TOAST

UK, 2009, 90 minutes, Colour.
Oscar Kennedy, Freddy Highmore, Helena Bonham Carter, Ken Stott, Victoria Hamilton.
Directed by S.J. Clarkson.

Toast is based on the autobiography of Nigel Slater, one of England’s most celebrated chefs and television personalities. He collaborated with Lee Hall, screenwriter and theatre writer, best known for Billy Elliot.

The film is the childhood and adolescence of Nigel Slater. As a young boy he is played by Oscar Kennedy. This was his first film but this is a very accomplished and nuanced performance. It is not surprising that he has had a career since on screen. As an adolescent, he is played by Freddie Highmore, known for such films as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as well as the television series, Bates Motel, where he portrays the young Norman Bates.

Ken Stott is convincing as the father who is devoted to his wife, suffering from a number of illnesses, but who is forever telling off his son, alienating him. When his wife dies, some bonds increase between father and son, especially with his skill at cooking, but eventually the son walks out.
The scene-stealer is Helena Bonham Carter, entering the film after 40 minutes, as Mrs. Potter the cleaner, and becoming attached to Mr. Slater, and is obsessed with cleaning and comparing cleaning fluids, excellent cooking and over-feeding Mr. Slater and she eventually marries him, to Nigel’s disgust.

When Nigel enrols in home economics at school and is successful at cooking, a war starts between him and Mrs. Potter.
There are some early suggestions about Nigel’s sexual orientation, his gradual awareness of homosexual interest and longings when he is young, and eventually acknowledging his homosexuality.

Nigel Slater himself appears as the chef in the final sequence, welcoming Freddie Highmore as his younger self to of the kitchen at the Savoy Hotel.

1. The title? Nigel’s mother, the inability to cook, making toast? A basic meal? His enjoying it? And yet his desire to become a chef?

2. The British setting, the town, home, shops, ordinary life? The move to the country? The country home, the fields? Schools? Restaurants? Socials? The kitchens, the Savoy Hotel? The musical score?

3. Audience knowledge of Nigel Slater? The Nigel as a person, as a chef, as a television personality?

4. The two actors who portray Nigel, as a young boy, the nuances in the performance, Nigel and his relationships, dependence on his mother, the angers of his father? his own anger? The encounter with Josh and his father forbidding it? The actor portraying the teenage Nigel, at school, home economics, his cooking? His clash with Joan, the rivalry, his not wanting her to marry his father? Leaving, cooking, his father’s death, Joan and his not wanting to see her again?

5. Nigel and his mother, the delicate health, his father always cautioning him to be careful? Her shopping, inability to cook, wondering where vegetables have been? Boiling tinned food? Her falling back on toast? Her reaction to the spaghetti? needing her inhaler? Taking to her bed, her talking with Nigel, making the cake with him, her sudden absence? Death?

6. Nigel and his friends at school, the issue of drinking milk, the boy and his suggestive of offer for the milk, Nigel not giving it to the girl, the teacher making him drink the milk, his being sick? His discussions with his friend at school, speculating about life, family?

7. Nigel and his father, his father being stern, telling his son off, caring about his wife, showing little regard for his son’s ability? His work, the coming home, expectations, suspicious of different food, thinking the spaghetti and the cheese were off?

8. The scene at the beach, the little child without its clothes, Nigel’s father and his disgust, his mother’s reaction, Nigel’s comments, the parents prissy the comments, puritanical? The effect on Nigel, and his later discovery of his orientation?

9. Nigel discovering Mrs. Potter cleaning the house, his immediate reaction to her, her personality, smoking, accent, rough, her disregard for her husband? Continually at the house, her cooking, her obsession with cleaning and cooking? The social and her comments to the lady about cleaning fluids? Her dancing with Nigel’s father? Her insinuating herself into the household, the getting a lift home, moving in, the spoiling of Nigel’s father with food? The comment that her husband lost two stone when she left?

10. The animosity between the two? No concessions? Time going on, Nigel and school, his skills in cooking, bringing the food home, the deserts, his father’s praise, Joan and her doing even more to undermine him? Their looks at each other?

11. Nigel and his wanting to leave home, the sudden death of his father? The house, cleaning up, his confrontation with Joan, her chasing him, pleading with him, his never wanting to see her again?

12. Josh, the gardener, changing, his friendship with Nigel, the explanations of the garden, a good friend, his father suspecting the worst? Sacking Josh? The old man coming in instead?

13. Nigel, the interview at the restaurant, the woman giving him the job, his work, delight? The young man and his ballet training, Nigel and the infatuation, talking with him, the man saying he did not want to dance but wanting to get out of home and give his own life? The kiss, his advice to Nigel that he would get over the infatuation?

14. Nigel going to the Savoy Hotel, meeting the chef, played by Slater himself, in the kitchen, looking to the camera, the information about his successful life and career?