Chef Flynn

Offering a portrait of how far talent can take someone when it's coupled with dedication and support, this earnest documentary plays like a tribute to stage parents. Though Flynn is obviously talented, obsessed, and possessed with the kind of energy and focus that separate a dilettante from a pro, it's clear that he also struck it rich in the parent department. His mom is both willing and (financially) able to outfit his bedroom like a professional kitchen, homeschool him so that he can concentrate fully on food and flavors, and hook him up with the type of people who write New Yorker profiles. But Chef Flynn shies away from digging into the way that Flynn's many advantages gave him an in to the culinary world in favor of showing off his singular upbringing and remarkable accomplishments.

And, make no mistake, they are remarkable. When he was barely old enough to see over the countertop, Flynn was already interning at a sophisticated NYC restaurant and turning out multi-course dinners in his mom's Los Angeles living room. The beautiful painterly shots of the spare, vivid plates that Flynn sends out at these dinners are some of the loveliest moments of the film -- viewers may want to watch with a snack or have a take-out menu on hand. It's certainly a thrill to watch this young man grow in confidence and move toward his dream -- but it's also a shame that the movie is content merely to witness his rise, rather than draw larger conclusions about power, privilege, or the toll that an exacting dream can take on a life.