Common Sense Media Review
Passionate tale of lost and regained love.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
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Like Water for Chocolate
What's the Story?
The youngest of three daughters in a Mexican family, Tita, is doomed by tradition to remain a virgin and forever care for her mother. LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE depicts the emotional struggle suffered by Tita following her loss of and longing for Pedro, and her attempts to escape the controlling fists of her mother. The film works through a series of highly charged relationships utilizing uncommon visual elegance and a sense of mysticism that visually depicts the Mexican literary tradition of magical realism.
Is It Any Good?
Based on the first novel by screenwriter Laura Esquivel, this movie presents a visually stunning tale of repressed passion, lost love, and the magical powers of food. Like Water for Chocolate swept the Ariel Awards (Mexico's equivalent to the American Oscars), garnering awards for best picture, acting, direction, screenplay, cinematography, set design, and production design. From story to execution, it exudes quality.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about issues such as family duty, generational conflict, gender equality, and cultural traditions in Like Water for Chocolate.
Parents may also want to discuss how this film's use of magical realism differs from more traditional American writing and filmmaking.
Movie Details
- In theaters : January 1, 1992
- On DVD or streaming : August 10, 1999
- Cast : Caroline Aaron , Lumi Cavazos , Marco Leonardi , Regina Tome
- Director : Alfonso Arau
- Inclusion Information : Latino Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Middle Eastern/North African Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Miramax
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 123 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : sexuality
- Last updated : July 22, 2025
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