YUM

This is Jamie. 

Food has transformed throughout time from the most primitive form of nutrients to a luxurious, social phenomenon.  It is true that people are happier when they are eating and given a group of people and a fine social setting, a meal can be the happiest time in a person’s life.  Food makes up memories, provides stories, and fills stomachs to the utmost satisfaction.  It’s well known that this was not always the case.  

Babette’s Feast takes place in Denmark in 1870.  This film beautifully captures the true essence of a Feast.  A feast has been known as a celebration of a good meal and a gathering of people since Shakespearean times. 

When Babette wins the lottery, she decides to spend it all on preparing a meal for the people who did not know how to enjoy one.  The repressed protestants had fought and been disrespectful to each other until they gathered for this dinner.  Everyone was clearly happier when they left than going in.  They were so happy that they seemed to frolic out of the house. 

I loved the message in this film.  It was so simple and it really showed how people cannot repress bodily urges and physical emotion.  When food tastes good people should be able to celebrate it!  Whenever it’s somebody’s birthday in my family we get to pick a place to go out to dinner and we have done it for years.  No one has to cook and everyone can enjoy a meal while catching up on good stories and conversation.

  Babette brought life to these people’s lives from one, long, involved meal.  She was apparently a great cook and no one had even thanked her.  Perhaps they were too overjoyed that food could even taste so good.  Too bad they never got a chance to experience buffalo chicken pizza.