A List Of Movies Depicting The Greatness Of Food
A Varied And Delectable Movie Diet!
Image by L.E. Wilson from RedBubble based on work by Jill Wellington and Nelly Vincent on Pixabay
I love food. I remember being surprised when I read that famed astronomer and professor Carl Sagan lost his appetite when he developed and received treatment for cancer. I just couldn’t believe it. Even ice cream, or sushi, or watermelon, or pancakes with berries and whipped cream, or even bagels were unappetizing? How could that be? I just imagined that if I ever got sick like that I would keep trying to find something—cheesecake? pizza? spring rolls? french fries? pasta? biscuits? chocolate?—that would still taste good and would want to eat.
Of course since I first read about Dr. Sagan, I have gotten sufficiently sick to not want to eat anything, at least temporarily. And with more life experience, I now have a better understanding of the eating difficulties people have when they are ill. Sometimes swallowing or chewing becomes an issue as these may be painful. Have you ever tried drinking orange juice with a sore throat? It’s horrific. It’s also very understandable that some people may lose their appetites simply because of being restricted by their doctors to a liquid diet, for example, or a low sugar, or low sodium diet.
That is why, if you are a healthy person, it is imperative that you savor your food, celebrate the joys of eating, be grateful for this unique pleasure, and focus on staying healthy so that you can look forward to more days discovering the bounty and variety of dishes that are available on this wide Earth.
Cinematically, there are some great movies that can help draw the focus on food to beneficial effect, sometimes with just one scene that really lets viewers appreciate anew the wonders of food:
A Traditional American Thanksgiving Feast
A Christmas Story (1983)
This movie has a delightful scene showing the eagerness and anticipation inspired by the traditional American Thanksgiving feast. The patriarch of the family sneaks around the kitchen trying to grab little nibbles while his wife yells at him from somewhere else in the house to leave the food alone. It’s a wonderful representation of the joy and excitement of food.
A Christmas Story (1983) is a comedy directed by Bob Clark, based on the semi-autobiographical book by Jean Shepherd, about nine-year-old Ralphie Parker’s (Peter Billingsley) wish to get the greatest Christmas gift ever.
Life Lesson: Life delivers both disappointments and unexpected joys.
Fine French Cuisine And Pâtisserie
Last Holiday (2006), Ratatouille (2007), and Kings of Pastry (2009)
Fine French cuisine is put on vidid delectable display in these wonderful fun movies. Here we see what exquisite attention to detail results in and how grand food can be, resulting in the creation of edible jewels. What a great way to celebrate life, and wouldn’t it be a worthwhile experience to taste the food of kings, even if for only one day?
Last Holiday (2006) is a comedy directed by Wayne Wang about Georgia Byrd (Queen Latifah), a woman who is told that she has Lampington’s Disease, and with only three weeks left to live, decides to have the life she always wanted.
Life Lesson: Don’t wait to make your dreams a reality.
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Ratatouille (2007) is a humorous animated fantasy written and directed by Brad Bird and Jan Pinkava about Remy, a street rat voiced by Patton Oswalt, who trains to become a master chef in Gusteau’s gourmet Parisian restaurant.
Life Lesson: If you want to be great at something, you need commitment—
dedication and devotion.
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Kings of Pastry (2009) is a documentary by directors Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker about the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF), a competition for the title “Best craftsman of France in Pastry” that is held every four years.
Life Lesson: Don’t let adversity — difficulties, misfortune — stop you.
Finish a task you set out to do. Finishing is its own reward, and only those who finish are eligible to win.
Hawaiian Comfort Food
50 First Dates (2004)
For the curious and the adventurous this sweet, funny movie offers the delight of Hawaiian comfort food. Do you sometimes feel bored with what you’re eating? Why not try a fusion of flavors? Even if you can’t vacation in a tropical paradise, it’s still possible to make your next meal a mouth-watering event! Take inspiration from the amazing assortment presented here.
50 First Dates (2004) is a comedy directed by Peter Segal about Henry (Adam Sandler), a man who never wanted a long term relationship with a woman until he falls in love with Lucy (Drew Barrymore), a woman with anterograde amnesia who forgets who he is every morning.
Life Lesson: Loving someone will not keep you from your ambitions;
it will help you reach them.
Chinese Cuisine
Kung Fu Panda (2008) and The Joy Luck Club (1993)
What these great movies do better than most is infuse food with culture and tradition, which brings it to another grander level of appreciation. In my humble opinion, among the best flavors and textures in the world are found in American-Chinese food. It has mass appeal, and it’s able to accommodate many kinds of diets. Indeed, there are many dishes in Chinese vegetarian restaurants that are simply magnificent. If you haven’t ever tried one, please seek one out immediately and enjoy taking part in a cuisine that has been refined for thousands of years!
Kung Fu Panda (2008) is a humorous animated fantasy directed by Mark Osborne and John Stevenson about an unlikely hero, Po, a warrior panda voiced by Jack Black, who trains to become the legendary Dragon Warrior.
Life Lesson: Physical appearance does not determine ability.
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The Joy Luck Club (1993) is a drama based on the book by Amy Tan and directed by Wayne Wang about the lives of four women friends — Suyuan (Kieu Chinh), Lindo (Tsai Chin), Ying-Ying (France Nuyen), An-Mei (Lisa Lu) — and their mothers and daughters.
Life Lesson: When someone loves you, they see the best in you.
Italian Cuisine
Lady and the Tramp (1955)
Few movies achieve a true romantic scene, and the sharing of a spaghetti noodle that leads to a kiss in this one is iconic. It’s actually surprising that not many movies use food to establish a romance, although going out to eat in a restaurant is a staple of dating. They say that one way to a person’s heart is through their stomach. This movie certainly shows how that is possible. Plus, the Mediterranean diet is widely considered by experts to be one of the healthiest ones available.
Lady and the Tramp (1955) is an animated fantasy co-directed by Clyde Geronimi, based on the story in Cosmopolitan magazine, “Happy Dan, the Cynical Dog” by Ward Green, about the adventures of two dogs, Lady (Barbara Luddy), an American Cocker Spaniel from a wealthy family, and Tramp (Larry Roberts), a stray mutt.
Life Lesson: Life is an adventure.
Japanese Cuisine
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)
Japanese restaurants offer an assortment of food with a subtle and sophisticated flavor that comes from using fresh, simple ingredients: avocado and cucumber rolls, miso soup, agedashi dofu, udon noodles, and of course sushi. In this documentary, master chef Jiro Ono takes us through a journey about how to achieve a depth of flavor from simplicity, which doubles as a life lesson about how to achieve happiness.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011) is a documentary directed by David Gelb about Jiro Ono, an 85-year-old restaurateur who is a Shokunin, an expert craftsman who strives for perfection and feels great fulfillment and joy from yearning to improve bit by bit.
Life Lesson: “Find a job you enjoy doing,
and you will never have to work a day in your life.” — Mark Twain
American Comfort Food
Groundhog Day (1993)
The best food is comfort food. All the staples of a greasy spoon American diner are presented in all their glory on a table in a hilarious scene where the main character, masterfully played by Bill Murray, decides to indulge in all the offerings all at once. He lives the dream for one day. Oh, what fun food can be!
Groundhog Day (1993) is a comedic fantasy co-written and directed by Harold Ramis about Phil Connors (Bill Murray), a self-centered grouch who repeatedly wakes up on the same day, February 2, until he learns to care about others.
Life Lesson: You will be a happier person if you take joy in the simple pleasures of life: books, music, learning, being kind to others.
But, alas, all good things must come to an end. The best advice is to eat in moderation. Too much food is as harmful as too little food. You have to be responsible and take care of yourself.
So we end with a sobering documentary about nutrition. The life lesson, of course, is that you need to eat your fruits and vegetables, get your micronutrients, don’t indulge too much or too often, but do enjoy your meals. And above all, stay healthy so you can enjoy many more days discovering the cornucopia of foods available to us.
Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead (2010)
Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead (2010) is a documentary by directors Joe Cross and Kurt Engfehr about two men, Joe Cross and Phil Riverstone, who undertake a nutrition program to lose weight that consists in large part of consuming juiced fruits and vegetables.
Life Lesson: You will be healthier if your diet consists mostly of fresh fruits and vegetables. The foods highest in nutrients per calorie are: 1) green vegetables, 2) raw vegetables, 3) beans/legumes, 4) eggplant, mushrooms, 5) tomatoes, peppers, 6) fresh fruit. The most nutrient rich foods are: kale, collards, spinach and bok choy.
Food is one of the pleasures of life. One of my favorite pieces of advice regarding how to enjoy it comes from the movie Madagascar (2005), when one of the characters, a penguin named Skipper (Tom McGrath) tells another, “Chew like you mean it. Savor it.” It’s great advice: Take the time to chew more slowly, taste every bite, let the moment endure. This is also a great way to go about life!
Madagascar (2005) is an animated fantasy co-written and co-directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath about a group of New York City Zoo animals who travel to the island of Madagascar and struggle to adjust to their new surroundings.
Life Lesson: Give everything a fair chance.
To your health! Salud! Mangia! Bon Appetit! Banzai!
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Who's Killing The Great Chefs Of Europe, brilliant movie and great cast, including Robert Morley. .