This course seeks to turn students from passive viewers to informed and involved critics of food in film. Students will examine food films as a unique genre, and jump into the academic conversation of film analysis through in-class discussions, papers and a final project. The course's main arc follows cultural issues raised by U.S. food films released between 1990 and 2015, as well as their antecedents, as appropriate, and a selection of films released after 2015. For each film, students will examine food's role in crafting a cultural statement. Areas of focus include film's portrayals of U.S. restaurants and consumer consumption, the role of women in the industry, the objectification of women and food, the portrayal of domestic masculinity, the reflection of identity in animated films, and the commodification of ethnicity.
Prerequisites
Literature and Composition (LITC-200) or College Writing II (LITC-105).