Oscar Kennedy was great and good looking at that. The scenes with him and the gardener reminded me of the movie "The Spanish Gardener" with Jon Whiteley in that movie finding his gardener attractive as well. Back to this movie everything was going good until Dad intervened and as most overprotective parents do they start assuming very falsely.

My Movie Rating: 8 / 10

The first hour of this movie is the best, with Oscar Kennedy delivering a natural and delightful performance as young Nigel. A slightly older Nigel is played by Freddie Highmore in the last half hour. Unfortunately, Highmore has certain limitations as an actor, the main one being that he can't act. Instead, he is clearly of the 'less is more' school of acting and his 'acting' consists largely of standing around and not emoting, maintaining a completely blank expression throughout the time he is on-screen.

What redeems this last half hour to some extent is the hilarious plot involving a sort of arms-race in the kitchen between Nigel and his step-mother as each tries to win Nigel's father's heart by baking ever more perfect culinary delights.

Also recommended, Nigel Slater's entertaining autobiography "Toast: the story of a boy's hunger", on which this film was based.

My Movie Rating: 7 / 10

What Virathius said!

My Movie Rating: 8 / 10

Although it appears that Nigel Slater injustly slandered his step-mother in real life, the movie stands on its own as a charming story of growing up in 1960s England, full of human warmth and loneliness subtly conveyed by the entire cast.

My Movie Rating: 9 / 10