Tortilla Soup

María Ripoll's 2001 film is Ang Lee's Taiwanese Eat Drink Man Woman moved to Los Angeles. Martin is a master Mexican American chef who has lost his sense of taste but still lays a magnificent table for his three daughters every Sunday. Each of them is in the process of moving away from him: one has taken refuge in religion, one is chasing a career, one fits the family order not at all. The film shows the cooking at length and tells what goes unsaid in the family through the table. The adaptation keeps the structure of the original almost exactly and makes its difference in the cultural detail of a Mexican American household. The tone is light and optimistic. Elizabeth Peña and Jacqueline Obradors carry the balance among the sisters. Who it's for: viewers who like family comedy and films about food. Who it's not for: anyone who knows the original; this version is softer.