Buzz
When iconic food scenes in movies come to mind, the unforgettable moment in Pulp Fiction where Uma Thurman enjoys a $5 milkshake undoubtedly takes the spotlight. But what about the funniest food-related moments in comedies? From Jack Lemmon's ice cube mishap in Some Like It Hot to Robin Williams' flaming shirt incident in Mrs. Doubtfire, these scenes are packed with laughter. Here’s a list of 10 uproarious movie moments featuring food and drink.
10. Groundhog Day
Released in 1993, this classic stars Bill Murray as a man stuck reliving the same day repeatedly. Realizing there are no consequences, he indulges in outrageous behavior, including devouring an entire slice of cake in one bite. Surrounded by biscuits, ice cream, donuts, and milkshakes, he casually sips coffee and smokes a cigarette while Andie MacDowell questions his disregard for health. His nonchalant response?
“I don’t worry about anything anymore.”
While it may seem like we’re stuck in an endless loop of the same day, this movie is guaranteed to lift anyone’s spirits.
9. Pretty Woman
A modern twist on the timeless tale of ‘My Fair Lady,’ this film stars Julia Roberts as a prostitute hired by Richard Gere to accompany him to various events. Unlike Audrey Hepburn’s flower-selling character, Roberts’ role requires mastering the art of fine dining, including navigating an array of cutlery.
Her confusion peaks when her salad arrives late, leaving her unsure which fork to use. The scene where a snail she’s attempting to eat catapults across the room is met with the waiter’s reassuring remark: “Happens all the time.”
8. Bridget Jones’s Diary
This contemporary comedic take on Jane Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’ stars Renée Zellweger as a 32-year-old woman documenting her romantic life in a diary, torn between two suitors portrayed by Colin Firth and Hugh Grant. In one memorable scene, she attempts to prepare a birthday dinner with Colin Firth’s help, leading to a series of kitchen mishaps.
After a blender accident leaves her covered in its contents, she improvises by making blue soup, tinted by the string left around a leek. Colin Firth, tasting the bizarre creation, delivers his first joke in the film, quipping, “This really is the most incredible shit,” while laughing.
7. Meet the Parents
Ben Stiller stars as ‘Gaylord Focker,’ a nurse meeting his future father-in-law, played by Robert De Niro, in this comedy that showcases De Niro’s comedic talent. A standout scene occurs during dinner when De Niro recites a somber poem about his late mother. Attempting to lighten the mood, Stiller brings in champagne, only for the cork to hit an urn containing the mother’s ashes. To make matters worse, the family cat sniffs the ashes and urinates on them. Stiller’s earlier comment about milking cats and his line, “You can milk anything with nipples,” leads to De Niro’s hilarious retort: “I have nipples. Could you milk me?”
6. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
This 1971 classic is packed with hilarious food-related moments, such as when ‘Augustus Gloop’ tumbles into a chocolate river, gets sucked into a pipe, and becomes stuck. Another memorable scene involves ‘Violet Beauregarde,’ who ignores Willy Wonka’s warning and chews an experimental gum. After savoring its three-course meal flavor, she inflates and turns blue, prompting Wonka to remark, “It happens every time—they all become blueberries.” His other iconic lines include:
“If the good lord had intended us to walk, he wouldn’t have invented roller skates.” “Hurry please. We have so much time and so little to see. Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it.”
While the 2005 remake starring Johnny Depp has its moments, Gene Wilder’s portrayal of Willy Wonka remains unmatched and iconic.
5. Mrs. Doubtfire
Robin Williams delivers a comedic masterpiece as a divorced father who disguises himself as a female nanny to stay close to his kids. One standout scene shows him attempting to cook while in drag, accidentally setting his fake breasts on fire over the stove. He hilariously uses saucepan lids to extinguish the flames. Another unforgettable moment involves him smashing his face into a cream pie to conceal his identity, pretending it’s a facial mask.
Although reviews were mixed upon its 1993 release, Mrs. Doubtfire has since earned a spot on the American Film Institute’s list of the top 100 comedies of all time.
4. Some Like It Hot
Released in 1959 and frequently hailed as one of the greatest films ever made, this comedy stars Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon as musicians who disguise themselves as women after witnessing a crime. Both are smitten with Marilyn Monroe, and in one scene, Monroe shares drinks with Lemmon’s character in a train’s sleeping berth. As more women join, food and drinks are passed around, some even poured into hot water bottles. Chaos ensues when ice cubes are dropped down Lemmon’s back, causing him to accidentally pull the emergency brake and send everyone tumbling onto the train floor.
Despite being over six decades old, the film’s closing line remains iconic. When Lemmon reveals to a suitor that he’s not actually a woman, the man casually responds, “Well, nobody’s perfect.”
3. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
The 1984 sequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark, set in 1935 India, follows Indiana Jones on a quest to find a mystical stone. One particularly memorable scene takes place during a bizarre banquet at a palace where Jones and his companions are guests. The menu includes unsettling delicacies like a snake sliced open to release live ones and a soup that, once the steam clears, reveals floating eyeballs.
Thankfully, the props weren’t real. The infamous chilled monkey brains were crafted from custard and raspberry sauce, while the beetles were plastic shells filled with custard that oozed out when bitten.
2. Julie and Julia
Released in 2009, this film stars Meryl Streep as Julia Child, a chef-in-training in Paris and the only woman in her class. Determined to excel, she practices tirelessly, celebrating her first successful omelette flip with glee. In one humorous scene, her husband returns home to find her practicing onion chopping, leaving him unable to enter due to the overpowering fumes. When she asks if he’s hungry, he hastily declines and rushes out, eyes streaming.
1. The Breakfast Club
This 1985 high school comedy unfolds entirely in a school library, where five students serve detention. At lunch, their diverse tastes become apparent. Molly Ringwald uses chopsticks to eat sushi, prompting one boy to quip, “You won’t let a guy’s tongue in your mouth, but you’ll eat that?”
Emilio Estevez’s character, the school wrestler, unpacks six hefty bags of food, drawing everyone’s attention. Meanwhile, a girl at the end of the room tosses the meat from her sandwich into the air, where it lands on a modern art piece. She then opens a can of coke, leans over, and playfully licks the fizz off her desk.
