We all love our food flicks
In defense of the American penchant for overeating, we really can’t help it. We’re surrounded by advertisements about food with dancing chickens and singing cows, food contests, and grocery store free samples of everything from nachos to beefsteak. Even our entertainment, like movies, often focuses on eating.
We all have our favorite food flicks, such as Like Water for Chocolate. The title refers to the temperature of water needed to make sugar, cocoa and butter change into chocolate, which is pretty hot. The idea in this movie is that the main character Tita passes her feelings into her cooking, so everyone eats her passion. That’s right. If Tita’s sad, everyone will be sad. This definitely results in negative consequences.
For instance, Tita bakes the wedding cake for her sister Rosaura. The problem is that Rosaura is marrying Pedro, who Tita loves. Tita cries into the batter, and the entire wedding party does a community vomit into a big pig trough. Yuck. At least the pigs probably didn’t care.
However, when Tita feels good, everyone will feel good. That can result in positive consequences. Sort of. Like when Tita adds rose petals to the chicken as she thinks of Pedro. Her sister Gertrudis is so “inflamed” with Tita’s passion when she eats the chicken that she has to run outside to take a water-in-a-bucket shower. She tries to cool off under the water but catches the outhouse on fire. Then she runs naked through the desert and is picked up by the local Mexican outlaw on horseback. Now that’s entertainment. And it didn’t add a single calorie to my diet.
Do you have a favorite food flick?
Post it in the comments and let us know why…
Technorati Tags: food, movie, cinema, flick
3 opinions for We all love our food flicks
Wade
Jul 27, 2006 at 7:24 am
I’ll have to say Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) is my fave food flick. It has a sinister edge to it, but it’s wrapped up in this, quite literally, sometimes, marshmallow-y surreal fantasy. And Gene Wilder’s portrayal of Willy is just brilliant. I’d love to get a crack at the chocolate waterfall room. I’d make myself sick.
shandra
Jul 28, 2006 at 1:13 pm
This is hard - it’s hard to think of movies “about” food. Does Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner count? I LOVE myself some Katherine Hepburn and Sidney Poitier. I really like the old movies that have that special quality that doesn’t seem to resonate anymore… but could still hold their own today.
I also enjoy Chocolate. Johnny Depp is sexy and ornry, Juliette Binoche is great, and the character actors are fantastic!
keister
Jul 28, 2006 at 9:45 pm
Godfather (offing guys in restaurants, the line of one thug to the other after shooting a guy carrying a box of pastries: “Leave the gun, take the cannoli.”
Not really a food movie, but one of the best food scenes that I can remember. I do agree with Chocolate, Lena Olin is one of my favorite actress’ she is also in “My Polish Wedding” with Claire Danes, which is like “Big Fat Greek Wedding” only not funny!
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: