The Gene Siskel Film Series: 42 Grams

Description

The Gene Siskel Film Series continues with the award-winning documentary 42 Grams, an intimate portrait of how chef Jake Bickelhaupt evolved from running an illegal restaurant out of his home to being a culinary celebrity in less than a year and the toll it takes on his personal life. Chicago chef Jake Bickelhaupt’s pursuit of two Michelin stars as the fulfillment of his take on the American dream is chronicled in this intimate documentary tracing the rise and demise of 42 Grams, the chef’s much-lauded restaurant. This refined temple of haute cuisine, located for a time in a repurposed fast-food joint in Chicago’s seedy Uptown neighborhood, grew out of an elite supper club that Bickelhaupt and his then-wife Alexa hosted in their small apartment, serving fifteen-course dinners to small groups of guests. Director Newell follows the trajectory of the dream, as hope, ambition, and success are newly seasoned with discord for an unexpected recipe for the future. Following the film there will be a Q&A with Jack Newell, Director.