By Jan Wahl–
My darling Liam Mayclem and I are practically orgasmic when we discuss our favorite movies costarring food. It’s a topic as unending as great film itself. The most recent seems to be the weird and partially wonderful The Menu.
At first this movie reminded me of Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians, also known as And Then There Were None. Then, as the humor developed, I thought of one of my all-time favorite comedies, Murder by Death. Don’t miss this one, with Truman Capote at its climax deciding who done it! The Menu is well worth seeing, too, though you might never eat s’mores again.
Big Night is one I always think of for its strong storytelling of two brothers who own a small Italian restaurant. They are told the great singer performer Louie Prima is coming to dinner. If you don’t know the great Prima, check him out on YouTube. In Big Night, the place goes insane with special dishes and frayed nerves. Stanley Tucci stars and steals the show. This foodie actor later gives us his gorgeous food tour of Italy (Searching for Italy on CNN) as well as a fascinating autobiography on his lifelong obsession with food.
Like my fabulous colleagues David Landis and Liam, I love talking with chefs. Salvio Defuria has been a chef for years, over twenty years partnering with Robert DeNiro in Los Angeles. He just opened a delicious, extremely reasonable Italian steakhouse in Sausalito called Gallo Rosso. He chooses The Menu and Big Night as his favorites.
But there are so many great ones left!
The lust and love for chocolate will never be better demonstrated than in the lovely, lyrical Chocolat. It’s also a chance to see Johnny Depp at his hottest. The importance of food and drink in our lives is beautifully rendered in Babette’s Feast. This one deservedly won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film. It tells the tale of a Cordon Bleu chef from France who ends up in the middle of Scandinavian nowhere. She eventually shows the people there the value and richness of a fine feast, one you’ll never forget!
Chefs are shown in films as tormented (Burnt, Chef, Ratatouille), or inspired (Julie and Julia). Families take center stage in Soul Food, What’s Cooking?, Eat Drink Man Woman, Like Water for Chocolate, and Tortilla Soup. Documentaries abound with Jiro Dreams of Sushi and Somm,, a detailed account of becoming a sommelier. The Hundred-Foot Journey has us craving two cuisines: Indian and French. We simultaneously crave chicken tika marsala and croque madame! Ethnic differences abound in Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers and My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
There are so many other delectable movies, but too many cooks spoil the broth. Find your own delicious magic!
Jan Wahl is a Hollywood historian, film critic on various broadcast outlets, and has her own YouTube channel series, “Jan Wahl Showbiz.” She has two Emmys and many awards for her longtime work on behalf of film buffs and the LGBTQ community. Contact her at www.janwahl.com
Off the Wahl
Published on May 18, 2023
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