bicycle + basket + girl wearing skirt/dresses + beautiful scenery from a foreign country {namely Italy or France} family + food + love credit These are the key components that I love in a movie. I get pretty excited when I'm watching a movie & any of the above pops up! Not ganna lie. credit And I have, yet one more time, picked one that has several of these things. What?! How does this happens? I don't know these things just by looking at the case or reading the review. But when I pick a movie, like I'm totally the one picking it, I somehow end up choosing one with these things! It's like I'm drawn to them by some inexplicable force. credit credit I blogged about the irony once before here. You must click over & read just so you can see the legitimacy of this whole phenomenon. Last night, we watched The Hundred-Foot Journey, a movie I picked. {We had a code to get a freebie from our On Demand package.} credit I have to admit, I was feeling iffy during the first 15 minutes, as to where the movie was going or if we were going to to stick with it. {It's a bit slow in the beginning.} Once the story gets started though, in the beautiful French countryside nonetheless, I knew I was all in. Now, I'm certainly no movie critic & wouldn't know how to correctly write a review if I tried, but I'd describe this one as a feel-good movie with a great ending, which is precisely the 'easy to watch & enjoy' kind of movies I often prefer. Yea, I'm the mushy, hopeless romantic type ;) It checks all the right boxes ... all the ones I mentioned at the beginning of this post. The location is beyond gorgeous!! The real town where the movie was shot is the French medieval village of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val in Tarn-et-Garonne in the Midi-Pyrenees region of France. Located in the Alps in the southwest area of France, it is said to be a perfect travel destination because it's not as heavily visited by tourists. {Duly noted & added to bucket list.} credit These 2 buildings are where the story takes place. This is the hundred-foot journey. credit Another thing I loved: hearing the French language. Gaahhh...it's so beautiful & romantic ;) credit And then there's the food aspect of the story. Don't all real romances have good food as a common thread? To say that The Hundred-Foot Journey seduces the heart through food in as understatement. credit Isn't this quaint, oh-so-French kitchen just adorable? credit Outdoor dining & string lights hanging above = perfection! credit And there are several quotes I like from the film, I am completely crazy about this one: FOOD IS MEMORIES. That certainly rings true in my life. Here's the clip: And I just can't get enough of Marguerite's dresses!! credit credit The other big theme throughout this movie is FAMILY. Family is a huge priority in The Hundred-Foot Journey. The main character, Hassan, places himself within the context of his family legacy from the very first page. I love how he introduces his own story by starting with the story of his grandfather ... And this theme stays strong to the very end of the movie. Although Hassan found great success, he was lonely & ultimately longing for his family. His joy was somewhat hollow without having them to share it with. We see the importance of being a part of a bigger picture, which is really what makes us who we are. The Haji family is a unit throughout the movie, a way of life which always seems to be more strongly demonstrated & adhered to in other cultures than here in the US. The disregard for maintaining a strong family unit by much of our society {starting with the grandparents clear down to the youngest child} makes me so sad. The breakdown of the family is a big reason our country is in the shape it's in today. James & I have determined that teaching about the importance a strong family unit would be a priority in our own family. He has told our sons over & over & over through the years ... family first. They treat us, as parents, with respect & they come to us for counsel & advice knowing no one has their best interest at heart like we do. He's raised them to look at their brothers as their best friends & confidants. He's trained them about the importance of being loyal to your family & has said to them countless times, "Remember, you are a Pennington." This has hung on our wall for many years. {sorry it's blurry} Be true to who you are and the family name you bear. Our family motto is 'God & Family.' When the boys hug their dad at night or when they are leaving, that is what they say, 'God & Family'. In September, James bought each of our sons a ring with our family crest on it. {For years, they all worked together researching the Pennington crest & deciding the things they would add to it ... there's a certain amount of variability.} They worked with a jeweler to get the design just right. There are some awesome shots of all 4 of the Pennington men at the weddings with their rings & I'll share it as soon as I can get it. So, you can see how important family is to us & why that theme resonated so deeply with me. In the movie, Papa says these words, "Remember sweet boy, you are a Haji. Always remember. A Haji". That stays with Hassan through every important moment of his life. Makes me think of a southern phrase that I grew up hearing ... 'Remember your raising'. In other words, remember who you are & where you come from. The closeness and connection of family is a gift that we all should value & hold on to, and it ultimately will be our guiding force every step of the way. If you are a looking for a sweet & endearing movie & haven't had the chance to see The Hundred-Foot Journey, go for it! It covers so many themes: culinary, culture, family, friendship, and achieving your dream ... & romance thrown in too. And you know what? It's almost Valentine's Day. Get in the kitchen together, make a meal, & then watch this movie! Who doesn't love a good party?! You can find me here linking up with these great blogs. Monday C.R.A.F.T Amaze Me Monday The Dedicated House I Should Be Mopping the Floor The Hankful House The Modest Mom Tuesday A Delightsome Life A Bowl Full of Lemons Titus Tuesday A Stroll Through Life Wednesday Raising Homemakers Savvy Southern Style Adorned From Above The Thrifty Home A Wise Woman Builds Her Home Thursday Between Naps on the Porch Serving Joyfully Lamberts Lately Friday Rooted in Thyme The Thrifty Groove Farm Blog Hop Best of the Nest French Country Cottage The Girl Creative Sunday Nifty Thrifty Things Sew Many Ways