Dinner and a Movie: Great 'Foodie' Films

 

 

 

 

Babette's Feast (1987)

With the mysterious arrival of Babette, a refugee from France's civil war, life for two pious sisters and their tiny hamlet begins to change. Before long, Babette has convinced them to try something other than boiled codfish and ale bread--a gourmet French meal! Her feast scandalizes the elders, except for the visiting General. Just who is this strangely talented Babette, who has terrified this pious town with the prospect of losing their souls for enjoying too much earthly pleasure? Based on the novel by Karen Blixen. Starring Stephane Audran, Bodil Kjer, Birgitte Federspiel, directed by Gabriel Axel. In Danish and French with optional soundtrack in English or Spanish; with optional subtitles in English, French or Spanish. Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. Rated G.

Après vous (2003)

A romantic comedy about a Good Samaritan, a hopeless romantic, and the beautiful woman that comes between them. French language with English subtitles. Starring Daniel Auteuil, José Garcia, Sandrine Kiberlain; directed by Pierre Salvadori. Rated R.

Big Night (2001)

The story of two brothers whose Italian restaurant is on the brink of bankruptcy. Their only chance for success is to risk everything they own on an extravagant feast for bandleader Louis Prima. But their big night is complicated by a lovers' triangle, a sneaky restaurant rival, and the hilarious perfectionism of chef Primo. "She wants spaghetti with her risotto? What, you want I should make mashed potatoes too!?!" Starring Tony Shalhoub, Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini, directed by Stanley Tucci and Campbell Scott. Rated R.

Chocolat (2000)

When a single mother and her young daughter move to rural France and open a chocolate shop - with Sunday hours - across the street from the local church, they are met with some resistance from the rigidly moral community. But as soon as the townspeople discover their delicious products, their attitudes begin to change. Starring Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina, directed by Lasse Hallström. Rated PG-13.

Diner (1982)

Set in 1959, a band of long-time buddies since high school gather at a local diner to share their escapades and make sense of their lives. As one by one they drift off to join the mainstream of life they still cling to their shared boyhood dreams. Starring Steve Guttenberg, Daniel Stern, Mickey Rourke; written and directed by Barry Levinson. Rated R.

Dinner Game (Le Dîner de cons) 1998

Pierre and his snobbish friends have a standing date for dinner. Every week, they compete to see who can bring the biggest idiot to the party. Starring Jacques Villeret, Thierry Lhermitte, Frances Huster; written and directed by Francis Veber. Rated PG-13.

Dinner Rush (2000)

At New York's hottest restaurant, things are really heating up. Owner and bookie Louis Cropa lost a friend to a mob hit and now his chef's gambling problem has brought the unwelcome mobsters into their restaurant. Starring Danny Aiello, Edoardo Ballerini, Vivian Wu, directed by Bob Giraldi. Rated R.

Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)

An upper-class sextet sits down to dinner but never eats, their attempts continually thwarted by a vaudevillian mixture of events both actual and imagined. Starring Fernando Rey, Delphine Seyrig, Stephane Audran, directed by Luis Bunuel. In French with original English subtitles. Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. Rated PG.

Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)

A retired master chef and widower in Taiwan, who is losing his sense of taste, is worried about the future of his three unmarried daughters who are skeptical about marriage. Yet he himself surprises them with his secret love affair with a young woman many years his junior. Starring Sihung Lung, Kuei-mei Yang, Chien-lien Wu, directed by Ang Lee. In Chinese with English, French & Spanish subtitles. Rated TV-PG. Remade in 2001 as Tortilla Soup featuring a Mexican-American family.

God of Cookery (Sik Chan)(2006)

An arrogant chef hits the skids when his cooking empire is ruined. He is saved by the true love and good cooking of a purehearted street vendor. Can the two regain power in a winner-takes-all cook-off? In Cantonese or Mandarin with Chinese and English subtitles. Starring, directed and written by Stephen Chow. Not rated.

The Godfather (1972)

The iconic gangster flick is also a foodie movie. With family dinners, a spaghetti sauce recipe…and let's not forget those cannolis! Starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan; directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Rated R.

Green Butchers (De grønne slagtere) (2003)

Svend and Bjarne work for a butcher in a small Danish town. Fed up with their boss' arrogance, they decide to start their own butcher shop… Directed by Anders Thomas Jensen. Rated R.

Julie & Julia (2009)

Julia Child's life with her husband in Paris is intertwined with the life of thirty-year-old Queens resident Julie Powell who decides to cook every recipe in Child's book Mastering the Art of French Cooking over the course of one year. Based on Powell's book. Starring Chris Messina, Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci; written and directed by Nora Ephron. Rated PG-13.

Like Water for Chocolate (1992)

Romantic fantasy set in Mexico during the early 20th century. A young couple is blocked from marrying by the demands of the young woman's cold and selfish mother. To be near his love, the young man marries her sister, and she expresses her passion for him through her cooking. Based on the novel by Laura Esquivel. Starring Marco Leonardi, Lumi Cavazos, Regina Torne, directed by Alfonso Arau. In Spanish with English subtitles, or dubbed in English. Rated R.

Mostly Martha (2001)

Martha is the chef who fusses and obsesses over each dish before it leaves the kitchen. The demands of her job and her natural shyness keep her from meeting new people. When her sister suddenly dies, Martha adopts Lina, her eight-year-old niece, completely changing both lives. Martha gets unexpected help from Mario, Martha's hunky new sous chef, who is not only a whiz on the chopping block but knows sundry magic tricks and jokes to keep Lina's spirits afloat. Just as Martha starts to grow attached to the girl, Lina's erratic father shows up demanding that he take her back to Italy with him. Starring Martina Gedeck, Maxime Foerste, August Zirner, written and directed by Sandra Nettelbeck. In German with English subtitles. Rated PG.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

Toula is a quiet, devoted daughter in a big, crazy Greek family. Working in her father's restaurant, she hides behind her family and keeps the world at a distance. One day at the restaurant she finds herself pouring coffee for a man who inspires her to change her life -- and the way she sees the world ... forever. Starring Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Lainie Kazan; directed by Joel Zwick. Rated PG.

My Dinner with André (1981)

An actor has dinner with his friend, a theater director, at an Upper West Side restaurant. Together they discuss everything from money to death to love and all the superstition in between. Playing variations on their own New York-honed personas, the two dive in with introspective, intellectual gusto. All captured in a delicate, but artful detachment. Starring Wallace Shawn, André Gregory, Jean Lenauer, directed by Louis Malle. Not rated.

Mystic Pizza (1988)

Three young women, waitresses at a pizza parlor in Mystic, Connecticut, spend a special summer discovering romance. Notable for the breakout roles of a number of strong performers including Annabeth Gish, Julia Roberts, Lili Taylor, Vincent Phillip D'Onofrio, and William R. Moses. Directed by Donald Petrie. Rated R.

No Reservations (2007)

Master chef Kate Armstrong is a perfectionist who leads a regimented life while running the kitchen of an exclusive restaurant. She revels in the sense of power and control her career affords. When her sister is killed in an automobile accident, her nine-year old niece Zoe comes to live with her. Starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart, Abigail Breslin; directed by Scott Hicks. Rated PG.

Pieces of April (2003)

A wayward daughter invites her dying mother and the rest of her estranged family to her tiny apartment for Thanksgiving dinner. Starring Katie Holmes, Patricia Clarkson, and Derek Luke; directed by Peter Hedges. Rated PG-13.

Ratatouille (2007)

A rat named Remy dreams of becoming a great chef despite his family's wishes and the obvious problem of being a rat in a decidedly rodent-phobic profession. When fate places Remy in Paris, he finds himself ideally situated beneath a restaurant made famous by his culinary hero. Despite the apparent dangers of being an unwanted visitor in the kitchen of one of Paris' most exclusive restaurants, Remy forms an unlikely partnership with Linguini, the garbage boy, who inadvertently discovers Remy's amazing talents. They strike a deal, ultimately setting into motion a chain of extraordinary events that turns the culinary world of Paris upside down. Featuring the voices of Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, Lou Romano; written and directed by Brad Bird. Rated G.

The Scent of Green Papaya (1993)

Set in 1950s and 1960s Saigon, a young country girl joins a family as their servant and develops an enduring but secret attachment to a friend of the eldest son. In Vietnamese with English subtitles. Starring Tran Nu Yên-Khê, Truong Thi Lôc, Nguyen Anh Hoa; written and directed by Trân Anh Hung. Not rated.

Sideways (2004)

Miles is a divorced man and a failed writer who teaches junior high English. He decides to take his best friend, somewhat famous actor Jack, on a weeklong drive through California's wine country. There they explore their failures and question their relationships. Starring Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madson, directed by Alexander Payne. Rated R.

Soul Food (1997)

Sunday dinner at Mother Joe's is a mouth-watering, 40-year tradition. As seen through the eyes of her grandson Ahmad, love and laughs are always on the menu, despite the usual rivalries simmering between his mom Maxine and her sisters Teri and Bird. But when serious bickering starts to tear the family apart, the good times suddenly stop. Now it's up to Ahmad to get everyone back together and teach them the true meaning of soul food. Starring Vanessa L. Williams, Vivica A. Fox, Nia Long; written and directed by George Tillman Jr. Rated R.

Tampopo (1986)

Follows a young widow who runs a small noodle restaurant in Tokyo and Goro, a cowboy-hat-wearing truck driver, as they attempt to devise the perfect bowl of top ramen. Starring Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto, Koji Yakusho, written and directed by Juzo Itami. In Japanese with English subtitles. Not rated.

Tom Jones (1963)

Lusty tale set in 18th century England. Tom Jones is an orphan raised by the village squire who grows up to be a handsome young man with a way with women. He loves the daughter of a neighboring landowner, and falls into many adventures in pursuit of her, including duels, bedroom romps and prison! Features a memorable dining scene. Based on the novel by Henry Fielding. Starring Albert Finney, Susannah York, Hugh Griffith, directed by Tony Richardson. Not rated.

Tortilla Soup (2001)

A heartwarming comedy that's all about food, family and a certain kind of magic that only happens at the dinner table. Martin is the culinary genius behind a successful restaurant and the widowed father of three daughters whom he has a compulsion to try and steer in the right direction. Hungry for their independence, the girls find themselves at odds with their traditionalist father. Starring Hector Elizondo, Jacqueline Obradors, Tamara Mello, directed by Maria Ripoll. Remake of Eat Drink Man Woman (1994). In English and Spanish. Rated PG-13.

Vatel (2000)

The Duc de Condé's employee, François Vatel, is in charge of cooking, and preparing shows for the French King Louis XIV when he visits the castle of Chantilly, owned by de Condé. If Vatel can impress the King, de Condé will gain his favors, and the destiny of France will change. While the King is visiting and three days of banquets ensue, Vatel falls in love with the King's mistress. Starring Gérard Depardieu, Uma Thurman, Tim Roth, directed by Roland Joffé. Rated PG-13.

Waitress (2007)

Jenna, a waitress at a small-town cafe, has a gift for making great pies. Seeking to make a better life for herself, she decides to compete for a $25,000 baking prize. An obnoxious husband, a potential pregnancy, and a handsome stranger provide further challenges. Starring Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Cheryl Hines; written and directed by Adrienne Shelly. Rated PG-13.

The Wedding Banquet (1993)

In New York, the Taiwanese half of a gay couple hopes to end his parents' matchmaking by announcing that he's engaged. What he doesn't count on is that they'll fly in to meet the bride and plan the nuptials! Starring Ah-Leh Gua, Sihung Lung, May Chin, directed by Ang Lee. In Mandarin and English. Rated R.

What's Cooking (2000) (VHS)

What happens when families come together for Thanksgiving? Almost anything! A charming tale of four very different families, as they cook up some tasty holiday surprises: love, betrayal and even a few outrageous secrets-- and ultimately discover the astonishing power love has to reconnect us all. Starring Joan Chen, Julianna Margulies, Mercedes Ruehl, directed by Gurinder Chadha. Rated PG-13

Woman on Top (2000)

Isabella is a gorgeous chef who melts the palates and hearts of men everywhere. When she decides to break free from her rocky marriage and move to San Francisco, she discovers the perfect recipe for coming out on top, her own hit cooking show. But then her ex-husband comes to town, shaking her world again. Starring Penelope Cruz, Murilo Benício, Harold Perrineau, Jr., directed by Fina Torres. English or French language soundtracks, with optional English and Spanish subtitles. Rated R.

Updated 4/10

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