20 Great movies about restaurants that could be of interest to Restaurant owners:
"Chef" (2014) - A chef who loses his restaurant job starts up a food truck in an effort to reclaim his creative promise, while piecing back together his estranged family. Directed by Jon Favreau and starring Favreau, Sofia Vergara, and John Leguizamo.
"The Grand Budapest Hotel" (2014) - The adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars, and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend. Directed by Wes Anderson and starring Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, and F. Murray Abraham.
"The Hundred-Foot Journey" (2014) - A story centered around an Indian family who moves to France and opens a restaurant across the street from a Michelin-starred French restaurant. Directed by Lasse Hallström and starring Helen Mirren, Om Puri, and Manish Dayal.
"Julie & Julia" (2009) - Julia Child's story of her start in the cooking profession is intertwined with blogger Julie Powell's 2002 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child's first book. Directed by Nora Ephron and starring Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, and Stanley Tucci.
"The Lunchbox" (2013) - A mistaken delivery in Mumbai's famously efficient lunchbox delivery system connects a young housewife to a stranger in the dusk of his life. They build a fantasy world together through notes in the lunchbox. Directed by Ritesh Batra and starring Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
"Ratatouille" (2007) - A rat who can cook makes an unusual alliance with a young kitchen worker at a famous restaurant. Directed by Brad Bird and featuring the voices of Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, and Lou Romano.
"Sideways" (2004) - Two men reaching middle age with not much to show but disappointment, embark on a week-long road trip through California's wine country, just as one is about to take a trip down the aisle. Directed by Alexander Payne and starring Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, and Virginia Madsen.
"Spanglish" (2004) - A woman and her daughter emigrate from Mexico for a better life in America, where they start working for a family where the patriarch is a newly celebrated chef with an insecure wife. Directed by James L. Brooks and starring Adam Sandler, Téa Leoni, and Paz Vega.
"The Spoilers" (1942) - In Alaska, a gold prospector is robbed of his fortune and he and his partners seek revenge. Directed by Ray Enright and starring Marlene Dietrich, Randolph Scott, and John Wayne.
"Sunday Lunch" (2011) - An Italian-American family gathers for Sunday lunch, but as the day goes on, secrets come out and family dynamics become clearer. Directed by Joseph Castelo and starring Justin Bartha, Ari Graynor, and Peter Riegert.
"Tampopo" (1985) - A truck driver stops at a small family-run noodle shop and decides to help its fledgling business. The film is notable for its use of food imagery and its incorporation of Japanese culinary culture. Directed by Jūzō Itami and starring Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto, and Rikiya Yasuoka.
"The Trip" (2010) - Two friends go on a six-day road trip through the north of England, enjoying the local cuisine and reviewing various restaurants. Directed by Michael Winterbottom and starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon.
"Waitress" (2007) - A pregnant waitress at a pie diner in the Deep South strikes up a friendship with an unlikely new arrival and begins a journey of self-discovery. Directed by Adrienne Shelly and starring Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, and Jeremy Sisto.
"The Wedding Banquet" (1993) - A Taiwanese-American man plans to marry his girlfriend to placate his traditional Taiwanese parents, but complications arise when his parents arrive in the United States to plan the wedding. Directed by Ang Lee and starring Winston Chao, May Chin, and Sihung Lung.
"Big Night" (1996) - Two Italian immigrant brothers struggle to keep their restaurant running in the face of competition from a rival Italian eatery. Directed by Campbell Scott and Stanley Tucci and starring Tucci, Tony Shalhoub, and Minnie Driver.
"Burnt" (2015) - A chef who destroyed his career through reckless behavior and substance abuse attempts to redeem himself by pursuing a prestigious restaurant position. Directed by John Wells and starring Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, and Omar Sy.
"The Chef" (2012) - After losing his job at a prestigious restaurant, a chef starts a food truck to regain his culinary confidence and regain his love for cooking. Directed by Daniel Cohen and starring Jean Reno, Michaël Youn, and Raphaëlle Agogué.
"The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover" (1989) - The wife of a cruel restaurant owner and his mistress conspire to kill him, but after the murder is committed, his corpse is transformed into a banquet that a group of barbarians proceed to eat. Directed by Peter Greenaway and starring Richard Bohringer, Michael Gambon, and Helen Mirren.
"Dinner Rush" (2000) - A New York City restaurant owner struggles with financial difficulties and his demanding personal life while trying to run a successful business. Directed by Bob Giraldi and starring Danny Aiello, Edoardo Ballerini, and Kirk Acevedo.
"The Sweet Life" (2016) - A couple decides to open a small-town restaurant to escape the chaos of their lives, but they soon discover that running a business can be just as stressful as the lives they left behind. Directed by Rob Spera and starring Chris Messina, Abigail Spencer, and Analeigh Tipton.
We studied Tampopo in our cinema class back in 1998. It is a true classic.
