CHEF’S TABLE: LEGENDS, JAMIE OLIVER

Name: CHEF’S TABLE: LEGENDS, JAMIE OLIVER
Item: CHEF’S TABLE: LEGENDS, JAMIE OLIVER
Author: Review

"Cooking with Those in Need"

Family Content: -2 Extreme caution for older teenagers and adults.

Entertainment Quality:

	None	Light	Moderate	Heavy
Language
Violence
Sex
Nudity

Credits →

What You Need To Know:

CHEF’S TABLE: LEGENDS, JAMIE OLIVER is the first episode in a Netflix documentary series that follows chefs and their pathway to fame. This episode follows Jamie Oliver from a young age when he first decided to follow cooking. From there, he cooked with BBC, hosted his show, and authored a book. After that, he made an effort to help kids learn more about food and how to cook.

The quality is all over the place, specifically in the visuals, because they use old footage to revisit parts of Jamie’s life. Everything else is high quality. As far as the worldview goes, it is very Biblical/Christian with hints of Romanticism. Oliver often discusses what he wants to do and where he wants to go (Romanticism), but his goals usually help the most vulnerable: children. Most of his work is aimed at helping children, especially those in need. Even though these deeds are great, MOVIEGUIDE® recommends extreme caution for younger children due to foul language.

Content:

(BB, C, Ro, LL, A, D, M):

Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:

A strong presence in Biblical values. It oftentimes wants to help the vulnerable, meaning the next generation. However, it often talks about emotional aspects pushing him in certain directions. For example, he pursues political change (for school lunches) based on what he wants. Hence there is also a bit of romanticism paired alongside the Biblical values. He also says cooking “saved him”. The redemption comes with, again, his purpose being to help the next generation;

Foul Language:

A total of 12 instances of strong language. There are 11 obscenities (majority F, followed by S, then H) and 1 profanity (G). There are also instances where swear obscenities were censored. They also mentioned the word dunce. At one point, Jamie Oliver says he “made the Bible for school food.” They also talk about a tv show called “Naked Chef”;

Violence:

No violence. However, there are instances of people cutting, chopping, slapping and smashing food/ingredients (such as dough, meat, etc.);

Sex:

No sex. However, there are multiple instances of a couple (dating at the time, but would eventually marry) kissing, hugging and holding hands. There are also instances of a man with his arm around his friend (a man) and dances with multiple women at a party;

Nudity:

No nudity;

Alcohol Use:

Many comments about wanting to run/work at a pub. There was one instance of cooking with white wine. There are a few instances of people holding alcoholic beverages. You don’t see much drinking, if any. They mostly just hold it. But they don’t rebuke alcohol;

Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:

An instance of smoking a cigarette; and,

Miscellaneous Immorality:

One instance of reporters “attacking” Jamie Oliver. It is essentially reporters writing negative articles about him.

More Detail:

CHEF’S TABLE: LEGENDS, streaming on Netflix, follows legends of the cooking industry, diving deep into their backgrounds and how they got to where they are. The first guest is none other than Jamie Oliver. He started as a TV chef in the hit show Naked Chef. From there, he used his fame to help give back and teach the next generation about good quality food and cooking said food.

We start at the beginning when Jamie Oliver was a child. Like many other kids, Jamie didn’t like school. However, he didn’t dislike education; he struggled mightily. He struggled so hard that he was placed into special needs classes, which didn’t help. But while struggling at school, he would go home and work in his parents’ pub. There, he found his love for cooking.

Working there planted the seeds of his career to make cheap, quality food. To combat the classic Beef Wellington dish, they developed “Trevor’s Chicken,” named after his father, a mushroom-stuffed chicken wrapped in pastry.

From there, we jumped to the next restaurant where he worked. One day, there was a BBC crew filming in the kitchen. After it aired, producers called Jamie, asking him to make a cooking show. From there, his show “Naked Chef” was born. While making the show, he also made a cookbook, even though he was illiterate. But once the show aired, it was a hit, and his cookbook did well, too. These successes hoisted him into riches and fame.

Once he became famous, there was a backlash. Reporters started writing articles criticizing him. This criticism led to Jamie’s next move: opening a restaurant. However, this wouldn’t be a normal restaurant but a restaurant that taught teenagers how to cook. These teenagers were like Jamie, struggling in school with few options. He taught the kids how to cook and get their footing under them. This restaurant was named “Fifteen.”

After that project, he moved on to trying to improve school lunches. Oliver would work at a school for a long time, attempting to get the kids to eat healthier. At first, it was unsuccessful. Fortunately, over time, the kids gravitated toward his food. Unfortunately, the government wouldn’t sustain the needed funding for the food, so they reverted to the bad food they were eating prior.

After the show aired, his attempt to prioritize children’s health caught the public’s attention. They also supported the effort, which allowed him to meet with the Prime Minister. There, he secured the funding needed to help feed children better quality food.

From there, Jamie hit his stride. He opened 46 restaurants and traveled the world making shows about food, healthy eating and educating the public about cooking. He was incredibly successful, winning many awards along the way. However, it wouldn’t last.

Unfortunately, Jamie fell on hard times. He had to close many restaurants, including his pride and joy: Fifteen. At this point, he has nothing left to do but reflect. He reflects on his business and life’s mission, ultimately acknowledging that helping people, specifically the next generation, find joy in cooking is his pride and joy.

This documentary is incredibly well-made yet somewhat deceptive. Shows involving chefs and cooking often involve recipes and learning how to make them. However, this show does none of that. It’s a documentary purely about Jamie Oliver and his past. The visuals vary, as they use footage from older shows. The editing is jarring, specifically in the intro. The songs are mashed together and cut off beats. However, this only happens in the intro. The rest of the episode

For the worldview, CHEF’S TABLE: LEGENDS, JAMIE OLIVER is a mixed bag. It has very Biblical and positive elements, with most of the episode about helping kids eat healthier. It follows Jamie as he teaches easy and healthy cooking, trying to set the next generation up for success. However, Jamie Oliver is driven by his wants and desires. While this helps the next generation, he still follows his own aspirations, leading to an element of Romanticism. While there are also mentions of politics, it’s purely funding and no policy. So, while it does feature the Prime Minister, it is not very political. MOVIEGUIDE® recommends extreme older children and sensitive adults due to some foul language.