Philadelphia's Frankford High School isn't exactly the kind of place one would expect to find the world's next great culinary talent, but in this documentary from filmmakers Mark Becker and Jennifer Grausman, food enthusiasts discover why that concept may not be so far fetched after all. Their lives complicated by financial woes, broken homes, and abusive pasts, three Frankford High seniors find an unlikely ally in the form of culinary arts teacher Wilma Stephenson. Stephenson's kitchen isn't a
place for the faint of heart, but for those who can take the heat she's the best friend an aspiring chef could ever want. As the citywide cooking competition for scholarships to the country's top culinary art institutions draws near, these three students will be forced to set aside the usual high school distractions of school dances and football games in exchange for a once-in-a-lifetime shot at living their dreams. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
An earnest crowd-pleaser that could have used an extra helping of dramatic tension -- but it succeeds by placing us in an interesting world with characters who are impossible not to root for.
If the filmmakers do little to expand the vocabulary of the genre, they enhance our appreciation of that most undervalued sector of the American workforce, the city schoolteacher.
A fitting tribute to a selfless role model with an big heart and an indomitable spirit. Let's face it, they don't make 'em like Wilma Stephenson anymore.
Pressure Cooker is not about pressure so much as clarity of purpose. It's about a unique teacher's way of building confidence and pride, with results that joyously speak for themselves.
I grew a deep hunger while watching Pressure Cooker, not just from the students' mouthwatering dishes, but from the fact that teacher/chef Wilma Stephenson could uniformly inspire such success.
High school teacher Wilma Stephenson nourishes her culinary arts students in their hungry bids for better lives. An inspiration, 'Pressure Cooker' is a welcome antithesis to slice and dice.
It's convincing because of the force of Wilma Stephenson's personality and the fierce love she bestows on her culinary arts students at Philadelphia's Frankford High School.
At times, you wish the directors were more challenging of their premises; these graduating seniors are learning the value of precision, yes, but also, subtly, how to serve. Is that escape enough?
Neither the filmmakers nor the students-nor, for that matter, Stephenson-are fishing for sympathy. What they really want most is to give back-to provide nourishment, literal and figurative, to those who have so generously helped nourish them.
An engaging, uplifting, well-edited and occasionally suspenseful documentary that leaves you hungry for more insight into the lives of the culinary arts students and their Judge Judy-like teacher.
A fitting tribute to a selfless role model with an big heart and an indomitable spirit. Let's face it, they don't make 'em like Wilma Stephenson anymore.
Shows the power of a teacher who expects a lot, and gives everything. In particular, she allows these kids to dream of a better future and takes them step by step on the path to pursue that dream.
May 9, 2011
Suzanne T
I loved how this documentary wove together two story lines: the friendly competition among inner-city Philadelphia high schoolers and the tough love of Mrs. Stephenson, the culinary arts teacher & maternal figure to many of her students. It was well worth 99 minutes.
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