Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Despite the synopsis being "The ultimate nostalgia trip through everything edible in 1960s Britain," that's not an accurate description of what this movie is about. It's less about food and more about Nigel's relationship with his family, particularly his mother and how he deals with changes in his family over the years. The movie poster is also deceiving, as Freddie Highmore's version of Nigel doesn't appear until the last 30 minutes. Most of the movie follows Nigel when he was a little boy.Anyway, there were some nice, genuinely tender moments in this film that made my eyes tear up. I also love seeing a gay person in a movie that isn't about him being gay. Nigel's romantic inclinations are briefly touched on as a natural snapshot of him growing up and discovering who he is. And as a gay person myself, that is very refreshing to see.Overall, this is a touching little story of a particular childhood that surprisingly explores many different themes. To be metaphorical, it packs many ingredients into a single dish to give it a more complicated flavor than what you'd expect.

Little Nigel Slater (Oscar Kennedy as a boy, Freddie Highmore as a teen) loves his mum (Victoria Hamilton) very much, except in one matter. She is the world's worst cook and never buys anything fresh, only food in tins. His father (Ken Stott) doesn't seem to mind but many a dinner is difficult to swallow. Mum's backup is always the reliable toast, popping out of the silver dragon, and spread with butter and jam. Nigel consumes quite a bit of toast, needless to say. A chance encounter with a young gardener in the neighborhood opens a world beyond the tin. Sadly, though, Mother becomes sicker with asthma and dies. Young Nigel is despondent and so is his dad. Yet, before long, Father hires an eccentric, divorced housekeeper, Mrs. Potter (Helena Bonham Carter) to clean up the home. Mrs. Potter dresses exotically and plays Dusty Springfield records as she "disinfects" the place from top to bottom. Out of the blue, the buttoned-downed Mr. Slater becomes smitten with Mrs. Potter, much to Nigel's chagrin. Well, opposites can attract. Before long, the adults decide to move to a remote part of England, dragging a kicking Nigel with them. Thus, an enmity has sprung up between Mrs. P and Nigel. When a teen, Nigel signs up for cooking classes at school and vows to "outcook" his stepmum, even down to her lemon meringue pie. Can he do it? This is quite an unusual film, based on the true tale of Slater, who became a chef and food writer in his later years. The performances of Stott, Kennedy, and Highmore are great and Carter delivers a wham-slam turn as Mrs. P. Then, the early sixties time span and British setting is a treat, as is, naturally, the lovely songs of Springfield, one of the best female singers ever. Mrs. Potter's costumes are also lots of fun and provide a great counterpoint to the more conservative choices given to Stott and Hamilton. There is one point that might upset some viewers. Nigel is gay and there is a scene of him kissing another male as a teen. It is quite a minor point in the overall movie but it may deter some viewers. Nevertheless, Toast deserves a big, hearty glass of wine, in a raised hand, as its extraordinary story is captivating.

The movie left me wondering who boils still sealed canned food? So I decided to read Nigel Slater's autobiography of the same name and I got my answer: No one. While his mother wasn't a keen cook and baked a Christmas cake that could anchor the Queen Mary, not once did I read that she prepared canned food that way or that she mistrusted anything unprocessed. While they did eat plenty of convenience foods, they mostly ate poorly cooked real food. Also, it was his father's idea to cook spaghetti bolognese, in fact he prepared it himself and it was Nigel who said the Parmesan cheese smelled of sick. These are only a few examples just from the beginning of the movie of the many things that where changed, exaggerated, or condensed from the book to fit a 1 1/2 hour TV movie script. Despite the many differences I found once reading the book, I did enjoy the movie which was quirky and well acted.

A very fine little movie. And a good exhibition for the actors, who have plenty to work with here. Helena Bonham Carter has a lot of fun and she is cast perfectly. The young actor is really good too. And while I am not always fond of the "based on ...", this feels rather like a movie then say a biopic.It is light and has a lot of comedy to it, so it is not heavy drama. On the other hand, I don't think it is good for any recipes. I certainly don't remember anything much from that part of the movie. But you know it is called Toast for a reason, of course. A very nice and decent little movie, that is worth your time :o)