Babette's Feast

As part of its holiday menu, the Coolidge Corner Theatre serves art with a side of science with a special screening of the delectable Danish film Babette's Feast, paired with a talk on the science of taste.

Set in a remote Danish fishing village in the late 19th century, this Academy Award-winning film tells the tale of two aging sisters, Phillipa and Martina, devotees of a strict Christian sect. When Babette, a French woman escaping Paris, appears on their doorstep with a letter of introduction, the two sisters warily yet charitably take her in as their housekeeper and cook. After 14 years of service, Babette wins the lottery and asks to prepare a sumptuous feast for the sisters and their fellow parishioners in gratitude for their kindness. The thought of such decadence makes the faithful fear for their souls, and though they accept Babette's invitation, they vow not to show any pleasure. But in one of the great sensory sequences captured on film, their resolve fades as they are presented course after course of gastronomical delights. Through Babette's transcendent culinary artistry, they discover that food is more than mere sustenance, and reestablish their bonds of love and fellowship.

The film's mouthwatering scenes raise some intriguing questions. How does our sense of taste work? How does taste act in concert with our other senses to allow us to recognize flavor? How does memory factor into our experience of food? And what role does science play in orchestrating taste, odors, colors, consistencies, and other sensations to create a delicious meal? Joining us before the film to explore these and other questions is Dr. Guy Crosby, associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Food Science at Framingham State College and adjunct associate professor of nutrition at Harvard University's School of Public Health. Dr. Crosby is science editor for Cook's Illustrated magazine and science expert for "America's Test Kitchen," broadcast nationwide on PBS.

Tickets: Museum of Science members and students: $7.75; general admission: $9.75; Coolidge Corner Theatre members: free. Tickets are available in advance at coolidge.org or at the theater box office, 290 Harvard Street, Brookline.

With Science on Screen, the Coolidge Corner Theatre shows a feature film or documentary with a basis in science, combined with exciting remarks by noted scientists and others in related fields. The Science on Screen series is co-presented by the Museum of Science, Boston and New Scientist magazine.

Babette's Feast

Babette's Feast

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Babette's Feast

Schedules

Remaining seats appear in parenthesis after event time.

November 16, 2009: 7:00 pm

Babette's Feast

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