come back into the public spotlight, but they were all the previous recipes with little change. This adaption to critique would mean they could learn, which in many regards, is not viewed as the utility of critique nowadays.
Review culture has changed, in part due to the internet. People enjoy seeing something get torn to shreds online, and many sites cater to this ideology in their content. If something becomes the new point of ridicule on the internet, everyone will want to make content talking about how bad it is. From the 2019 film adaptation of Cats to the overhyped disappointment of Mighty No. 9, people have found comfortable punching bags, and have used them as a platform to build a base. Typically, these critiques are not made in hopes that the project improves, but instead to garner clout online, hence why some have also attempted to “Well, actually” other opinions of big hits, providing a contrarian point in hopes of garnering attention and amassing a new audience. As much as we would like people to offer genuinely useful critique and look out for everyone’s best interests, this sadly isn’t always the case.
Ego goes into the restaurant planning to destroy it. His plan is to have the food, get an opinion, and then leave. He has his pen at the ready to sample and leave. Yet, as he tastes the food, it reminds him of another chef: his mother. Her restaurant was not grandiose, and she wasn’t cooking exotic ingredients for a myriad of paying customers. Instead, she made simple meals for her son right in their kitchen, and they were some of the best meals Ego ever had. They were not created for corporate reasons, but rather as works of art or interest for a specific target audience, be it family or even themselves.
The crazy thing about writing stories is that it’s not always to capitalize on a trend. Many times, it’s because the author has a story they want to tell. They don’t necessarily care if anyone is listening, though they appreciate those who do. When he tasted the food, Ego stopped thinking about texture or quality and instead thought back to his mother, who made her meals with love and care. Her meals may not have always been the best, but they tasted amazing to him because she put her soul into them. She wasn’t the best chef from a critical standpoint, but she was the best to him.
Yet, the meal he tasted, as he discovers soon afterwards, is a rat. He has the system explained to him, he thanks them for the meal, and leaves. It is this scene with Ego sitting in his office, trying to find the words for his review, where we revisit the previous angle of critique, and the message of “Anyone can cook”: “Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere”. So, no. A baby cannot cook, but they can become someone who can. Any artist brings their own perspectives and practices into frame when they begin working on their art. All art begins first as an idea, and there are no restrictions on those. We start with ideas, and pack enough hope that they become dreams, and we are a stubborn species, so we do not give up on those dreams. Regardless of quality, the creator will always be able to identify more minor flaws or made-up problems in their work than any critique can.
Criticism is, in many regards, easy to deliver. What is more difficult to offer a defense against that which society has turned its back on. New ideas go against the grain, and have trouble sticking following the initial proposal. Fear is the greatest enemy of ideas, since they are the primary restrictor to the flow of ideas and progress. But when even one person offers defense for the new, its platform begins to take shape, and often the most scathing of criticism cannot tear this down. “In the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so”. Criticism often comes from a practical standpoint, pushed by logic to look at things pragmatically. We are not a very logical species. After all, storytelling is driven by yearning, with stories following people as they pursue that which they desire brings them joy. Critique is often not enough to crush a dream, so even if someone is told they cannot cook, their passions will help push them forward. Even if they may house the only joy brought on by their creation, this will still ensure that their creation has provided much more of a personal impact on them than the criticism designating it as such.
This is what helps make Ratatouille so special. It is an animated picture, meaning that many adults watching it will scoff at it, believing it to be childish. But those who grew up watching it, like me, see the internal message it talks about. It’s a story that does not look down upon its audience, and instead uses their common understanding of the storytelling medium to inspire future generations of artists and storytellers. What may have been seen as an initial hindrance in their form of delivering said message suddenly becomes one of their greatest strengths, providing a wide demographic to inspire. I look at my colleagues who grew up with the film as well, and I see their own works of art built off of their own childhoods and inspirations. It is not always Ratatouille acting as inspiration, but the message stands nonetheless. These works all have the potential to change the landscape of their medium, and possibly the world.
When I first mentioned talking about Ratatouille, that’s exactly what I saw. My professor seemed taken aback, looking skeptical about how there could be deeper meaning in a film like this while my peers were ecstatic about the entire prospect. The youngest generation used social media as a basis to translate this work into the realm of musical theater, and it has already pulled in a massive following of other fans. People who grew up with this movie are entering the work space, bringing with them their own childhood experience and absorbed properties and medium. What was once deemed childish and odd is now becoming more typical in the public environment. I do not see this slowing down anytime soon, and as a patron of the arts, it leaves me hungry for more.