The Ultimate Foodie Movie...

...well at least in my opinion, is Ang Lee's Eat Drink Man Woman. Actually, it's just my favorite movie, period, lol.

As a little kid, I was a huge Siskel & Ebert fan...I watched their program faithfully every weekend. The day they reviewed EDMW, I knew that I had to see it... somehow... someway.

Unfortunately, it wasn't in the cards at the time: the movie wasn't in wide release and I couldn't get anyone to take me, so sadly I didn't get to see it right then. :(

Luckily, a year or two later, I found it at my local video store and begged my mom to rent it for me, lol. As corny as it sounds, after viewing the opening scene...I knew that it would become one of my favorite movies...

opening scene plus a few extras...

Eat Drink Man Woman holds a special place with me as it sparked my interest in Chinese and eventually other asian cuisines, but mostly because it's just a touching story of a father trying to make sense of his life as an older man, all the while trying to relate to his growing daughters.

"This is not a movie to see on an empty stomach. Writer-director Ang Lee's 1994 Oscar nominee tells a family story about a chef and his three daughters through the meals the chef prepares and serves his family. This touching, dryly funny story of a family coping with personal lives and the way those lives intersect with the family relationships captures a shift in generations in Taipei. The father, a famous chef who has lost his taste buds, still cooks, though he draws no pleasure from eating. His daughters, meanwhile, deal with both the disappointments and surprises of daily living and the way their adult lives compare to the expectations the widowed father had for them. A subtle, amusing--and mouth-watering--comedy of impeccable manners. --Marshall Fine"


A couple of years ago, I came across a movie that seemed incredibly similar EDMW, called Tortilla Soup. Turns out it's actually the remake with a latin twist! :) Here's the opening scene:



They're both wonderful movies.
If you haven't seen Eat Drink Man Woman or Tortilla Soup, I urge you to seek them out...not only because of the amazing food scenes, but because of the insight into different food cultures, as well as the connection between food and human relationships.

Do you have a favorite foodie movie?
Have a great weekend!