Thanksgiving weekend is wrapping up, a time for being with loved ones and being grateful. It’s also the American holiday that most focuses on food. At a time when not everyone can get together as usual, the traditional Thanksgiving fare of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberrry sauce, candied yams, and pies can all bring comfort during otherwise hard times.
Food has that special ability to bring people together, to stir up nostalgic memories, and to evoke emotions. Food as a way of life is a universal notion, as attested to by the international flavor of the list below. Another common theme in food films is the introduction of new things. The sharing of food is a means of transporting and partaking in one’s culture, breaking down barriers and prejudices, whether racial, cultural or socioeconomic.
Great food is a form of storytelling, so it’s no surprise that there are so many great culinary films. Like with Thanksgiving, the food in these movies tends to take center stage – they are characters in the films, not just props. These are not just movies with a lot of food, they are movies about food. They are also about everything that food can bring to the table: culture, life, ambition, reconciliation, family, and love.
Honorable Mentions
Chef; Satyricon; Julie & Julia; Tortilla Soup; The Recipe; Burnt; Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Tampopo (1985)
Tampopo is the so called “ramen-western” that made huge waves in culinary circles long before the term “foodie” became popular. Memorable from its very opening scene, this is a quirky Japanese comedy that alternates between a Seven Samurai style storyline of a ramen shop owner (the eponymous Tampopo) trying to come up with the perfect bowl of ramen to save her store, interspersed with numerous little food-related vignettes. It is a love letter to food, from making it to admiring it to eating it, whether you are slurping spaghetti, ordering French cuisine, squeezing soft foods, or a sitophiliac trying to eat an egg yolk in the most sensual way possible. Tampopo sees all food as worthy of exploration, but the focus here is undoubtedly on the ramen. In the end, we recognize that successful food, like film, is a collaborative effort. Streaming now on HBO Max, Criterion, and Kanopy.
Ratatouille (2007)
This Pixar classic is an ode to French food and to meritocracy and breaking down preconceived notions, in the form of an unlikely story of a rat with a precociously gifted palate becoming a chef at a Michelin starred restaurant in Paris. The premise may seem a little silly, but it is undeniably original. Pixar has long had the special sauce when it comes to animated films, but Ratatouille is nevertheless one of its better movies. It is inspiring, funny, dramatic, and really does make you believe that anyone can cook. Streaming now on Disney+.
Big Night (1996)
Stanley Tucci’s directorial debut is a dramedy about two Italian immigrant brothers, Primo (Tucci) and Secondo (Tony Shalhoub), who are struggling to keep their Italian restaurant afloat. Primo, the chef, is the idealistic artist, while Secondo is the pragmatic businessman. Their conflict is the central and age-old one of art versus commerce, of authenticity versus success. The brothers weave their way through the complexities of the American Dream as they prepare for one big night which could make or break their restaurant. When the third act rolls around and the food is finally brought out, you are taken through the immersive dining experience – the laughter, the flowing wine, the lively music and the endless courses of food. You may start out hungry but there are so many dishes served that you end up almost feeling stuffed. The film ends with an unforgettable long take – a reminder of how food brings people together. Streaming now on Amazon Prime.
The Lunchbox (2013)
This touching Indian movie is the best argument yet that food is indeed the 6th love language. When Mumbai’s famed lunch delivery system mixes up one of the lunchboxes, a young neglected housewife’s prepared lunch goes to Sajaan Fernandes (Irrfan Khan), a widowed accountant who is nearing retirement. Ila, the housewife, discovers her mistake and sends a letter, beginning an epistolary relationship between the two strangers via these daily lunchboxes. Khan is reliably fantastic, and there are some great supporting characters as well, but Nimrat Kaur, who plays Ila, is a revelation. Moreso than any of the other films on this list, the food here is more of a tool than a character, but it is a powerful one that speaks volumes, bringing together two people who need each other in their lives. The Lunchbox is a reflective, affectionate film about getting lost in the circuitous journey of life, just like Ila’s lunchbox. Now available to rent.
Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)
Ang Lee’s classic film, about a retired Taiwanese chef, Chu (Sihung Lung) who tries to bond with his three unmarried adult daughters through his love language of food, has one of the best opening scenes in film history (linked above). It’s the best of Ang Lee’s “Father Knows Best” trilogy, which deals with intergenerational tensions and tradition vs modernity, and Lung turns in his best performance. Incredibly engaging and satisfying, and light years ahead of our food porn obssessed culture, Lee understood how to capture delicious food on film better than anyone at that time. Each Sunday night, the family gathers for a sumptuous family dinner at Chu’s house, whose table serves as the family forum and negotiation table – for topics from religion to relationships to careers. Now available to rent.
Babette’s Feast (1987)
The iconic Babette’s Feast is a Danish film about a pair of unmarried sisters in a small country village in Denmark who are the daughters of the leader of a small, aging Protestant sect. They live alone for years after their father passes away, until Babette Hersant, a refugee immigrant from France, is received kindly into their household and works as a maid. A series of events transpire, leading to Babette cooking what may be the single greatest and most significant meal in cinematic history. The feast shocks the Danish villagers’ Puritan asceticism (they are even served wine – how scandalous!), but it is a delight to watch unfold. This is a tender, life-affirming film about art, sacrifice, and the healing power and spiritual connection of food that will warm your heart and make your stomach growl. Now streaming on Criterion and HBO Max.
