Eat With Me (2014)
Running Time: 1hr 40 mins
Emma (Sharon Omi) is experiencing difficulties in her marriage and decides she needs time away from her detached husband. Unannounced, she decides to move in with her son, Elliot (Teddy Chen Culver). Mother and son have been estranged since Elliot had previously revealed to her that he is gay.
Emma's arrival takes Elliot by surprise. On top of dealing with the awkwardness of her spontaneous visit and their inability to communicate effectively with one another, Elliot has fallen behind on the mortgage payments for his family's Chinese food restaurant, once operated by Emma's brother. Elliot now runs the restaurant and decides not to disclose his financial burdens to his mother. Instead, he asks his mother to teach him how to make some of her special dumplings in hopes of revamping the restaurant's menu and drumming up business. His unsuccessful attempt leaves him disappointed, but not entirely discouraged.
Emma has quickly fallen into her natural role of caretaker and spends a lot of her time cooking, doing laundry, and cleaning Elliott's apartment. When she meets his intriguing and carefree neighbor, Maureen (Nicole Sullivan), Emma is excited to spend more time with her. Elliot also meets someone new—a musician named Ian (Aidan Bristow).
Although Elliot does not tell his mother about the new man in his life, Emma accidentally finds the two of them asleep together in Elliot's bed one morning. Unsure of how to process her discovery, Emma needs some time to herself. In a nearby park, she sits beside George (George Takei) and the two engage in conversation. George reveals that he, too, is gay. At the age of seventy-six, George assures Emma that although being gay has been hard for him at times, it has also been amazing. Emma finds comfort and understanding in the words of her new friend, which prompts her to have a long-overdue conversation with her son.
Eat with Me is the directorial debut for David Au. The film is both relatable, refreshing, and even humorous. It is a love story on many levels—the supportive love of friends, both old and new, the unconditional love between a mother and her son, and the excitement of truly falling in love for the first time. The film is a reminder of how important and beautiful it is to accept yourself, be comfortable with yourself, and love yourself, while also remembering to do the same for others.
I Absolutely recommend Eat with Me. However, to avoid having the same mouth-watering experience I had looking at and hearing about dumplings throughout the entire movie, be sure to have your own variety of dumplings from your favorite Chinese food restaurant to snack on while watching this movie.
