October 13,1993
8
Campus Extras
Like Water for Chocolate finds sweet success
What do you'do when the man
you love marries your older sister,
and you are forbidden to marry and
forced to stay home to care for your
overbearing motheruntil the day she
dies? No, this is not the topic for the
next Geraldo, Montel Williams, or
Jenny Jones talk show. It is, how
ever, the topic in an excellent movie
based on the equally excellent novel
by Laura Esquivel, Like Water for
Chocolate. The film, which is Mexi
can and sub-titled, was released near
the end of the past summer season. It
swept the Mexican Academy of
Motion Pictures, winning a total of
eleven awards. The novel itself has
been on the best seller list for most of
this year. Laura Esquivel has written
a fresh and innovative novel and
screenplay, bringing inimitable
strengths to a classic love story.
The story takes place in Mexico,
at about the turn of the century. Tita,
the youngest of three girls, is bom in
the kitchen to Mama Elena, and it is
there that Tita makes a way of life
and becomes a culinary artist. Tita
falls in love with young Pedro who
confesses his undying love for her.
However, in well-bom Mexican fami
lies,tradition dictates that the young
est daughter not marry, but remain at
home to care for her mother. Mama
Elena chooses not to make an excep
tion and instead arranges for Tita’s
older sister, Rosaura, to marry Pedro.
Pedro agrees to this anangement only
because he sees it as the only way to
be near the woman he loves. As Pedro
Movie Review
by Rooney King
takes up residence with Mama
Elena’s family, the tension grows, as
does Pedro’s and Tita’s love. Sens
ing the undying love. Mama Elena
sends Pedro, Rosaura and their new-
bomson to Texas. When word comes
of the death of the son, whom Tita
nurtured both physically and emo
tionally, Tita suffers a breakdoVn
and blames her mother for the death
of the child. Mama Elena insists that
Tita be institutionalized. Instead, the
young Dr. Brown, who is taken with
Tita, secretly brings her into his home
to care for and nurses her back to
health. As Tita gets well, she be
comes much stronger and insists that
she will no longer take the bullying
of her mother. She vows never to
return home and decides to marry the
loving Dr. Brown.
Due to the revolution that is tak
ing place during this period to time in
Mexico, both Tita and Pedro are
forced to return home, only to find
their situation even more complex.
Uke Water for Chocolate is not
only romantic but also touched with
bittersweet moments of magic, sen
suality, but most importantly humor.
Through Tita's cooking she is able to
magically bring outemotions in those
who eat her lavish meals; these feel
ings come from the emotions that
surround her while preparing them,
be they sadness or passion. A point
which is guaranteed to bring on hys
terical laughter is Rosaura’s stomach
disorder, which manifests itself in
the form of severe flatulence. Tlie
problem becomes so grave that no
one can come near because of the
constant gas and the bad mouth odor
which accompanies her condition.
Pedro resorts to fumigating the house
with a strong incense!
The screen play follows the novel
closely, and the characters are accu
rately portrayed. The earthy actors
and actresses bring an intensity of
feeling to their characters. This in
tensity adds to dw effervescence and
effectiveness of the film since, with
many foreign films, there is some
loss in meaning when attempting to
translate literally.
The bizarre set of circumstances
makes for an original, sensual and
delightfully entertaining movie that
is a must-see.
Correction....
In an article in the September
15,1993, edition of iheHerald,
we incorrectly reported that
Beth Meier, counselor Personal
Growth and Counseling
Center, has her Ph.D. She has
her Masters degree.
• Thursday, Oct. 14,
8:00pm - Recital, works by
Wagner, Wolf, Strauss,
Poulenc, Pasatieri, Lee Hoiby,
David Diamond and John La
Montaine.
• Friday, Oct. 15,10:00 am
- Nancy Riva-Palacio, Gradu
ate Piano Lecture-Recital,
Carswell.
• Friday, Oct. IS (7&9pm)
- Saturday, Oct.l6 ( 3pm ) -
NC Museum of Art’s Feature
Film Series starring Gene Kelly
presents Cover Girl with Rita
Hayworth. Single tickets at the
door $3.
• Sunday, Oct. 17,8:00pm
- Raleigh Symphony Perfor
mance, Jones Auditorium.
• Tuesday, October 19,
7:30pm - Photography Lecnire,
Jeff L.. Rosenheim fi-om the
Metropolitan Museum of An in
New York will give a lecture in
the Kresge Auditorium.
• Saturday, Oct. 23,
7:00pm - Samantha Hill, Jun
ior Piano Recital, Carswell.
Senior Class
Big Sis/Lir Sis
Co-Chairs...
need help with the
organization of next
social.
Please call to join the
committee or give
ideas.
Call Jennifer 7959 or
Tiffany 7998
Family Day '93 Now Improved
Family Day '93 is new. It begins at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 24 with a student>led worship
service (casual dress.) At 12:00 p.m., Deja Vu plus the Bathtub Ring entertains. We think that even
your little brother will like this band. And if Dad is up for it, we’re going to play volleyball at 2:00
p.m. We even talked the student supply store into opening form 1*4 p.m.
So, call the family and have them register early for Family Day ’93. We'll put the chicken and ribs
on.
Family Day '93. It*s a Better Idea.
Sunday, October 24,1993
Sponsored by the Student Foundation