College Ave Rewind(s): Food Movies

Hey everyone! I cannot believe it is the third week of school already. It has been so long since I’ve written for this column that I couldn’t even remember its name this morning. I don’t know about you, but I am not a big fan of the commons food. Don’t get me wrong, Warch is definitely my favorite building on campus, but sometimes the food just isn’t it. And for me, that can lead to not wanting to make the oh so very treacherous and long walk from Plantz to Warch. I’m kidding. But in all seriousness, I can’t always rely on the ever-flowing bags of goldfish in my room, the 3-Michelin star-rated hot chocolate from the cafe or a nice warm cup of soup from Green Gecko down the street. Most of the time I just head to Warch, pick up a plate and move on. So unfortunately, I struggle getting excited to go to the cafeteria.  

As a foodie, or so I think, I watch a lot of food-centric media and content. As a result, I can get quite hungry. So, without further ado, here are some pretty darn good movies about food that will evoke some hunger grumbles and make you want to do nothing more than sprint to the cafeteria with your socks on. And no, I am not going to talk about Ratatouille. While most of you may agree it is a fantastic movie, it scared the living daylights out of me as a kid and it is safe to say that nothing has changed. 

First up, Pig. It is a movie that gets straight to the point within the first 15 minutes. The one and only Nicolas Cage is a truffle hunter living in the woods when one night his little shack is broken into, and his pig is stolen. The subject matter may seem a little odd, but this recently released movie was fantastic. Cage’s character Robin finds a way to the city where he goes from place to place in search of his pig. In between we get plenty of food shots, whether it is in a restaurant setting or just Cage making food for him and his pig. With plenty of suspense, heartfelt moments and lots of drama, you might laugh at me, but I seriously recommend this one.  

Next up is Chef. Since its release in 2014, it remains a favorite food-focused movie for me. It was also the first R-rated movie I ever saw in theaters, so that’s pretty cool. The movie starts with a man named Carl, played by Jon Favreau. He is a famous chef who quits his job after a critic comes to his restaurant and taunts him, leading to Carl having a hilarious meltdown. After taking some time off he decides to run a food truck with his former sous chef and young son, driving the truck all around the country selling Cuban cuisine. This reignites his love for cooking, life and love. And boy did this movie make me hungry.  

And finally, a quick shoutout to a fellow food flick, the iconic animated Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, because if I have ever wanted to be in any movie other than Star Wars this would have to be it. Who else wouldn’t want to bathe in an ocean of nacho cheese or be chased by a giant taco?