Academy Award Dinner: Andreas Gives It A Try
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
Every year since Films Fatale has been around, we’ve shared the brilliant idea of our dear friend Carol Hopp, who makes an Academy Awards dinner for the ceremony annually; the catch is that each dinner item is based on the Best Picture nominees in some way, and every nominee has to be featured somehow. You can find her first two lists here and here. We hope to share her 2021 version again with you soon. For now, I’m going to try and prove my worth as an apprentice (of sorts), and see how I do. Here is a dinner that incorporates every Best Picture nominee in some sort of a way.
Drink: Mountain Dew (Minari)
Mountain Dew (or “mountain water”) plays a big part in the stories of the children in Minari, and it definitely is a worthy recommendation here. I’m not going to suggest the “special dish” at the middle threshold of the film (you know the one), and Mountain Dew seems far more enjoyable.
Drink: Coca-Cola (The Trial of the Chicago 7)
There aren’t many options in The Trial of the Chicago 7, but I do love the featuring of the classic Coca-Cola bottles that can be spotted near the start of the judicial process in the film. If you can’t get the retro style glass bottles, maybe get those miniature cans (seven, to be exact).
Drink: Coffee (Mank)
If you’re not a soda person, then coffee might be your drink of choice for this evening. Out of all of the food and drink items in Mank, I went with coffee, because it is recommended as a means of calming down a heightened situation during the climax of the film. Besides, you can have it black or white (likely with tons and tons of cream and/or milk), and have a drink that matches the gorgeous Golden Age greyscale photography of the film.
Appetizer: Bagel (Sound of Metal)
Ruben is given bagels as a breakfast treat in Sound of Metal, and his initial response to these early morning meals is memorable. With that in mind, I don’t recommend smashing your bagel with your hand, however. Any bagel and spread will do.
Appetizer: Chilli (Nomadland)
Nomadland also has a lot of food options in it, but I’m going with the good old reliable chilli you can spot near the start of Fern’s time as a nomad. Chilli is served to the group of nomads, and you can just sense the unity, love, and care that came from both the meal and the community. This food option is as nurturing and warm as the people that made it, so it just feels the most fitting to me.
Main: Chicken Breast Meal (The Father)
I went with only one main option, and I’ll say why. I just wanted Anthony to enjoy his blessed chicken dinner! In The Father, the repeating motif of Anthony waiting and/or eating his chicken dinner is one that you won’t be able to forget, so let’s put him at ease and dine with him. The chicken seems to be a white meat breast of some sort, but the sides are up to you (I’d do a mixed green vegetable and potato selection myself).
Dessert: Chocolate Chip Cookies (Judas and the Black Messiah)
I could have selected some of the foods that Bill is treated to, but the scene where Fred Hampton is served chocolate chip cookies just spoke to me. The context is one where the cookies are meant to console him. They’re easy to get. I’d much rather just have a scene where Hampton is being taken care of be featured here (especially since the exchange is sincere, and not to aid a crooked police force). So, cookies it is! Plus, who can say no to cookies?
Dessert: Strawberry Jam Filled Pastry or Donut (Promising Young Woman)
I’m not certain what Cassie eats at the start of Promising Young Woman (some sort of a jam filled eclair, pastry, or donut?), but I want it. The red spillage of the dessert is such a nice precursor to such a twisted, thrilling film, so it’s why I would rather focus on this food option. Otherwise, if you want something certain, you could always go with a bright, candy-coloured cupcake (the kind Cassie would serve, so sky blue or a pastel pink).
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.