Like Water for Chocolate (DVD, 1999)

This Mexican movie is like a child's fable--only for adults. The wicked mother tells her youngest daughter that she can never marry because it is the tradition of the family that the youngest daughter has to take care of the mother until her death. And guess which daughter like Cinderella falls in love first. Tita, the youngest, is smitten with Pedro, who is also smitten with her. But Mama says no; so to be near Tita, Pedro marries her oldest sister.

Tita, so forlorn, concentrates on learning to cook from the master cook of the house, Nacha. Eventually, she is so good that her recipes transform the mood of the family lots of different ways. They can make them sick, lecherous, but mostly in love.

Tita eventually gets a boyfriend--Dr. John MD--which complicates the story, but mostly the story is about the star-crossed lovers Tita and Pedro. The ending too is also supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

The recipes described in the movie are included in the book but not the DVD. The unknown actors are very refreshing too.

But watch out. The movie can be viewed in English with or without English subtitles. But unless you adjust the movie, it will play speaking Spanish. I did not know that and viewed it with English subtitles and Spanish spoken. It would have been better if I had been more aware.