Eat Drink Man Woman - It's more than just food

“The things which men greatly desire are comprehended in meat and drink and sexual pleasure; …”

「飲食男女，人之大欲存焉」- Book of Rites by Confucious

            The title “Eat Drink Man Woman” come from the “Book of Rites” by Confucious. It refers the men’s three most basic instincts. Which are food, drinks and sex. This perfectly sums up the idea of the entire film. The film follows the lives of Mr Chu and his three daughters. While the film focuses mostly on the Chu family, it is the people that they meet that drives the story. While the film seemingly is about a typical Chinese family with all of its practices and cultures, the Chu family is anything but typical.

Themes

            Throughout the film, food is a common theme throughout. Evident from the Chu family’s Sunday night dinners, it is the only time when the family comes together to have meal. Prepared by Mr Chu with a great deal of intricateness and effort. This is how Mr Chu chooses to show his love to his daughters. This is also an avenue for the family to share their updates and announcements. Some of the biggest event happenings are being announced and discussed at the dinner table. The Sunday dinner shares some insights into a typical Chinese family. Where food or dinners is then the family comes together. More than just for a meal but also in a more literal sense. It is what it means to be a family. No matter where you go and what you do, it is the family that you go home to in the end.

            The second most apparent theme is the idea of traditional Chinese culture versus westernization. This is shown via the Chu daughters and as well as various cues throughout the film. Firstly and foremost, Jia-Jen is shown be a Christian. A typically western religion. Jia-Ning is shown working at Wendy’s a western fast food chain. Jia-Chien is shown to be in a friends-with-benefits relationship with Raymond. Also a typical western practice. It is also important to note that Mr Chu towards the end is shown to be in a relationship with Jin-Rong who is much younger than he is. Also not a common practice in a typical Chinese culture.

             The third theme is most likely the hidden desires shown in the Chu family. Sex from the title can also mean a person’s desires. Throughout the film, the family kind of struggles to either express or to strive for their desires. Jia-Jen’s desire to have a boyfriend or husband or sex. It is also possible that Jia-Jen struggles with the fact that she is envious of Jia-Chien throughout her entire life. As was hinted in the middle of the film that Jia-Jen was envious of Jia-Chien being allowed in the kitchen. Jia-Jen was probably envious of Jia-Chien’s success with men and her career. Which most likely the reason why that she even cook up a story of her being dumped by an ex-boyfriend and swearing off relationships ever since. Jia-Ning’s desire can be considered the most simplistic. As was shown with how she continues to interact with her apparently best friend’s then boyfriend. Jia-Chien desire is quite interesting and multi-layered. She enjoys cooking and was resents being exiled from the kitchen. She may also have desired to be with Raymond as a partner. As she shown to be visibly upset upon finding out that he is getting married with another woman. Interestingly, of the sisters; she is the one that gets her desires last. Even her father gets to fulfill his desires of having to marry Jin-Rong and his daughters leaving his care. Jia-Chien finally gets her desire to cook in the kitchen that she so long desires.

            The last theme, is of moving on. The topic of the past is a regular mainstay throughout the film to the point it seems that characters seemed to be suspended in time. Jia-Jen in her apparent asshole boyfriend. Jia-Chien of not being allowed in the kitchen. Mr Chu of being in the house with his three daughters. The Sunday dinners becoming a routine for all of them. It was shown that the daughters began to move out one by one as a sign of them moving on. For Mr Chu, moving wasn’t about his daughter moving out of the house or getting married with Jin-Rong. It was more on about him no longer living in the house and reconciling with his daughter. In the final last scene, Mr Chu is shown to be alone with his Jia-Chien. Jia-Chien is shown to be cooking in the kitchen. Only the dining hall and the kitchen is lighted up. It’s definitely wasn’t a coincidence that Jia-Chien is the splitting image of her mother. It is a scene of Mr Chu reconciling with his past. It is as if his late wife is cooking for him. Not to mention that the soup that Jia-Chien cooks for him is her mother’s recipe. To the extent that Mr Chu is able to taste again. Only then, Mr Chu is finally moving on.