Like Water for Chocolate

Like Water for Chocolate (Spanish: Como agua para chocolate) is a 1992 Mexican romantic drama film in the style of magical realism based on the debut novel of the same name published in 1989 by Mexican novelist Laura Esquivel. It earned ten Ariel Awards including the Best Picture and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The film became the highest-grossing foreign-language film ever released in the United States at the time. The film was selected as the Mexican entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 65th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee. Plot A woman named Tita living in the early 1900s experiences the struggles of love, family dynamics and family tradition. A young lady is cutting onions, expressing the influences of emotions and cooking. She begins a story with the birth of a girl named Tita. Tita's mother, Elena, gives birth on the kitchen table, assisted by the cook, Nacha. Shortly afterwards Elena's husband dies of a heart attack when a stranger viciously tells him that his wife had an affair and the second daughter isn't his. During the funeral Elena explains to Nacha that she can no longer have children and the family tradition dictates that Tita, being the youngest child, cannot marry but must take care of her mother until her death. Tita's sisters, Rosaura and Gertrudis, will be allowed to marry. Nacha takes charge of teaching Tita how to cook food in flavorful ways. Tita learns to infuse her emotions into food.