Parents' Guide to

Tortilla Soup

Movie PG-13 2001 103 minutes
Tortilla Soup Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

Joyce Slaton By Joyce Slaton , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 14+

A harmless comedy that will make your mouth water.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 14+?

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age 17+

Based on 4 parent reviews

doctora
doctora Parent of 8-year-old
September 1, 2024
age 14+

Elizondo and Welch shine!

There are lots of parts to this film that are very endearing...like every time Elizondo and Welch are onscreen, but there are other portrayals that are not as convincing. I didn't care for the performances of the three daughters. Peña is the strongest and even she feels hampered by an underwritten character. Rodríguez feels like an odd choice, unless you remember what Latine films were like in 2001 then his casting feels more like an inevitability. The film's strongest parts are how food is filmed. But the story feels predictable with the mandatory everything is going ok and then tragedy strikes! Still...Elizondo and Welch are worth watching.
ForRealzThough
ForRealzThough Adult
November 1, 2021
age 16+

Just okay...

This film is kind of boring in many ways. There is definitely sexual content in the film and some of it is promiscuous. Also, the father marries a woman in the same age as his daughters towards the end. While legal, some may find this cringe worth and not great for a young teen audience. While none of the scenes find anyone naked, I still found this to be more of an R than a PG-13 in content. It is somewhere between the two ratings, which is why I have placed it as okay for 16 year olds.
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

TORTILLA SOUP centers on a Mexican-American family in L.A. Martin Naranjo (Hector Elizondo) is a widower, the former chef-owner of a gourmet restaurant, and father to three willful daughters. Leticia (Elizabeth Pena), a prim and proper teacher with the hots for a new coach at school, Carmen (Jacqueline Obradors), a high-powered career woman on the verge of moving out, and Maribel (Tamara Mello), who has decided to put off college while she "finds herself." Meanwhile, a close family friend brings her pushy Mom, Hortensia (Raquel Welch) for a visit in which she instantly develops eyes for Martin. Each week, while the family vents its problems, Martin fills the Sunday dinner table with sumptuous delights.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (1 ):

As in Ang Lee's Eat Drink Man Woman, the lovingly photographed shots of food in Tortilla Soup are its best feature. Watching Martin pound chiles with a mortar and pestle, peel avocados, and fry up squash blossoms for soup could have made for a magnificent film on its own.

Unfortunately, the directors chose to instead, load the film with melodramatic twists and predictable, unconvincing dialogue. However, this is a decent-enough film for rabid foodies, fanatical lovers of gentle family comedies, and families looking for something sweet and gentle to watch together.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about food movies, such as Babette's Feast, Big Night, or Eat Drink Man Woman, the original version of this film. Can you think of other movies that feature food as a major element? What makes these movies fun? What does the food -- and its preparation -- symbolize in this movie?

Movie Details

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