Introducing the Food Films Media Collection!

If you’re interested in finding a new favorite, mouthwatering film, then you’ve come to the right place! One of the many offerings AU Library Media Services has to provide is our extensive group of curated media collections. From recent acquisitions to African American cinema to war films, our collections showcase a wide scope of interesting movie genres. The most recent one we’ve added to our Home Use Collection Highlights page is food films. This collection includes a wide-ranging platter of sweet and savory food films including family movies like Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and documentaries like Food Inc. You can find animated and live action, fiction and non-fiction, and romance and comedy all under once tasty category. All of these films are available to borrow on DVD or through Kanopy’s free streaming service so you can watch from the comfort of your home or in one of the many screening rooms in the library! Click the link below to access this new category.

Food Films Collection

Here are a few of our favorites from the Food Films Media Collection:

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (2009)

A young animated man in a lab coat stands on a fishing pier, looking up and reaching towards the sky in awe. The pier is covered in splattered hamburgers.

Directors: Phil Lord and Chris Miller

Young inventor Flint Lockwood tries to create a machine that will change the lives of sardine-eating citizens of Swallow Falls. With a talking monkey for a friend, Flint figures out how to program a machine to turn water into food which, after taking flight into the sky, begins to rain down all kinds of meals from hamburgers to pancakes. Unknown news reporter Sam Sparks investigates the bizarre machine as it begins to produce food of unnatural sizes and quantities. Will Flint remain a hero for bringing flavor to Swallow Falls or will his device bury the town in anything from ice cream to spaghetti?

Available on DVD

Supersize Me (2004)

Just the head and shoulders of a man are visible against a white background. The man stands wide-eyed with a mouth full of french fries. Beside him in red and yellow text is the movie title "Super Size Me"

Director: Morgan Spurlock

Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock takes it upon himself to do an experiment eating nothing but what’s on the McDonald’s food menu for an entire month. Spurlock documents his food consumption and the range of side effects that happen to him as he tries to survive the experiment. With commentary about the fast food industry, American eating options, and corporate greed, this film educates and intrigues audiences about one of the most well known restaurants in the world.

Available on DVD

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

A woman in red sits to the left of a man in blue, both in brown, leather chairs. The woman is holding a binder and both individuals are seemingly looking at someone across from them. The couple is in an elegant, modern-looking room with warm decor behind them

Director: Joel Zwick

This classic rom-com turned triology explores the love story of Toula Portokalos and Ian Miller. Toula, still unmarried at 30, works at her family’s Greek restaurant until she switches jobs and begins to fall for Ian, a teacher, vegetarian, and foreigner. Her anxiety grows about trying to introduce Ian to her Greek family while still trying to embrace her heritage.

Available on DVD

Tampopo (1985)

A row of five men dressed similarly in casual clothes sit at a food counter inside a restaurant. Each man is holding a bowl with chopsticks up to their mouths, seemingly drinking from their bowls. The bowls obstruct their faces

Director: Juzo Itami

This Japanese comedy tells the story of a struggling ramen shop and its interesting path to a makeover. With various storylines and an intertwined relationship between love and food, this film explores the fate of the restaurant and may have you craving noodles.

Available on DVD

Food Inc. (2008)

A woman wearing a white facemask peers down at a sea of living white chickens inside a well-lit building. A wall of large windows behind her allows sunlight in, illuminating dusty particles that fill the air around the chickens

Director: Robert Kenner

This documentary by Robert Kenner takes viewers inside the world of food production. Where is it grown, how is it processed, and how does it get to our plates? Narrated by activist and author Eric Schlosser, this film provides a new perspective on our daily consumptions.

Available on DVD

Ratatouille (2007)

An animated red-haired man stands looking in his bathroom mirror in a chef's outfit with his hands raised. A gray rat is perched on his head, holding strands of his hair, seemingly controlling him like a puppet.

Director: Brad Bird

This fun, animated Disney classic tells the story of two aspiring chefs: Remy the rat and Alfredo Linguini the human who both hope to make it big in France. The duo tries to keep their partnership a secret but as their food becomes more and more acclaimed, people start to gain suspicion. When faced with the culinary chance of a lifetime to please food critic Anton Ego, Remy and Linguini gather help from both of their communities.

Available on DVD

Julie and Julia (2009)

Director: Nora Ephron

This delicious film stars Amy Adams and Meryl Streep as the titular duo. Based on the true story of blogger and chef Julie Powell, the main character Julie attempts to cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child’s famous cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking. With an inside look into the life of both Julie Powell and Julia Child, the film portrays an inspiring and scrumptious journey shared by two cooks with two different personalities and approaches to cuisine.

Available on DVD

Babette’s Feast (1987)

A woman dressed in blue pours tea for two older women both seated at a small table with cups a books. The women appear to be in their home and a bright window behind them illuminates the room.

Director: Gabriel Axel

This Danish film features two sisters who have grown old together and try to support the dwindling congregation of their late pastoral father. A former suitor for one of the sisters sends Babette, a refugee from Paris, to their doorstep who, grateful for work, cooks for the women. The film goes on to portray the power of a good meal and hospitality even in surprising circumstances.

Available on Kanopy