November … while an easy theme would be Thanksgiving movies, I don’t feel as if there are as many to choose from, and the ones that are out there, we’ve seen fairly recently. So instead, I suggested best friend movies.
The theme of “best friend movies” is pretty wide open, so I recommended narrowing things down to duos. Otherwise, you can find yourself going down the path of group friendships, with two of my favorites: Now and Then (1995) and Stand by Me (1986). And for the meal, I figured we should go with iconic pairings, items that exist as their own foods, but when you put them together, they become something really special.
Week 1: Johnny’s pick
Movie: Step Brothers (2008)
“It’s the fucking Catalina Wine Mixer.” Need I say more?
For whatever reason, I am not much of a Will Ferrell movie fan. On SNL? Zero issues. But there’s something about the majority of movies he’s been in (aside from Stranger Than Fiction, which I enjoy). So, needless to say, this was a first watch for me. There are funny moments, of course, but more often than not, it was a cringefest (again, for me). Johnny repeatedly said, “You’re not enjoying this…” to which I would say “Ehhhh … just not my type of comedy.” But I know it’s beloved.
Check it out if you want to:
See Adam Scott be the opposite of his lovable Parks & Rec character Ben Wyatt.
Witness Kathryn Hahn do and say unthinkable things (I enjoyed how weird she went!)
Meal: Peanut Butter and Blackberry Preserves Sandwich with Thick Cut Bacon
To go with a movie about a couple of childish men, a fancy PB&J was Johnny’s brainchild. We used an “artisanal” white bread (no clue what that means, but we found it at Aldi). I vetoed the idea of bananas, but bacon added a nice crunch and worked well with the blackberry preserves. We served this with a (boxed, of course) red wine as a nod to the Catalina Wine Mixer and a side salad to offset what is essentially a dessert sandwich.
Week 2: Mel’s pick
Movie: Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)
Evelyn Crouch’s confidence glow-up is perfection.
I remember when this movie came out and everyone seemed enamored with it, but I never saw it (probably just as well, since a 9-year-old isn’t going to get much from this film). Watching the movie as a middle-aged woman (woof, there’s a phrase), it was everything I had hoped for: fun, charming, and a beautiful story of friendship and relationships, from the good to the bad to the catastrophic. And while Johnny isn’t exactly the movie’s key demographic, he had fun watching it.
Check it out if you want to:
See Jessica Tandy do what she does best—be a sassy and adorable rascal of a little old lady, while Kathy Bates does a complete 180 from her roles in Misery (1990) and Dolores Claiborne (1995).
Have a debate about what REALLY happened to Frank Bennett.
Meal: Fried Chicken and Waffles
This was my first time making these 2 items together. I used Tyler Florence’s recipe for the chicken, which is found in the book Fried & True (I highly recommend!), however, I think either the fry times are off or my thermometer is, because the skin definitely got darker than I would have liked … but the meat with tender and juicy! For the waffles, I use a recipe from a little booklet that came with my waffle maker. I made a small batch of salted butter, and we had maple syrup as well.
Week 3: Johnny’s pick
Movie: Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (1997)
Are high school reunions ever worth going to?
As someone who moved midway through high school, I am not the reunion sort of person. And you’d think the way Romy and Michele were treated in school they’d feel the same way, but their sweet optimism makes them anything but. This was a first watch for me, and I found it to be silly and charming (Johnny was a bit worried I was going to hate it, since Step Brothers wasn’t my jam). The 90s fashion was a welcome bit of nostalgia, and how can you not love Janeane Garofalo’s Heather Mooney?
Check it out if you want to:
Try to figure out how Mira Sorvino is making her voice sound that way.
Enjoy the epic final dance scene.
Meal: Steak and Garlic Roasted Potatoes with Sauteed Spinach
Johnny always loves a reason to make a steak, and he did a lovely job. The roasted potatoes were a new recipe, and they came out perfectly crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside. Rounding out the meal was spinach in an effort to avoid just a meat and potatoes plate.
Week 4: Mel’s pick
Movie: The Odd Couple (1968)
Well that started out dark.
Though I’ve never watched The Odd Couple show (original or reboot), finding a movie with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau was a win for me. This was a first watch for both of us, and we thoroughly enjoyed the film. While regularly remarking on just how HUGE Oscar’s apartment is, we laughed, cringed, and I regularly asked Johnny, “Oh god, am I Felix???!”
Check it out if you want to:
See the chemistry of Lemmon and Matthau, 2 men who were best friends in real life, as well as acting partners who usually played clashing roles.
Enjoy dialogue delivery that can give Aaron Sorkin shows a run for their money (gotta love Neil Simon!)
Meal: Spaghetti and Meatballs
An absolute classic (though maybe not as beloved as Felix’s meatloaf), spaghetti and meatballs is comfort food. I make my own marinara sauce, thanks to being taught years ago by my friend Liz. The recipe I link above is wonderful as a full dish, but for this meal I nabbed just the instructions for making the meatballs. They’re tender, flavorful, and because I wanted to deal with less mess, I opted to bake them, then nestle them in the sauce to simmer for a bit. Yum!
With December upon us, we’ll be melding a tradition we’ve been doing for nearly 7 years with this little cinematic project: the weekly Christmas movie throughout December. Now, considering the fact we’ve already watched more than 30 Christmas movies together to date (and we refuse to start in on any of the Hallmark dreck), do not expect the classics, because we’ve probably already watched them.
Until then, let me know if you watched any of the movies or made any of the recipes, and what you thought. Or try to guess which Christmas movies are on deck for us!