One of the best things about the holidays is all the lovely food that we get to cook, eat, and share with the people we love. To celebrate and prepare ourselves for all the delicacies we’re going to devour, we’ve revisited some of our favorite cinematic feasts and have collected them here to fill your imaginations, dreams, and, of course, stomachs.
Spirited Away
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Studio Ghibli is the master of cinematic feasts, and food plays a huge part in the gorgeous modern fairytale Spirited Away. One of the most memorable moments is the table stuffed with delectable dishes that Chihiro and the bathhouse staff offer to No Face in attempt to sate their massive hunger. We want to eat every bite!
Harry Potter
Hogwarts is the home of some of the most extravagant celluloid meals of all time, and it’s mostly due to the fact that the school has magical feasts in which all the food simply appears and plates that never empty. Sure, this is incredible wish fulfillment for young readers, but we do think it could possibly be put to a more philanthropic use in the wider world.
Ratatouille
Not only is this a sweet-as-heck film about friendship, family, and following your heart, but Ratatouille also includes some seriously delicious food. From roasted mushrooms with cheese and rosemary, to fresh salmon, soups, and incredible desserts, Remy the rat crafts some majestic meals.
Julie and Julia
This brilliant double biopic about a young blogger who decides to cook her way through Julia Childs’ iconic cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking deals up double the amount of great dishes as we get to see both Julie and Julia exploring the culinary arts. It’s a super cozy entry on our list that will leave you with a passionate love for butter! Bon appétit!
Babette’s Feast
This Danish drama focuses on a family of pious women who are brought together when they take in a refugee as their cook. Babette changes their lives and appetites, and when she comes into good fortune she decides to spend the money creating an opulent French feast that challenges the sisters’ strict beliefs.
Eat Drink Man Woman
Ang Lee’s brilliant dramedy is set in 1990s Taipei and sees a well known chef raising and contending with his three rebellious daughters. Each weekend they eat a glorious meal over a dinner table, which also acts as a forum of sorts where the family can challenge each other and grow together. It’s lovely.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka offered us all an unattainable dream when he opened the doors of his chocolate factory and showcased the edible wonderland inside. It’s still one of the most exhilarating food-based sequences in film when the children step inside the main hall of the factory and discover a world of delicious treats.
Lady and the Tramp
It maybe a simple dish but the iconic spaghetti and meatballs moment from Lady and the Tramp still fills our stomachs and hearts to this day! It also gives us massive food envy—who doesn’t want a staggering pile of carbs, sauce, and someone to share it with?
Ponyo
Our next Ghibli entry—honestly, we could do a whole Ghibli list—features the sweetest sea-dwelling girl, Ponyo! The delightful little fish found a love for ramen and ham when she discovered life on the land and her best friend Sousuke. We still feel all warm every time we watch the pair share a steaming hot bowl of the delectable noodle soup.
Hook
So who cares if the food isn’t real? This memorable imaginary food fight sequence is seared into the memories of every ’90s kid, as we all apparently wished to eat turkey legs and multicolor goo, then throw it at our best buds!Do you have a favorite food sequence in film? Is your mouth watering as you revisit ours? Jump into the comments and let us know!
Images: Studio Ghibli, Disney, Paramount Pictures, The Samuel Goldwyn Company, Nordisk Film, TriStar Pictures, Warner Bros., Columbia Pictures, Pixar