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While I've been fascinated by barbecue documentaries of late (like Barbecue is a Noun and Barbecue: A Texas Love Story), I feel like I've been neglecting some other great non-documentary food movies.
In particular, I need to give a shout-out to Big Night, the brilliant 1996 indy film about two Italian immigrants -- named, somewhat ominously, Primo and Secondo --who run a failing Italian restaurant in northern New Jersey.
The film was written by and stars Stanley Tucci, along with Minnie Driver, Allison Janney, Liev Schrieber, and Isabella Rosellini. And in addition to the amazing cast, it's got even more amazing food shots.
And, finally, it dramatizes the question everybody who has ever worked in the food industry (me, for instance) asks: do you give the people the terrible food they want, or do you give the people the amazing food they should want?
What can I say? In the age of cheesy-chicken-mashed-potato bowls, this film becomes ever more prescient.
