Blog Entry #8

The film "Tortilla Soup" and the original "Eat Drink Man Woman" share many similar elements with each other. First of all, the overall plot of each film is about a male cook who have lost their senses of taste yet cook incredible meals for their families. In both of these films, the family members consists of three daughters, all of whom are beginning their own adult lives and have started to break away from their family traditions. In addition, the three different paths each daughter takes are similar in both films.

For example, the oldest daughter of each family converts to Christianity and also works as a school teacher, while the middle daughter in each film enjoys cooking and shares the same passions as her father, but never pursues that career choice. Finally, the youngest daughter in each film does not have any set career path in her life, and is slightly more rebellious and defiant than the other two.

However, one main difference between these two films, apart from the fact that one is an American modernization ("Tortilla Soup") of the original ("Eat Drink Man Woman"), there is a strong sense of culture and adhering to one's tradition that is much more present in "Eat Drink Man Woman", both in the family itself and by the food that is cooked. In "Eat Drink Man Woman", the food that is cooked by the father consists of fish, chicken, greens, and even frogs. These food choices in "Eat Drink Man Woman" help to enhance the cultural image of the Taiwanese family and shows the importance of tradition to the father. This strong sense of family tradition and ancient culture is somewhat lost, however in "Tortilla Soup", focusing more on Martin's developing relationship with Yolanda. Despite the lack of tradition in "Tortilla Soup", the role of food is still extremely important as it could serve as an example of the love Martin has towards his family, despite the fact that all of his daughters are growing up into young adults. Therefore, despite the emphasis of tradition in "Eat Drink Man Woman", the role of food in both of these films is not just a full, three-course meal cooked by the father, but also serves as a token of his love and affection for his family, and is the father's way of showing how much he truly cares about and loves his family.


Asia Society Recommends: Asian Comfort Food Edition | Asia Society
A look at the traditional Taiwanese food cooked in "Eat Drink Man Woman"


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