Toast (film)

Toastis a 2010 Britishbiographicalcomedy-dramafilm based on theautobiographical novelof the same name by the cookery writerNigel Slater. The film was directed byS. J. Clarksonand written byLee Hall. The cast includesFreddie Highmore,Helena Bonham Carter,Ken StottandOscar Kennedy.It received a gala at the 2011Berlin International Film Festival.As atelevision filmit was first broadcast onBBC Oneon 30 December 2010 and was given a theatrical release in cinemas on 11 August 2011.
In 2018, it wasadapted for stageby Henry Filloux-Bennett.It first premiered atWeek 53 Festivalin March with a subsequent run at theEdinburgh Festival Fringe. In April 2019, it opened in London atThe Other Palace.
The Slaters, consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Slater, along with their young son Nigel, live in their Wolverhampton home. Their daily life revolves mostly around Mr. Slater's job at the factory and Mrs. Slater's homemaking, which is constantly hindered by her chronic debilitatingasthma, while her cooking is limited to heating canned goods. Although Nigel finds comfort and encouragement to nourish his interest in culinary matters from his gentle mother, he struggles to connect with his cantankerous father, who often criticises him. He also has a crush on the handsome gardener. Whenever dinner is burnt, the standard substitute of toast is always served, which leaves a deep impression on the boy. Eventually, his mother succumbs to the illness, leaving her husband stumbling through widowhood with the same heated canned foods, frequent dinners of toast sprinkled with occasional attempts by Nigel per his friend's advice to connect with his father.
The new housekeeper, married and "common" Mrs. Joan Potter, enters their life and draws Mr. Slater's attention with her sublime meals. The two start to embrace a romantic relationship despite Nigel's disdain for Mrs. Potter and Mrs. Potter's marriage. Without announcement, the Slaters move to the Herefordshire countryside along with Mrs. Potter and Nigel finds himself begrudgingly forced to co-exist with Mrs. Potter. Once he reaches teenage years, Nigel shows passion and culinary talent duringhome economicsclass cookery lessons. This prompts a silent competition for Mr. Slater's approval between the teen and Mrs. Potter that erupts when Nigel manages to bake alemon meringue piethat rivals Mrs. Potter's supposedly unbeatable dessert.
Mr. Slater eventually marries Joan and becomes more unbearable from the excessive consumption of Mrs. Potter's cooking. Nigel reaches a boiling point with his stepmother when he starts working at the local pub's restaurant to hone his skills in more sophisticated cooking, which she perceives as a threat. One day, while on a walk in the woods with the pub owner's son, who is training at ballet school, Nigel and the young man share a kiss, stirring Nigel's sexual awareness. He encourages Nigel to take a chance at the world beyond his home.
Nigel, upon being informed by Joan of his father's death, declares to the newly widowed woman that she has won and resolves to move to London and establish his own life. AtThe Savoy Hotel, he is interviewed for a kitchen job by a toast snackingchefand hired, much to his disbelief. Nigel is reassured of his future by the chef, who gives him a chef's jacket embroidered with "Savoy London" and Nigel cracks a smile.
The chief filming location was inBirminghamandWorcestershirewith theBlack Country Living Museumtransformed into 1960's Wolverhampton, and in Walton Pool House in Clent. Principal sets were constructed in a disused bank on Broad St. The only inclement weather encountered during filming was atPenarthwhich resulted in script changes to reflect the cold wet conditions. Filming lasted 1 month, from 21 June to 24 July 2010.
On thereview aggregatorwebsiteRotten Tomatoes, 63% of 35 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.1/10.
Writing forThe Seattle Times, Tom Keogh gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, stating that "the movie has three things deserving of adoration: spectacular lemon-meringue pies, the songs of Dusty Springfield and Helena Bonham Carter". Gary Goldstein of theLos Angeles Timeswrote that "Toastis by turns sweet and tart, airy and rich and, above all, a thoroughly irresistible confection", giving the movie 4 out of 5 stars. In a more mild review, Stephanie Merry ofThe Washington Postwrote: "For the most part, the movie feels like an emotional vacuum, mirroring the drab vanilla and mint green interiors of the Slaters' home".