Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- warm
- witty
- hopeful
- lazy sunday
- date night
What critics said
Critics broadly found it a warm, appealing culinary comedy whose cultural specificity and performances outweigh its conventional inspirational structure.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Samir learns to approach Indian cooking through Akbar’s mind-heart-gut philosophy while reassessing his ambitions.
Samir’s career plans collide with his father’s hopes for the family restaurant and his obligations after the heart attack.
Samir, unable to cook Indian food, is forced to run his family’s failing Queens restaurant after the chef quits.
The restaurant’s cooking and revival externalize Samir’s developing connection to family, community, and craft.
Films like Today's Special, and why
The Hundred-Foot Journey
warm immigrant-family comedy, culinary setting, and cross-cultural identity themes
Big Night
food-centered drama-comedy driven by family expectations, professional ambition, and personal reinvention
Mostly Martha
ensemble restaurant comedy with romantic warmth and working-class professional pressures
Movie Details
- Director
- David Kaplan
- Release Date
- 2009-10-14
- Runtime
- 99 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (108)
Cast
- Aasif Mandvi
- Jess Weixler
- Naseeruddin Shah
- Aarti Mann
- Dean Winters
- Kevin Corrigan
- Ajay Naidu
- Kevin Breznahan
- Lucy Radack
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Today's Special about?
- A frustrated Manhattan sous-chef rediscovers family, romance, and his own culinary voice while rescuing his father’s struggling Indian restaurant in Queens.
- What is Today's Special like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Today's Special as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Today's Special violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Today's Special as mild.
- What did critics think of Today's Special?
- Critics broadly found it a warm, appealing culinary comedy whose cultural specificity and performances outweigh its conventional inspirational structure.
- Which films are like Today's Special?
- Films with a similar feel include The Hundred-Foot Journey, Big Night, and Mostly Martha.
- How long is Today's Special?
- Today's Special runs 99 minutes.
- Where can I watch Today's Special?
- In United States, Today's Special is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store.
