Toast Movie Review (2010)
Based on the childhood of food writer Nigel Slater, Toast is an intimate coming-of-age story focused on the bittersweet and delicious moments with his parents and challenging stepmother.
My first introduction to Freddie Highmore was in the 2001 miniseries The Mists Of Avalon. Once an adorable and tiny King Arthur, he has grown up on screen over the last 25 years. Now, having played various famous roles, like Norman Bates in Bates Motel, Dr. Shaun Murphy in The Good Doctor, and Charlie Bucket in Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, I was surprised to come across this film with him that I’d never heard of.
Toast is about young Nigel Slater and his two parents, living in Wolverhampton, England. Nigel’s mother loves him dearly, but can’t cook past boiling cans of food in a pot, so toast becomes the meal of love. When all else fails, there is toast. His father is a hard and strict man, and Nigel struggles to warm to him. Later, when his mother suffers a fatal disease, a new woman, Joan Potter, begins working for the Slaters to clean their house.
The film opens as Nigel is shopping in the grocery store, with different cast and crew member names on the old-timey items on the shelves. It frames the film in an older decade and sets a nostalgic, warm tone that I really liked.
This continues throughout Toast, as Nigel grows up amid family challenges and poignant life moments he will never forget. There is also soft comedy laced through the movie that nods to modern times, but is clearly set in a nostalgia-tinged window dressing.
I was along for the ride of this film, but I was a bit surprised that, with Helena Bonham Carter and Freddie Highmore’s pictures being on the poster, she didn’t arrive until about halfway through the film, and it took a full hour to see him (as a teenage Nigel). This wasn’t a problem, as the other actors and story kept me interested and engaged, but it was clearly a marketing choice, as these are the two most famous actors in the film. That, and they are involved in the moments that changed Nigel’s life trajectory.
I also expected that food would be a main character in the film, and it is, but not in the way I thought it would be. With Nigel Slater ultimately becoming a food journalist, the story is far more about his battle to love and engage with food than about the food itself. Mrs. Potter makes incredible dishes (many of which look like they’re out of photojournalistic rubber perfection), while Nigel’s mother made toast with love. So, although Nigel learned to bake and had an innate love for food, the film explores the tug-of-war between what looks pretty and what tastes real.
Toast is a quaint, quietly sweet movie that remains understated. You learn about Nigel Slater’s early life and what he went through with the new woman in the house. At the end, you get a little update about his current life as well. A perfectly enjoyable watch.
Runtime: 96 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: Not Rated (I’d say between PG or PG-13)
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 3/5 Stars
Available: Free on Tubi and Amazon Prime or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
