Food in Film: Movie Meals Amplifying Plot and Character
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Throughout twentieth- and early twenty-first century film history, food is most often absent altogether, is sometimes on the periphery, but occasionally takes center stage, amplifying plot and character, revealing important aspects of our humanity.
This colloquy would focus on food as an essential element in the chosen films, reflecting and enriching story and characters – often acting as a character itself. Think of the timpano and the omelet in Big Night, the breakfast (and the mushrooms!) in Phantom Thread, the stew in Ratatouille, or the turkey in What’s Cooking? Each of these films hinge on meals cooked, served, and eaten. The viewer experiences the dishes visually, while savoring vicariously their taste, feel, and smell.
Brooke Dojny is an award-winning cookbook author and food writer with more than a dozen books to her credit, including The New England Cookbook, Dishing Up Maine, Lobster!, and Chowderland. Brooke lives in Sedgwick and can be found at her stove or frequenting farmers’ markets, farm stands, and clam shacks.
Syllabus/Reading
Syllabus:
- February 1 – Big Night (1996)
- February 8 – Ratatouille (2007)
- February 15 – What’s Cooking (2000)
- February 22 – Phantom Thread (2017)
All films are available on DVD at both the Blue Hill and Broklin libraries. They are also available on various streaming services and on YouTube, often free of charge, sometimes with a nominal rental fee. I will provide a more complete list of how to view the films in the next few weeks.
Recommended Reading:
FOOD IN THE MOVIES, Steve Zimmerman. Second Edition, 2010. A comprehensive study of food in film, beginning with the silent era. Since it goes only up to 2010, the book is somewhat incomplete, but we will fill in with a good list of films since then. Available at both the Blue Hill and Brooklin libraries.
HOW THE COLLOQUY WILL RUN:
- I will ask participants to view the chosen film title at home during the week prior to the scheduled discussion.
- I will give a brief overview of the chosen film, including some history of the filming.
- I will provide suggested topics for discussion for each film, including pulling out overall themes, how food amplifies those themes, how specific foods reveal character. Etc.
- I will show clips pulled from each film to highlight food scenes and themes.
- I will recommend ancillary books, articles, and interviews that offer behind-the-scenes glimpses of dealing with food and eating meals on a set, detailing some special challenges inherent in food-styling at a shoot, problematic technical issues, humorous incidents, etc.
- All opinions will be welcome!
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