Simply Irresistible

1999 Comedy

An airy romance in the tradition of classic Hollywood comedies of the Depression Era, Simply Irresistible (1999) also presses into service the food-obsessed magical realism of Like Water for Chocolate (1992). Sarah Michelle Gellar stars as Amanda Shelton, the chef at Southern Cross, a trendy Tribeca restaurant she inherited from her legendary mother. Not the most inspired of culinary artists, Amanda is running the establishment into the ground, until a cab-driving, Cupid-like guardian angel (playwright Christopher Durang) intervenes with a magical crab that puts Amanda in the path of slick spin master Tom Bartlett (Sean Patrick Flanery). Tom is opening a restaurant for his boss Jonathan Bendel (Dylan Baker), who wants to assure the eatery is no less than a four-star affair, but the temperamental French chef is giving fits to Bartlett and his secretary Lois (Patricia Clarkson). Enter Amanda, who falls head over heels for Tom, love suddenly bestowing upon her the gift of infusing her dishes with powerful amorous emotions that overwhelm diners with a rapturous ecstasy. more..

Director: Mark Tarlov

Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Sean Patrick Flanery, Patricia Clarkson,Dylan Baker, Christopher Durang

Reviews

  • Old-fashioned and obvious, yes, like a featherweight comedy from the 1950s. But that's the charm.

    Roger Ebert - The Chicago Sun-Times

    27 April 2013

  • Falls prey to the all-too-contemporary problem of complicating the tale until the ending is not only obvious, but prayed for between yawns.

    John Petrakis - The Chicago Tribune

    27 April 2013

  • It's a movie, a goofy little movie. Not so bad, but as far as food and sensuality go, ``Like Water for Chocolate'' still has the edge.

    Mick LaSalle - The San Francisco Chronicle

    27 April 2013

  • Though glossy and smoothly directed, this limp concoction has all the sparkle of flat champagne.

    Maitland McDonagh - TV Guide

    27 April 2013

  • A tuneless variation on the working girl-captivates-Mr. Big formula that has propelled fairy tales as old as Cinderella.

    Lisa Schwarzbaum - Entertainment Weekly

    27 April 2013

Awards

No awards