Tortilla Soup is a 2001 American comedy-drama film directed by Maria Ripoll. The screenplay by Tom Musca, Ramón Menéndez and Vera Blasi is based on the film Eat Drink Man Woman, which was written by Hui-Ling Wang, Ang Lee, and James Schamus.
Do not see this movie on an empty stomach – the food prepared throughout this film makes you very hungry. Throughout movie the dishes that are prepared Roasted corn on the cob, Enchiladas, Pulpo a la Vericruzana, Tortillas from scratch, Tortilla soup
Tortilla Soup is a 2001 American comedy-drama film directed by Maria Ripoll. The screenplay by Tom Musca, Ramón Menéndez and Vera Blasi is based on the film Eat Drink Man Woman, which was written by Hui-Ling Wang, Ang Lee, and James Schamus.
Do not see this movie on an empty stomach – the food prepared throughout this film makes you very hungry. The scene opens up with shots of the streets of East Los Angeles and switches to a man’s hands preparing a very complex meal – You see peppers being roasted, fresh fish being prepared, flower blossoms being cleaned and prepared for soup.
This is Sunday dinner being prepared by Martin Naranjo (Hector Elizondo) a widowed Mexican-American father who is a master chef by profession. This is a different family then the family in the previous movie I viewed “My Family” (Mi Familia), this familia is a comprised the widowed father Martin (Hector Elizondo) and his three daughters who still live at home.
One rule that Martin has is no Spanglish – Martin insists that the daughters either speak in English or Spanish – not Spanglish. Another rule in the home is everyone must be on time for Sunday dinner. Sunday family dinners prove to be contentious and arguments arise between Martin, Carmen, Leticia and Maribel. The sister’s arguments are regarding the living at home and the differences between Leticia and Carmen. During dinner Martin is called in to save an event that the Governor is hosting leaving the sisters arguing. After a few minutes of arguing and breaking the tension with breaking some dishes the three sisters begin singing the Doris Day Song “Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps”.
A little background on the daughters – the oldest daughter – Leticia (Elizabeth Pena) is a school teacher and has converted from Catholicism to Christianity, when asked what the difference was Leticia states “Catholics worship saints, Christians worship Christ”. The middle child – Carmen (Jacqueline Obradors) is an MBA grad and who, like her father has a passion for cooking. The youngest child – Maribel (Tamara Mello) is employed at a record store and is a recent high school graduate. Another character in the film is Yolanda (Constance Marie) a family friend (in the process of getting a divorce) with a child named April (Marisabel Garcia).
Leticia – is a chemistry teacher in El Segundo, enter Orlando Castillo (Paul Rodriguez) the new baseball coach – Leticia’s students see a chemistry between Orlando & Leticia and pull a Cyrano de Bergerac on her leaving notes and cards leading Leticia to think they are from Orlando. Meanwhile the little Cyrano’s are still working in the background, this time they have gone too far and Leticia approaches Orlando and professes her love for him as well. He is unaware of the poems she is devastated. Leticia makes announcement at dinner to Carmen and Hector – she and Orlando have gotten married, they have gone off to Las Vegas and gotten married – after some questions and conversation
Q: Martin asked the question of Orlando do you love her?
Orland: sir?
Q: Do you love my daughter?
A: Oh yes sir, I love her very very much.
Martin gives his blessings of the union.
Carmen – enjoys cooking like father but does not feel that he likes her cooking and refers to her method and dishes as mutts – Carmen’s old boyfriend whom she cooks for feels her cooking is great and thinks it should be called Nuevo Latino. Carmen makes an announcement she is offered job in Barcelona, Spain running a company, she would much rather open a restaurant as this is her passion, but Martin has always insisted that she have a profession with some substance, not making tortillas in a kitchen like he has.
Maribel’s becomes involved with a young Brazilian named Andy Nikolai Kinski) who has put off college for a while. Maribel brings her new Brazilian boyfriend comes to dinner. Maribel- am I hallucinating or are we having a pleasant dinner? Maribel announces that she is going to forgo college for a couple of years to find herself – (as her Brazilian boyfriend has done) Martin forbids it as long as long as she lives under his roof – she announces she will move in with Andy. Again turmoil during dinner.
Hortensia (Raquel Welch) mother of friend Yolanda. Hortensia has her sights on Martin. Hortensia is actively pursuing Martin Hortensia is attempting to seduce Martin. Meanwhile, the friendship between Martin and Yolanda and her daughter April progresses.
Martin is conflicted, confides to friend/sous chef about the daughters Gomez the sous chef and Martins old business partner collapses and is hospitalized Martin has self-doubt about his cooking abilities without his friend. Gomez comes back to the restaurant – sits down and passes away. Hector is devastated. Carmen is devastated as well – Gomez was her confidant throughout the years as there is constant conflict between Carmen and Martin. Is Martin unable to let go of his daughters because of a control thing or is he just concerned for them as a father having raised them for the last 15 years.
Scene opens with yet another dinner being prepared
Martin and Orlando (Paul) are in the yard chasing a chicken
Martin in kitchen roasting chili peppers over an open fire
Martin cuts finger and leaves room
The camera pans the stove which has eight pots boiling with whisks sticking out of them
Enter Carmen to take care of pots
Hortensia, Carmen and April have also come to dinner along with the rest of the family: Leticia with Orlando, Maribel with Andy and Carmen. Martin over dinner decides to make his own announcement – he has sold the house, purchased a new one and is going to move on with his life – in his nervousness he goes back and forth between English and Spanish – Spanglish. He asks Hortensia who thinks he’s going to propose to her for her daughters hand in marriage, Hortensia is shocked when he proposes to her daughter Yolanda – who accepts.
After all that’s going on, the three daughters are at the dinner table and start singing the song Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps.
Martin drives Carmen (who is still conflicted about accepting the job in Barcelona) to the airport – he gives Carmen some of his knives which is very personal and highly prized to chefs – this is his way of reaching out to her – he say “if you need anything, anything at all you call, hmm? If you can’t get decent chipotles in Europe I’ll send some air express”. Dialogue between Martin and Carmen is very difficult – The machismo does not allow him to hug her and tell her that he’ll miss her. While packing up his home he reminisces about the events that have occurred in the home. Carmen returns – carmen prepares a dish of chicken pibil (her version of the dish) for her father – he approves of the dish but still is a bit critical on the ingredients – they disagree about the use of chili’s and to Martins surprise his sense of taste and smell have returned. This is a major deal for a professional chef – you must be able to taste and smell your dishes.
End scene: camera pans to sign on building Nuevo Latino with patrons driving up in the foreground
Interior shot: Carmen is overseeing the kitchen, making last minute touches to dishes and giving instructions to kitchen staff. In the dining room the entire family are sitting around the table and one last announcement, Yolanda is expecting a baby girl.
Fa
de out music playing Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps
