Top 5 Movie Quotes About Food and Drink

Robb Walsh blogged about food and sex in movies, and Katharine Shilcutt provided us with the ten most disturbing food-related scenes in horror flicks. And while a picture (or some footage) is worth a thousand words, sometimes a passing reference to food and drink in film can be just as rich. Here are my five favorites:

5. “I guess she don’t like the cornbread, either.” (Aliens). Aliens is about the farthest thing from food porn, but ironically one of its most memorable lines concerns comestibles rather than extraterrestrials. This witty comment by Frost (Ricco Ross) comes right after Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) shoves a tray of food at Bishop (Lance Henrikson) during a rather stressful confrontation. Nothing like invoking carbohydrates to diffuse cinematic tension.

4. “I am NOT drinking any fucking Merlot!”(Sideways). Wine snobbery at its best. Miles (Paul Giamatti) flips out at Jack (Thomas Haden Church) when the former tells him to go with the flow (literally) during their double dinner date and accept any varietal that’s ordered. Supposedly Merlot sales were not affected by this line, though sales of Pinot Noir (Miles’s favorite) shot through the roof.

3. “Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.” (The Godfather). One person loses his head in this scene, but it ain’t Clemenza. After fellow mobster Rocco shoots the traitor Paulie, Clemenza (Richard Castellano) calmly issues this instruction, as he promised his wife he would bring home dessert. Sort of endearing. Sort of.

2. “I’ll have what she’s having.” (When Harry Met Sally). Context is everything for this line. After listening to Sally (Meg Ryan) fake an extensive (and very public) orgasm, fellow random diner (Estelle Reiner, director’s mother) utters this hilarious follow-up. Reiner’s stoic expression and delivery almost,almost stole the show from Ryan and inspired legions of fans to eat at Katz’s Deli.

1. “A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.” (The Silence of the Lambs). The only thing creepier than Hannibal Lecter’s (Anthony Hopkins) words is that slurpy-sucking noise he makes right after. Every time I watch this scene I vow to 1) never work for the U.S. Census, and 2) pick up bottle of Chianti on the way home.

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