Gone With the Winding Waistline and Other Desserts Inspired by Iconic Drama Films Like No Other

If your life is lackluster, you probably live for drama movies, or maybe you are a literature nerd. Whichever is the case, we have the perfect fix for you! Bake these desserts that are the perfect representation of drama cult classics, some more like casual flings than crowd favorites, but these desserts are the cul de sacs of Heartbreak Avenue.

Cinematic masterpieces have a way of stirring our souls like few other art forms can. From epic tales of love, loss, triumph and tragedy, dramatic films provide a visceral emotional experience, often staying with us long after the credits roll. And we are here for the drama, the more exacerbating, the better; but on screen, of course!

We've selected some of the most memorable drama movies that have had that heartwarming aftereffect. But rather than simply rewatching them, why not relive their impact and explore their themes through a new medium — desserts? We promise you these desserts encapsulate what their movie counterparts make you feel and stand for, so grab a spoon and fork, and dig in!

1. Mrs Doubtfire: Spotted Dick

Hilarity from the first scene where Daniel (Robin Williams) is seen lending his voice to a cartoon show, the movie gradually progresses to navigate the complex themes of separation and divorce. This film is for kids who are too young to understand why their parents are no longer together. In fact, Willams’s character in a last-ditch attempt to be closer to his children, when he loses custody rights, is to dress up as a British nanny, dupe his ex-wife and serve the family. This same nanny later helps the children navigate their way through the couple’s divorce. We believe the British dessert called the ‘spotted dick’ best suits the movie, with its spackled interior and plain exterior.

2. The French Dispatch: Tarte Tatin

Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch tells the quirky, interconnected stories featured in an American magazine based in a fictional 20th-century French city. The movie is a tribute to journalism from the days of yore, and captures the spirit of the discipline through Anderson’s signature still frames and his not-so-animated characters inhabiting them. The magazine is brought to life via short films featuring a stellar star cast with their incredible stories amid the mundanity of life. To complement this nod to print media centered in provincial France, we’d go with Tarte Tatin, a traditional French dessert that perfectly encapsulates The French Dispatch's celebration of place, people and culture.

3. Eat Pray Love: Tiramisu

One of the most prominent soul-searching movies of the tired writer going through a midlife crisis, Eat Pray Love follows the self-transformative journey of Elizabeth Gilbert (Julia Roberts) after going through a divorce, which leaves her feeling hollow, instead of the relief she thought it would bring her. She spends a year traveling through Italy, India, and Indonesia, immersing herself in different cultures to learn what truly nourishes her soul. And in the end, she finds love once again and throws caution to the wind. What else but the indulgent tiramisu, which represents this film so well? The first bite of a tiramisu is a transformative experience just like how Elizabeth goes through one and each bite is an explosion of flavors in your mouth with the coffee, cocoa and mascarpone cheese just assaulting your senses.

4. The Godfather: Cannoli

The Godfather films are considered some of the greatest and most influential movies to ever be made. On the surface, they depict a world of violence, corruption and organized crime. But at their core, the films are also about family, legacy and the complex ties that both bind and divide us. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, his films are also renowned for their rich visuals, memorable performances, and iconic lines. Even 50 years later, scenes like the horse head in the bed or the baptism massacre are still discussed with equal enthusiasm. This one should not come as a surprise, but it is a cannoli that perfectly depicts the Sicilian mafia family and their connectedness to their roots. The dessert’s prevalence to Sicilian culture is perfectly captured in a scene with a line that says, “Leave the gun. Take the cannoli”.

5. 500 Days of Summer:Breakup Brownies

This story is seen through the rose-tinted glasses of Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who falls in love with his bosses’ new assistant Summer (Zooey Deschanel). It was a classic case of boy - meets-girl, boy falls hard but the girl does not; the plot thickens after Summer says that she doesn't believe in true love and her feelings for Tom aren't as deep as his are for her. But towards the end, we see her and Tom reconnect in the future, to see her happily married to someone else.

This movie tackles the universal truth that often our ideals don't match up with someone else's, and heartbreak is part of the deal when putting yourself out there emotionally. Breakup brownies are what suits this soul-crushing drama movie well, and if you like to suffer through such movies or wish to keep your loved one company while they suffer through their heartbreaks, put on this film and bake them a batch of breakup brownies.