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love,
MostlyMartha
(2001), fromGermany.
Andwhile on the subject of foodandpassion
,
the
comedyfarce
TomJones (
1963)has thedistinctionas the
firstfilm toovertly link foodandpassion (aswitnessedby
thegluttonous arrayof oysters, roast chicken, and
lobster).While tame in itsnature today, thesensual food
scene featuringayoungAlbert Finneywas clearly
controversial in theearly1960s.
Thecinemahasalsobeenknown to introduceaudienc-
es tounfamiliardishesorstirnew interest in tried-and-
trueoldies. 1996’s
BigNight
—astoryof twobrothers
(playedbyStanleyTucciandTonyShalhoub)struggling
tokeep their Italianrestaurantafloat— introducedus to
timpano, a layeredpastry,meat, andpastadish that takes
twodays toprepare. (Apparently the foodstylisthad to
create30pastries for theshoot.)Shalhoub’scharacterre-
fuses tocompromisehishighstandardof cooking for the
“redsaucecrowd,”and thebusinesssuffersasaresult.
Writtenandco-directedby
Julie&Julia’
sTucci, the two
costars trained in local restaurants forayear for the
film’scookingscenes.
While friedgreen tomatoesareaSouthernstaple, the
filmof thesamename introducedaudiencesacross
America to theculinarydelightsof theWhistleStopCafe.
BaseduponauthorFannieFlagg’sbestsellingbook
Fried
GreenTomatoesat theWhistleStopCafe
(Ballantine
Books, 1987), the1991film isa tribute to thecooking, con-
versation, andconsumptionofdown-homeSouthern fare.
Historicalperiodfilmsknownas“costumedramas”
arerichwith food imagesasametaphor forwealthand
thedinnerasasocial ritual.GérardDepardieuasVatel
concoctsa lavish feast towin themindofLouisXIV in the
film
Vatel
(2000)whileelaboratedinners inEdithWhar-
ton’sbook-adaptation-turned-film
TheAgeof Innocence
(1993)and theeye-candybanquetsof
MarieAntoinette
(2006)arefilledwithmeticulouslyresearchedandhistori-
RATATOUILLE
CLOUDYWITH ACHANCE OFMEATBALLS
LADYAND THE TRAMP
COVER STORY
Mastering the Art of Food in Film
