National Cinema Day took place recently and it got us thinking of how many great films have scenes that revolve around food.
The Lady and Tramp for one. We’re particularly talking about the scene in the Disney animation in which the two dogs share a bowl of spaghetti and a kiss still remains a classic.
Or how about Goodfellas? Even though the notorious gangsters are incarcerated in a maximum security prison, their luxurious feast of lobster, steak, cheese and red wine conveys the message that they still remain apex predators at the top of the food chain.
In Eat Pray Love, Julia Roberts’ journey of self-discovery leads her to a Trattoria in Naples where she declares “I’m in love. I’m in a relationship with my pizza.”
But it’s not always about romance.
The gruel served up to children helped the silver screen to illustrate the miserable workhouse conditions of Dickens’ Oliver Twist and their cries for “food glorious food” has become a classic.
And who could forget the scene in Cool Hand Luke where the number of hard boiled eggs a man can swallow is used to decide a bet – 50 proving enough to take the prize.
Then in The Silence of the Lambs there is the contrast between the tenderness in which Dr Hannibal Lecter carefully prepares his food and the horror of knowing what the ingredients are. The film serves up a delicious ending as the escaped psychopath spots his nemesis in the street and abruptly hangs up on a phone conversation with the chilling words: “I’m having an old friend for dinner.”
In the 100 years or so that the cinema has been with us various food traditions have grown up around it – hot dogs, pop corn, nachos, ice cream – or a bag of revels – have all become firm favourites.
And who knows? Perhaps someone will make a film about SK Foods one day. Charting the rise of a plucky little ‘start-up’ through to our current position as a leading supplier of food to the UK supermarkets.
Now that would be Oscar worthy!
About Neil Shaefer
Marketing & Communications Executive of SK Foods.
Your food. Our Passion.
