Split Decision: Order Up!
Welcome to MovieJawn’s Split Decision! Each week, Ryan will pose a question to our staff of knowledgable and passionate film lovers and share the responses. Chime in on Twitter, Facebook, our Instagram, or in the comments below.
This week’s question:
What is a food or meal in a movie you wish you could taste?
The macaroni and cheese Kevin McCallister makes, sets at the table, and ABANDONS when the Wet Bandits arrive in Home Alone. That scene always catches me off guard, and always leaves me with a sense of longing that can never be satisfied. It’s like you are sitting across from Kevin at that elegantly set table. His mac and cheese is also your mac and cheese and sure, you know it’s prepackaged microwave mac and cheese, but damn it if it doesn’t look incredible. –Ian Hrabe, Staff Writer
I have only seen The Waitress a few times, yet the pies that Jenna creates are works of art that often pop into my mind. I’d take a bite out of that Earl Murders Me Because I’m Having an Affair pie any day of the week. –Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport
I really want to know what the energy/water in Tron tastes like. –Ryan Silberstein, The Red Herring
As much as I enjoy The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover, and cannibalism films in general, I don’t think I’d want a place at that table. But I would absolutely appreciate Babette’s Feast, (unlike some of the diners), if given the chance to attend. I remember when that film came out restaurants recreated the meal. (I never got to go). Forget Tom Jones, for me, Babette’s Feast is the ne plus ultra of food movies. –Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer
The prison cooking extravaganza in Goodfellas makes me wish smell-o-vision was a thing. The slicing of the garlic with a razor blade, the steaks, the argument about whether or not the sauce has too many onions. Of course, the scene where they have to dig up Billy Batts’ rotting corpse makes me glad smell-o-vision isn’t a thing.-Billy Russell, Staff Writer
I’d love to be able to go to any of Chu’s Sunday night feasts in Eat Drink Man Woman. I’m not even a huge Chinese food fan, but the care that Chu (and later, his daughter, Jia-Chien) puts into his cooking and the mouth-watering way that Ang Lee films it makes this Taiwanese banquet one that I’d be first in line for. No wonder why Madame Liang is so eager to marry into the family! –Ryan Smillie, Staff Writer
There are a lot of incredible food moments in Julie & Julia, but the one that still haunts me is the bruschetta Julie makes very early into her Julia Child journey. I never thought tomatoes on bread could be downright pornographic, but I’m left panting and salivating by the end of the scene. Drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with cracked pepper, this looks like the perfect summer meal I want to eat every time the temperature gets above 90 degrees. I don’t know why I’m surprised though- Nora Ephron was also responsible for making us crave spaghetti carbonara in bed, giant wheels of cheese from Zabar’s, and tiramisu at the end of a bad date. This lady knew food. –Liz Locke, Cinemasips.com
I’ll take the Juice of Sapho from Dune. As Piter DeVries says, “It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the juice of Sapho that thoughts acquire speed, the lips acquire stains, the stains become a warning. It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.” –Anthony Glassman, Contributor
I would love to get my taste buds on a bit of the world’s first self-proclaimed “ramen western,” Tampopo! While there are a lot vignettes of other food exploration in the film, the main plot following the widowed owner of a mom and pop ramen shop is the japanese cuisine I’m most drawn to. Tampopo’s commitment to reaching the perfect ramen recipe in a hilarious parody of American training montages gives me the feeling that a bowl of noodles from her shop is a major knockout! –Matt Crump, Staff Writer
Please take me to all the scenes in the Whistle Stop Cafe in Fried Green Tomatoes so that I can try everything on the menu, especially Sipsey’s fried chicken + fried green tomatoes. (Not sure I want the barbecue, though. If you’ve seen the movie, you know why). And if they’d let me, I’d like to become besties with Sipsey, Idgie, Ruth, and Big George. –Jaime Davis, The Fixer
The answer is clearly the imaginary banquet food from Hook, is it not? At least, if you are a 90’s kid, it is. –A. Freedman, Staff Writer