Babette's Feast

Based on the classic tale by Isak Dinesen, Gabriel Axel's superb film mixes both the pious and the sensual to deliver a veritable feast for both the senses and the soul. Babette's Feast is the story of two girls who live with their devoted Protestant minister father in a Danish fishing village. They grow into women and attract the attention of two men, but their father's influence keeps them from consummating their love. Many years later, a French girl named Babette comes to live with them. She obviously has extraordinary skills as a chef, but never questions her adopted family's plain fare. After the father dies and the sisters have become old women, Babette wins a lottery for 10,000 francs. She begs the frugal pair to let her spend the money on a feast for the entire village. They reluctantly agree, and the resultant repast is so extraordinary that it changes their lives forever. The photography is sumptuously delightful and the story irresistibly compelling in this award-winning film.