Eater - Five beloved food movies to watch

Photo illustration by Marylu E. Herrera

Amy McCarthy is a reporter at Eater.com. She thinks the churro in Challengers deserves its own Oscar.

Tonight, the brightest stars in Hollywood will take to the red carpet in their finest couture and most glamorous gowns for the Academy Awards. Meanwhile, I will be sitting on my couch in the shabbiest of pajamas, scarfing handfuls of popcorn, and judging those aforementioned looks as I await the announcers calling Demi Moore’s name as she wins the Best Actress trophy for her incredible turn in The Substance. At Eater, we’ve given our own awards for the year’s best food moments, including those fan-favorite churros in Challengers and that ridiculously loud espresso machine in Conclave.

There’s also something about the Oscars that makes me want to revisit my favorite films, many of which involve food. (For Eater’s list of the 38 all-time best food movies, head here.)

And so, in the coming weeks, I’ll be adding these five favorites to my Letterboxd queue for a long overdue rewatch. Maybe I’ll even make a themed meal for each showing — a bowl of ramen for Tampopo or barbecued ribs to pair with Fried Green Tomatoes. Here’s why you should, too.

Tampopo

It would be impossible for me to watch Tampopo, the 1985 film directed and written by Juzo Itami, too many times. Watching these two goofy truck drivers try to help a struggling widow turn her terrible noodle shop around, I can’t get enough of the madcap lengths that they’ll go to for the perfect bowl of ramen. Equal parts weird, charming, and funny, it’s the perfect film for this politically stressful era.

Ratatouille

As with everyone else at Eater, I am obsessed with Brad Bird’s 2007 film Ratatouille, in which a charming, food-obsessed rat named Remy helps the bumbling young chef named Alfredo Linguini restore Gusteau’s, a fallen culinary icon, to greatness. I especially enjoy the character of Anton Ego, the grumpy food critic who is brilliantly voiced by Peter O’Toole and lays down some real wisdom about the nature of food criticism amidst Remy and Linguini’s culinary hijinks.

Fried Green Tomatoes

You might argue that this 1991 film directed by Jon Avnet isn’t actually a food movie, but I would beg to differ. Based on the Fannie Flagg novel of the same name, food is inextricably woven into the heart of this story that explores family, loss, and queer love in the emotionally repressive setting of 1920s Birmingham, Alabama. There is also a little bit of light cannibalism, but I promise you that it’s for good, not evil.

Phantom Thread

This Paul Thomas Anderson classic is one of my all-time favorite films, food-involved or otherwise. Daniel Day-Lewis stars as an incorrigible clothier, whose genius makes him a little bit of a pain in the ass to live with. No spoilers, but his lover and muse Alma (Vicky Krieps) figures out a way to tame that bad behavior with a steaming cup of tea, and what ensues is so enthralling to watch.

Simply Irresistible

Okay, yes, this 1999 rom-com didn’t pick up a single Oscar nod when it was released (it’s not even on our Eater list of the all-time best food movies), and that’s because it’s objectively cheesy and totally implausible. But in my view, that’s part of the charm! I appreciate its escapist vibes, its magical crabs, its love-inducing eclairs, and how closely it hews to the everything-works-out-in-the-end rom-com formula. The world is on fire! Sue me for wanting to watch a cute little film!

More for the table:

Wolfgang Puck is apparently making caviar-topped tots for this year’s Oscars after-party, along with 69 (nice) other foods that people probably won’t eat. There are also slices of smoked salmon shaped like the Oscars statue, which is also caviar-adorned.
Check out the full list of winners of Eater’s inaugural best food moments round-up, a list arguably more important and prestigious than the Oscars themselves.