Ratatouille is one of the best Pixar movies ever, and I stand by that even years later.
Okay, well, I think that’s something people would probably have something to debate on, considering there are so many great Pixar films and many anticipated upcoming Pixar movies. But to me, Ratatouille has stood firm as one of the better ones. And believe it or not, it’s been eighteen years since it was released. That’s right, eighteen.
Yikes. I felt my age there. However, as a twenty-something who has spent a considerable amount of time learning how to cook, I recalled that when I rewatched Ratatouille back in 2021, it was at the beginning of my culinary journey. So, I decided to revisit the film now and see if it still resonated with me in the same way, and this time around, I found myself ugly crying, but for a completely different set of reasons.
The Movie Still Slaps Years Later
Pixar, in general, is one of those movie studios that consistently produces quality films. Sure, they’ve had their misses in the past, but most of the time, you’re guaranteed a good watch. Ratatouille was always one of those movies for me, and became even more so as I grew older.
And yeah, this film is still one of the best I have seen from the studio. It helps that the director is Brad Bird, who also directed The Incredibles, as well as its sequel, and the upcoming Incredibles 3. I do love my superheroes, and he does a great job of portraying them. His expertise with this film is very much evident.
The story, in general, remains one that anyone can relate to. It’s the tale of a nobody named Alfredo Linguine (voiced by Lou Romano and who came up with that character name?) and how he’s learning how to cook, getting help along the way. But as he does, he loses that sense of identity and gets lost in the glitz and glamor of fame, only to find his way back to those who helped him along the way.
It’s not like it’s anything special, but it’s done well, and with a rat, which makes it unique in specific ways. But there’s one aspect of this film that made me cry harder than ever before – and that’s the ending sequence, with Ego’s review.
Ego’s Review Hit Harder As An Adult
In terms of the worst Pixar villains, Ego (voiced by Peter O'Toole) really isn’t one of them. Ratatouille portrays him as the villain because he’s a critic, and his words could potentially force the restaurant to shut down. But at the end of the day, he’s still just a critic. Critics critique. That’s kind of their job. That’s literally what we all do here at CinemaBlend, so I can’t really hold that against him.
However, it’s his review that he says hit me harder, mainly because of my cooking journey.
I’m not going to write out the entire review that Ego stated, as it’s pretty lengthy, but I’ll remind you of the gist of it. The beginning opens up about Ego discussing how critics often thrive on negative criticism because it’s easy to detach themselves from it. Still, the absolute risk comes when they recognize new talent that's unknown, challenging their preconceptions about what they already know.
And that’s where Gusteau’s comes into play, where he says that visiting this restaurant, seeing how they cook, and witnessing this greatness from a rat, although he doesn’t mention Remy (voiced by Patton Oswalt), is what challenged his preconceptions. He always believed that Gusteau’s phrase “anyone can cook” was a ridiculous notion, but now, he realizes this, and this line is the one that got the tears flowing:
Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.
That line, in itself, is the crux of the movie: that no matter where you come from, no matter what you do, you have the potential to become something amazing. And that hit hard as someone who is constantly learning how to cook and become a better version of herself.
Obviously, That Flash To The Past Is Great Still, But It Means More
I feel that when it comes to Ratatouille, everyone always talks about Ego’s flash to the past as the best moment of the film, specifically when he tried the meal, which brought him back to his childhood. And that’s still a great scene.
But what really makes it better now as an adult is that I get it. I understand that the emotion and feeling of having a great dish is because it takes you back to a time when things were simpler. And it’s an ability I never would have improved upon if not for watching this film initially, because it inspired me years ago.
There are several dishes in my repertoire now that, when I make them, it’s like a flashback to my youth. Heck, even when I make homemade pizza now, I feel like I’m making my younger self happy, and that’s because I applied myself to really learn how to make the things I knew I loved and enjoyed.
The Idea That Even A Critic Starts To Believe A Great Artist Could Come From Anywhere Made Me Smile And Cry
Critics, in general, can be intimidating, and the idea of trying to please them is a whole other challenge that many in the arts and the culinary industry worry about. We’ve seen that time and time again. But Ego saying that, out of everyone, that an artist can come from anywhere, made the waterworks start.
I really didn’t think that way when I first started cooking. In fact, I didn’t think I’d ever make it to any point where I could consider myself an “artist.” In many ways, I still don’t – and I think that’s actually a good thing. You must continually improve, even if you think you’re done.
But at the same time, that line made me really reflect on myself – that it’s because I told my younger-me that I was going to become a better chef, not just for myself but for the people around me. And now, I have improved tenfold. I can make so many things without a recipe… and that’s because I really took Ego’s words to heart, and I’m only just realizing it now.
Aside From Making Me Hungry, The Film Made Me Whole, Too
I think that when it comes to any dishes in movies and TV, it’s always a risk to watch because you will, for sure, be hungry afterwards. However, with this film, while it left my stomach growling, it also filled me up in a way, and made everything I had been doing over the last two years mean something.
At first, I really struggled with cooking, and now, it’s become my passion. I watch the best cooking channels to feel inspired, or check out baking shows on Netflix to learn how to incorporate the perfect amount of chocolate into a cake, or any other baking technique. But it’s because I took that chance on myself that I found this new passion.
I didn’t come from a family of cooks. My mom did what she could and made tasty meals, but whenever I go home now, my family looks forward to my cooking.
When I was younger, I used to make things for the people I love. I was always a crafter. I’d empty my mom’s bank account more times than I could track at Michael's. But my personalized gifts were the way I showed love. And it’s funny how now, my way of showing love is still through making things, just edible. And it’s literally because of this movie that my passion has carried on.
And that…is a wonderful thing. And a testament to how great Ratatouille really is.
As I said before, I’m not an artist, but this movie has only inspired me to keep working at it and become the best version of that I could be – creating things that make my house guests “hungry for more.”
