How often do you have company come over and end up at the kitchen table? It happened all the time at my parents and often with us nowadays and it’s always fun especially when we enjoy the food we are eating. This week’s theme is all about dinner and there are more films than one thinks when it involves a memorable dinner or the chatter over dinner. Check out Wandering Through The Shelves to see what everyone else have chosen, here are my 3...
1. TOM JONES-1963
I need to see this film again because it has been years since I fell in lust for Albert Finney when he was young and lean and full of mischief especially in this great British comedy about a bastard rogue adopted by a squire. He falls in love with a beautiful, demure gal but is considered unworthy. He gets involved in many adventures including a very lustful dinner scene with a wrench. This scene, no one speaks, but that doesn’t matter because you are fully involved in their lusty style of eating and this scene has been mimicked in many other movies and TV shows since. This is a flat out funny farce that you have to see at least once.
2. THE BIG NIGHT-1996
This is a hidden gem that I found after I listened to the soundtrack which I love and listen to..on a CD. This takes place in the 1950s about 2 brothers, from Italy, who open up a restaurant that serves excellent food but have hardly any customers because they serve authentic Italian cuisine unlike the very popular place across the street. The jerk owner across the street claims he wants to help and tells them a famous musician is coming to play at their restaurant. The brothers set out to create the best dining experience anyone could think of. This film is funny, sad, quirky and so much more along with terrific acting from Stanley Tucci, Tony Shalhoub, Minnie Driver, Isabella Rossellini and more.
3. AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY- 2013
Talk about one nasty family of misfits headed by the mom of nastiness, Meryl Streep, who is dying of cancer. Her husband, a truly nice man, commits suicide which brings all her children home along with their significant others including her sister who likes to berate her step-son. Julia Roberts plays one of the daughters who has some major issues and actually reminds me of someone I knew. She was/is full of anger, unpleasant and you never wanted to ask how she was doing because it was never good. Anyway, you learn about the family especially at the dinner table when everyone is talking, berating and it is funny. This is a an excellent film and one I was surprised that I liked as much as I did because it takes heavy issues and makes it funny. You feel for all the characters even the nasty ones. Worth taking a look.
So what 3 would you choose?
I do know August: Osage County, but not the other 2. But I do remember them all sitting around the table in the table in the film I know. Happy Thursday.
ReplyDeleteThat was quite the dinner..not sure I would to have been there
DeleteI'll have to look for The Big Night. Like the actors involved.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to go with The Ref with Denis Leary. The family he's holding hostage completely unravels at the dining room table and it's hilarious.
It’s a good movie and I love the jazzy score. I have to see The Ref
DeleteHi, Birgit!
ReplyDeleteThat lusty eating scene in Tom Jones amounts to soft porn. It reminds me of the feeding scene in 9.5 Weeks and the lobster scene in Flashdance. I'm pretty sure bastard rogues have more fun. Of course, there's also the notorious dining scene in When Harry Met Sally and the cafeteria food fight in Animal House.
I never saw The Big Night, but Mrs. Shady and I both love Monk and I will search for it. Wow, August: O.C. looks great, too. We love Meryl Streep and I admire Abigail Breslin. I will look for that one, too.
Thanks for the introductions, dear friend BB!
I will look forward to see what you think of The Big Night. I bet you will love the music as well. Glad you like my picks. Yes, soft porn sounds right..haha
DeleteI've only seen August: Osage County and I can't remember much from it now. I think I thought it was okay. I remember liking most of the actors.
ReplyDeleteIt was surprisingly good and I am not a Streep fan
DeleteAugust: Osage County is the only I’ve seen. I really enjoyed it so why on heart didn’t I think of it?
ReplyDeleteI’ve been there and slap my forehead when I see a great film I could have picked
DeleteI've not heard of nor seen any of these, but wouldn't miss your synopses for the world.
ReplyDeleteOh so glad:) maybe you might see one of these and do your own review?? :)
DeleteOHHHHH I LOVE Big Night!!! Such a sweetly deep film with great acting from all but especially my man Stanley Tucci. I also love The Imposters and Joe Gould's Secret that Stanley directed.
ReplyDeleteTom Jones didn't thrill me as much on a rewatch as it did the first time but Finney is full of brio and that scene is memorable.
I didn't care much for Osage, both Streep and Roberts were miscast. The only person who stood out for me was Margo Martindale.
I tussled a bit with this and had to reach out of bounds for my last but since the stars are big names I didn't feel too bad about it.
Babette’s Feast (1987)-In the 1870s two deeply religious elderly sisters living in an isolated Danish village take in Babette a French refugee from the Franco-Prussian war who becomes their housekeeper working basically for room and board. A decade and a half later Babette wins a large amount of money in the lottery, which coincides with the 100th anniversary of the birth of the sisters' father, a devout Christian minister who had a great following in the village. Babette decides to throw an extravagant dinner for the remaining followers to honor the occasion. However the dinner will be French and once the ingredients start to arrive, the naïve villagers suspect that something unholy is about to take place. Winner of the Best Foreign Film Oscar and a feast for the eyes.
The Hundred Foot Journey (2014)-When his family and he are displaced from their native India Hassan Kadam (Manish Dayal), a very talented amateur chef settle in a small French village and decide to open an Indian restaurant. However, Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren), the proprietress of an acclaimed restaurant just 100 feet away, strongly objects. War erupts between the two establishments, until Mme. Mallory recognizes Kadam's impressive skill in the kitchen and takes him under her wing.
The Song of Lunch (2010)-An adaptation of Christopher Reid's narrative poem tells the story of book editor “He” (Alan Rickman), meeting ex-girlfriend “She” (Emma Thompson) a decade and a half after their initial break-up. She, now the society wife of a French writer residing in Paris and He a failed literary aesthete trapped in a mundane, unsatisfying publishing job who pines for the loss of their love affair meet at a chic SoHo restaurant that meant much to their relationship for a nostalgic lunch. All starts well but quickly becomes mired in recriminations. This one is a bit of a stretch since it premiered on Masterpiece Theatre but with Alan Rickman & Emma Thompson front and center it has a cast better than most films.
I’m glad you love The Big Night and I also love Stanley Tucci who is an under-rated actor even though he makes a ton of films. I was surprised how much I liked Osage and thought those 2 were quite good even though I am not a fan of Streep. Babette’s Feast is one I almost chose along with the 100 Foot Journey which is great. I still need to see your 3rd film and I love the 2 leads so I must see it. You know I almost picked The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover.
DeleteCook, Thief.... is still a blind spot for me, it's very hard to find now. I've heard it's quite the experience!!
DeleteBy the way, did you see that Dell is back (sort of) and will be doing his annual Girl Week starting on the 25th? I sent a couple things along hope you have time to give them a look!
I will take a look for sure and offer my little comments
DeleteI have seen all of these and enjoyed them. The Big Night is likely not known by many, which is a shame. The one that springs to mind first is a favourite classic, Dinner At Eight (1933). Have you seen Who Is Killing The Great Chefs of Europe? It's a fun whodunit from 1978. A more recent one I liked is No Reservations (2007), starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart as competing chefs. It's a romcom.
ReplyDeleteFace slap! Dinner at Eight..brilliant film that leads up to a dinner party and Margaret Dumont is excellent. I haven’t seen the Romcom but remember it in trailers.you would think it would be on tv more
DeleteHello Birgit, gosh I've not seen any of these, although I've read the book Tom Jones. I would love to see the Big Night though, it sounds a brilliant film, Kate x
ReplyDeleteI haven’t read the book..is it good? The Big Night is excellent
DeleteI have heard of those, but I haven't seen any of them. Big Night was talked about in some documentary I saw about... Now I can't recall. But that was the only reason it's on my radar.
ReplyDeleteYou should try and see The Big Night.
DeleteHi Birgit - Tom Jones ... I love, but the other two I've never heard of. I loved Babette's Feast ... as too Julie + Julia ... when I was a kid I remember going to London to see an Italian film about food - where everytime the father got to serving himself, his mother or wife - said another member of the family was ready for seconds ... and so it went - it was funny! Great ideas above ... there was a death by chocolate murder film/tv - cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteTom Jones is fun and Babette’s Feast is excellent and almost chose it. The play you saw sounds like it is fun. I don’t know about the Death by Chocolate but I almost went with Murder By Death that has a good dinner scene
DeleteI've heard of them all, but blush to admit I haven't seen them.
ReplyDeleteMaybe one day....
DeleteHmmm...I haven't seen any of these films. But those dinner scenes sound awesome! Great picks!
ReplyDeleteHere’s my Thursday Movie Picks!
Ronyell @ The Surreal Movies and TV Blog
They are very good and will be visiting your blog
DeleteThe Big Night is a fine film--I saw it several years ago. The first film that came to my mind was The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover--I saw that one about 20 years ago, but I guess it created an impression on me. I love the scene in Fellini's Roma where the Italians are dining out in the street. It's so festive, funny, and human. Great movie sequence about dining!
ReplyDeleteArlee Bird
Tossing It Out
I was so close in picking The Cook(etc) because it is such a great film even though it is diabolical. Helen Mirren is great in that film. I haven’t seen Roma by Fellini but who doesn’t love dining out in Europe
DeleteI haven't seen those
ReplyDeleteMaybe one day....
DeleteLooks like an interesting bunch!
ReplyDeleteBIRGIT ~
ReplyDeleteThe first two movies that popped into my mind were 'Guess Who's Coming To Dinner' and 'My Dinner With Andre'. Unfortunately, though, I didn't really care for either of those.
I can think of movies that I like a lot which feature dinner table scenes that I also like a lot (e.g., 'Better Off Dead', 'A Christmas Story', 'When Harry Met Sally'), however those movies aren't primarily set around a meal, so I'm not sure they would count as valid under this theme.
~ Stephen
DogGtor of Alcohology &
King of Inebriation Nation
We liked The Big Night a lot. We saw it recently. I've been a Tony Shaloub fan ever since that TV series in which he played the lone cab driver on a New England island.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of The Big Night. Sounds like one I am going to have to watch indeed. Anything with Monk needs a go. When Harry Met Sally popped in, but not sure that would count.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteMeryl Streep can play any roll, can't she?
ReplyDeleteHave a blessed Thanksgiving.
Dinner for Schmucks
ReplyDeleteBirgit,
ReplyDelete'Big Night' looks like a worth while film to see if I can find it but certainly appreciate you sharing all these new to me movies. Have a great week and thanks for stopping by to boogie with me this morning! ;)
Can you believe I have seen two of these! This might be a record for me. I saw and enjoyed August: Osage County 2013 and The Big Night. Great choices! :)
ReplyDelete~Jess
I've seen August. It fits the theme well.
ReplyDeleteI've not seen this Tom Jones movie but I have seen a Tom Jones BBC mini series which I like.