Bianca Rodriguez
Professor Ciervo
Composition I
28 September 2021
Genre Essay Rough Draft
When one thinks of the perfect family film, one of the last kinds of film one may think of is a film depicting the chaotic, intense nature of the kitchen at a highly established restaurant in Paris. Ratatouille depicts exactly this from the perspective of a rat named Remy, who dreams of becoming a chef. The audience may wonder how rats, who in reality are known for rummaging through scraps of a trash can, could be depicted with such sophisticated tastebuds and a keen eye for flavors. In classic Disney fashion, this is done well inside an exciting, heartfelt adventure.
Patton Oswalt, who portrays Remy the rat, does a fantastic job of embodying a rat who is tired of the gross, flavorless trash that he and his rat family have been eating for as long as he can remember. Remy dreams of experiencing different flavors, both on their own and in several combinations. Unfortunately, delicious food is something only humans can enjoy, according to the other rats. How could a rat become a chef?
Luckily for Remy, he meets a human who can bring him to the human world. The human he encounters is named Alfredo Linguini, played by Lou Romano, who’s voice is well-known in the Disney-Pixar circle. Linguini, who is in need of a job after the passing of his mother, finds himself landing a job as a garbage boy at the notorious restaurant in Paris, Gusteau’s. Linguini’s awkwardness and lack of knowledge in the chef world is apparent as he hopelessly stumbles across the kitchen.
- Depiction of France, how it captures a romanticized version of Paris (not a bad thing, works for this kind of film)
- Realistically captures the way rats are treated in real life, possibly challenges the audience’s perspective on things like rat poison
- Insert anyone can cook line somewhere
- Talk about the way the film shows how Remy tastes food (firework-like illustrations against a solid black background with Remy center-frame)
- A section toward the end answering the question: Is the film worth seeing?
- Possible titles: Disney Cooks Up Another Classic
- Beginning has an abrupt start