1 of 3

Editor's note: "Through a Screen Darkly," a monthly commentary by CT Movies critic Jeffrey Overstreet, explores films old and new, as well as relevant themes and trends in cinema. The column continues the journey begun in Overstreet's book of the same name.

I want to see Julie and Julia, which opens this week. Meryl Streep makes a habit of being extraordinary, and casting her as Julia Child seems too good to be true. But I'm hungry for something more than memorable acting. I want to watch the food.

Movies about food have always held my attention. Mention Animal House: I think of the food fight. Mention Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, and I think of the man who ate too much—precisely, one after-dinner mint too much—and suffered disastrous consequences. When I think of The Fisher King, I think of a romantic scene in a Chinese restaurant, where Robin Williams and Amanda Plummer chased a sprig of broccoli around the table with their chopsticks.

Po has a love for dumplings in 'Kung Fu Panda'

With Pulp Fiction, I remember Vincent Vega as a violent buffoon—but also because of his feelings about five-dollar milkshakes and the "Royale with Cheese." In Kung Fu Panda, Po desires dumplings as much as Pooh Bear has a passion for honey.

In Stranger than Fiction, Harold Crik falls for a baker named Ana because she's beautiful and challenging. But Ana also gets Harold's attention because she talks him into tasting one of her chocolate chip cookies. That cookie is like a kiss breaking an evil curse, awakening him to a new world of sensation.

In Mostly Martha, the main character runs her restaurant kitchen as if she were a general at war, with no room for mistakes. But when she ends up caring for her orphaned niece, and makes room in her life for a chef with unconventional ideas, their days—and meals—together help her discover a richer way to live. (Watch the original. Avoid the cheap American imitation—No Reservations.)

In Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire—my favorite film—when the angel Damiel, who has been transformed into a human being, experiences a hot cup of coffee on a cold morning, he begins to realize what is special about human experience. He relishes that coffee as if it were a sacrament.

Vianne's chocolates teach the villagers to indulge

Chocolat—a favorite for many chocoholics—has the simplicity and charm of a folk tale. A frisky young chocolatier named Vianne and her daughter move into a puritanical French village and set up a chocolate shop. As the villagers sample her wares, they begin to overcome their fear of sensual things. But Vianne, eager to help everyone indulge, also lives without the wisdom of restraint, plunging into an affair with a charming stranger. Religious people who frown on her impulsive ways are portrayed as foolish for having any standards. While the film does suggest that one can be both religious and adventurous, the conclusion leaves me feeling like I must choose between fearful abstinence and reckless abandon.

I could fill a book with the insights conveyed through wonderful films like Eat Drink Man Woman, Pieces of April, Tampopo, Soul Food, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. For now, I'll recommend three favorites that encourage us to consider what—and how—we eat and drink.

Alexander Payne's Sideways introduces us to two men, Miles and Jack, who set out on a road trip to celebrate their bachelorhood one last time before Jack gets married.

Miles (left) tries to teach Jack to enjoy the finer things

Miles devotes himself to pursuit of the finer things. For him, the goal of the road trip is to visit wineries and have profound aesthetic experiences. Jack, on the other hand, drinks to get drunk, and is looking to fornicate with any woman who will cooperate.

The differences between these men become most clear when Miles describes what it is about wine that he loves. He does not drink to get drunk, but to savor a moment. He likes to meditate on all of the hard work that went into such craftsmanship. For him, wine makes strong connections between people, cultures, and histories.

And even as Miles describes this passion, sharing something with his new friend Maya, the wine cultivates love in a way he never expected.

next page... |  1 of 3 | last page