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Blog Entry 11

By F. Mason Hertrich “Big Night”, and “Dinner Rush” are similar in that they both display a large amount of family dynamics with the businesses. In “Big Night” it is a sibling rivalry, slightly different then “Dinner Rush” where the familial conflict lies in the fathers hesitancy with his son taking over the business. That relationship compared to the other son who is a gambler, and a very bad one. Except for the food he makes, everything the son does doesn’t go well. To the point that the father has to hire a guy to kill the people the son owes money to. Which was an interesting turn for the character (played by John Corbett), who I didn’t know what they were doing with the character, until he is revealed to be a hit man. As for the use of food in the films it is a lot of times used for referring to character traits or conflicts the characters are going through. In “Big Night” the food is used both these ways. Tony Shalhoub’s character is a perfectionist with the food which is shown ...
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Blog Entry 10

Blog Entry 10 By F. Mason Hertrich The relationship between the two brothers is not quite complicated. Considering they do both care about the food. The main difference between the two is more what they want to do with the food. Stanley Tucci’s character is slightly more motivated by money. Not to the point that he is greedy, but more that he wants to survive. Which is obviously difficult, especially with his brother being a artist in a way with the food, because he doesn’t care about money. This may also come from the brother being verily socially awkward, and somewhat of a recluse in a way because he doesn’t really do anything else, except cook. As Tucci says to him towards the end of the film he keeps his head buried in pots. There is also the difference they both have where the brother Tucci’s character tells the car salesman that he will never go back to Italy. Whereas the other brother wants to go back when their uncle gives them a chance. This is another example ...
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Blog Entry 9

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                              By F. Mason Hertrich The food in both films serves a big role. That of bringing people together, especially in " Soul Food " (1997). Wherein the family fights about problems they have, but the food is ultimately what brings them together. In " Once Upon a Time ..." (1995) the food mainly serves as a way of reflecting how they are treated. For example Richard Roundtree's is faced with the problem of many people not accepting his ice. Which doesn't stop the town from still buying from him. Which is obviously motivated by the fact that the reason many people are not buying from him is because he is black. Also the food is used much more in a community sense when they are at the Church. As pointed out by Balthrope the grandfather is never seen at his home cooking, but helps cook at the Church. Which certainly shows the community sense in the making and eating of t...
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Blog Entry 8

Blog Entry 8 The two films are very similar, except for the tone which is different. In “Eat Drink Man Woman” most of the same scenarios are played very straight. One example is in the scene where the middle child goes to her boyfriends apartment to find there is another woman there. The same scene plays out much more lightly in “Tortilla Soup”. Whereas in this it the scene is literally dark because its outside a door at night and the way the bars shadow reflects the door to her face really do show a more serious moment. Or the scenes where the daughters all gradually leave. The daughters say why they leave then it cuts to them leaving. As far as the role of food one particular scene stands out where in “Eat Drink Man Woman” the father tells the woman's daughter he will make her lunches. She goes into the bus crowded with adults, showing how the woman's mothering of her child is forcing the child to come closer to adulthood. Closer then what the father feels she should be...
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Blog Entry 7

By F. Mason Hertrich The role chocolate plays in the film is a variety of things. As opposed to simply eating chocolate the films main character uses it to get people to enjoy themselves. Giving certain kinds of chocolate according to what she thinks they like. Which obviously is problematic in the town because of their highly religious way of life. Religion being something that the main character does not believe in, so she does not care that aspect. This is likely related to her belief learned from her grandfather about chocolate being used to achieve inner joy. One example being the woman who throws the chocolate on the ground, until her husband finds it. Then after he eats it he wants to make love to his wife. The chocolate being used this way results in the main character taking the process of making it very seriously. So much so when the woman she taught to make it, teaches others Vianne looks almost betrayed. Because if the chocolate is to be used the way she does it, then any...
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Blog Entry 6

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How the holiday is presented in the film is done in a variety of ways. Which varies from the different families in terms of cultural backgrounds and so on, but still shows that any of them can find the holidays stressful. For a variety of different reasons, some usual things like the peoples parents being either over baring or even prejudiced like the woman's parents who told her not to mention to their relatives that she was a lesbian. The multiculturalism in the film is good for the most part. Having a very ethnically diverse cast. Nonetheless the film does at times has stereotypes, namely the Asian family being mad about the daughter having a white boyfriend. Which is not the only thing they are mad at the daughter about, but it does come across as seemingly a joke. Except that the joke relies on what is essentially a stereotype, about Asians. Aside from that there is not that much in the way of similar stereotypes shown in the film. The rest of the families do have a variet...
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Blog Entry 5

Professor Esa By F. Mason Hertrich Personal identities in the film are shown through the making of the food and how it relates to what the characters go through. An example of this is found in the sisters wedding where everyone gets sick. Which is paralleled in the scene towards the end at Titas wedding where people feel great. The food still being good, except the taste being affected by what the main character is going through. As far as the national identity relating to the food in the film is done by mixing the making of the food with their cultural traditions. Which is something shown a lot in the film, with the mother having her youngest daughter not get married and live with her until she dies. Which is somewhat unique to them, which is what led the doctor not understanding it. The food is also very important for the main character because it is basically the only thing that makes her happy. Due to the mother being very controlling, and that being repeated with the sister tak...
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