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.
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08/21/09
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Pressure Cooker (2009)
89
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:18
Fresh:16
Rotten:2
Average Rating:7.1/10
Rated: Not Rated
Genre: Education/General Interest
Theatrical Release:May 27, 2009 Limited
Synopsis: Three seniors at Philadelphia's Frankford High School find an unlikely champion in the kitchen of Wilma Stephenson. A legend in the school system, Mrs. Stephenson's hilariously blunt boot-camp... [More]
Director: Mark Becker, Jennifer Grausman
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Reviews for Pressure Cooker
1 - 18 (sorted by date)
Top CriticWilma Stephenson...definitely deserves a subtler cinematic testament than this lazily inspirational documentary.
08/20/09
Top CriticIf 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.
07/17/09
Top CriticPressure 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.
07/10/09
A heart-grabbing, awe-inspiring work that needs no embellishment.
06/11/09
Top CriticI 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.
06/07/09
These stories move and inspire as tales of youth in need cooking up opportunity from scratch.
06/01/09
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.
05/31/09
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.
05/30/09
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?
05/28/09
Pressure Cooker is both a tribute to a teacher who actually cares and kids who actually want to learn. Would that there were more people like them.
05/28/09
Top CriticNeither the filmmakers nor the studentsnor, for that matter, Stephensonare fishing for sympathy. What they really want most is to give backto provide nourishment, literal and figurative, to those who have so generously helped nourish them.
05/28/09
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.
05/27/09
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.
05/27/09
Stephenson looms largest as a reminder of what the right teacher can mean to a kid looking for a way out; it takes a strong woman and a special grace to not only let her protégés go, year after year, but practically shove them out the door.
05/27/09
Top CriticPressure Cooker belongs to the honorable genre of inspirational films dedicated to the proposition that one passionate teacher can make a difference in the lives of students.
05/27/09
Top CriticSuch a heartfelt inspirational story that one can fully understand why it seemed like such a worthwhile effort to capture the results of Stephenson's efforts on film.
05/26/09
Wilma Stephenson is a charismatic teacher who does great things for her charges, but her job appears not as difficult as you might think.
05/18/09
1 - 18 (sorted by date)
Latest News for Pressure Cooker
June 17, 2009:
Trailer & Poster review 
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May 28, 2009:
Uplifting documentary chronicles dedicated teacher's tireless effort to inspire pupils.
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May 28, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Up And Drag Me to Hell Are Certified Fresh
This week at the movies, we've got a high-flying house (Up, with voice work by Ed Asner and Christopher Plummer) and a demonic curse (Drag Me to Hell, starring Alison Lohman and... More...
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