July 27, 2007 (United States)
August 23, 2007 (Australia)
No Reservations is a 2007 romantic comedy-drama film directed by Scott Hicks and starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart, and Abigail Breslin. The screenplay by Carol Fuchs is an adaptation of an original script by Sandra Nettelbeck, which served as the basis for the 2001 German film Mostly Martha, and revolves around a hard-edged chef whose life is turned upside down when she decides to take in her young niece following a tragic accident that killed her sister. Patricia Clarkson, Bob Balaban, and Jenny Wade co-star, with Brían F. O'Byrne, Lily Rabe, and Zoë Kravitz—appearing in her first feature film—playing supporting roles.
The film received a mixed reception from critics, who found it "too predictable and melancholy for the genre". Released on July 27, 2007, in the United States and Canada, No Reservations grossed $12 million in its opening weekend. It grossed a total of $92.6 million worldwide. Breslin was nominated for a Young Artist Award for her performance.
Storyline
Kate Armstrong is the head chef at the trendy 22 Bleecker Street Restaurant in Manhattan's West Village. She runs her kitchen at a rapid pace as she coordinates the making and preparation of all the fantastic meals, and personally displays the food to perfection on every dish.
Kate intimidates everyone around her, including her boss Paula, who sends her to psychotherapy. She hates to leave the kitchen when a customer wants to compliment her face-to-face on one of her special dishes. However, she shoots out of the kitchen in an instant when a customer insults her cooking.
Expecting more positive interactions between Kate and their customers, Paula openly tells her she regularly is tempted to fire her. Back in the kitchen, Kate tries to assure herself they are empty threats, but her co-workers do little to alleviate her concerns.
When Kate's sister Christine is killed in a car accident on the road to visiting her, her nine-year-old niece Zoe must move in with her. Kate is devastated by her sister's death and with all of her problems, Paula decides to hire a new sous chef to join the staff. She hires Nick Palmer, a rising star in his own right and could be the head chef of any restaurant he pleased, but he wants to work under Kate.
The atmosphere in the kitchen is somewhat chaotic as Kate feels increasingly threatened by Nick, due to his style of running her kitchen. He loves to listen to opera while he cooks and also make the staff laugh. Kate also finds herself strangely attracted to Nick, whose uplifting personality has not only affected her staff but Zoe as well, who has been coming to work with her and bonded with him.
With all that is happening in Kate's life, the last thing she would want is to fall in love with this man, as she has pushed away all others prior. Nevertheless, there is chemistry between them that only flourishes with their passion for cooking. Yet life hits her hard when Paula offers Nick the job of head chef, to replace Kate.
Kate allows herself to become vulnerable and tear down the walls she has built throughout her life so that she and Nick could start fresh, and Zoe, Nick, and Kate go on to open their own bistro.
Movie Trailer
- No Reservations (2007) (Trailers)
Sound Effects Used
- Hollywoodedge, School Bell Long Ring PE193201
- Hollywoodedge, Seagulls No Surf BT022101
- Hollywoodedge, Telephone Rings Fast PE170101/Telephones Electron TE043501
- Sound Ideas, BELL, BICYCLE - BICYCLE BELL: DOUBLE RING
- Sound Ideas, BIRD, SEAGULLS - LARGE FLOCK: HEAVY AMBIENCE
- Sound Ideas, CARTOON, WHISTLE - FLUTTER WHISTLE: LONG SPINNING WHISTLE (Heard once in reverse from a television showing a Looney Tunes short.)
- Sound Ideas, CLOCK, ALARM - LARGE ALARM CLOCK: BELL RINGING
- Sound Ideas, WOOD, DOOR - LARGE FRONT DOOR TO HOUSE: OPEN
- Sound Ideas, WOOD, DOOR - SQUEAKY WOOD DOOR WITH SPRING LOADED HINGES: SWING OPEN