Editor’s note: The following is a review from a Critical Writing and Reviewing student at the University of Missouri.
If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. If you can’t stand high expectations, biting criticism and the relentless pursuit of success, don’t even set foot in Wilma Stephenson’s kitchen.
A legend in the public school system, Stephenson teaches culinary arts at Frankford High School in inner city Philadelphia. In the feature-length documentary “Pressure Cooker,” directors Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker lead us on an unforgettable journey with three of Stephenson’s students.
In a loud, commanding voice typically reserved for boot camp drill sergeants, Stephenson barks orders at Erica, Dudley, Fatoumata and their classmates. From the proper way to dice tomatoes to the best way to arrange a plate for stunning visual effect, Stephenson keeps a sharp eye on her students’ progress—and she’s not shy about letting them know when their work falls below her standards. For the students, their mentor’s respect is hard-won through long hours in the classroom, before school, after school and during breaks.
In one of the most passionate examples of long-form storytelling to be produced in recent years, Grausman and Becker explore the most stringent challenge of these young adults’ lives. As we cheer them on, the students battle their way through a grueling culinary competition for a chance at scholarships that may prove to be their only ticket out of Philly.
Of course, it can’t be overlooked that these teenagers have already faced their share of obstacles. Through a captivating sequence that showcases students reading aloud from their scholarship essays, we learn of broken homes, handicapped siblings, controlling parents, and cultural barriers.
The tastefully-shot, gritty, urban scenery—from highway overpasses to rundown row houses—interspersed throughout the work serves to underscore the harsh realities these students face.
Yet at its core, the film retains an overarching sense of hope. The students hope for achievement, financial independence and a better way of life for themselves and their families—and Stephenson nurtures these dreams in ways no other teacher has attempted.
It would have been easy for the directors of this film to paint the lives of inner city students in the same broad strokes most audiences are familiar with: teen pregnancies, drug problems and gang activity. But they should be praised for staying true to the stories of the students they followed. This is a story of real people, doing their best to rise above a less-than-desirable situation. It is told in a manner that real people everywhere will find accessible and truthful—the mark of a quality documentary.
“Pressure Cooker” has found eager audiences at numerous film festivals, and recently screened at Columbia’s own True/False Film Fest. It is slated for widespread release in New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia this summer.
Just as a talented chef turns raw ingredients into a masterpiece, so too does Wilma Stephenson transform her students’ raw ambitions into palatable success. The story of the students she helps mold is sure to captivate and inspire audiences for many years to come.
by Steven Welliver
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