Watch a supercut of the best pancake scenes in film history
Ahh, the humble pancake. In a world in which we’re expected to impress our friends and relatives with extravagant culinary showstoppers, there’s real comfort in the fact that something so simple can be so delicious. Whether you eat them American-style with syrup and bacon or prefer the ethereal charm of a wafer-thin crepe sprinkled with lemon and sugar, we can all agree on one thing: the pancake is the ultimate vessel for flavour. As this supercut of scenes from Groundhog Day, Pulp Fiction, Matilda and many others demonstrate, they’re an equally effective vessel for narrative.
Pancake Day finds its origins in Shrove Tuesday, so Christians worldwide will be examining the kind of things they ought to repent for throughout the following 40 days. It also means that our pans will be busy with the creamy mixture as we prepare for a period of fasting and abstinence.
Over the years, there have been several movies that have used the famous meal to wondrous effect. So, to celebrate this delicious day, we’ve compiled some of the very best cinematic pancake moments. First up, we have Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future, clearly perplexed at his parent’s first meal of the day. “What the hell is this?” he demands before his mother coolly explains, “Breakfast”.
Pancakes are a recurring feature of Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, a film bookended by breakfast scenes. The philosophical differences between Jules and Vincent are foreshadowed in a scene in which they discuss the addition of bacon to a plate of pancakes, with Jules declaring that he “don’t dig on swine” because “pigs are filthy animals”. Probably best not to argue with him. Later, Butch’s girlfriend Fabienne announces that she plans to order a ” big plate of blueberry pancakes with maple syrup, eggs over easy, and five sausages,” reminding Butch of what stands between him and happiness.
Admittedly, pancakes are not the most heart-healthy meals of the calendar year, but Bill Murray in Groundhog Day appears to not care too much for Andie McDowell’s concern for his appetite as he scoffs through his breakfast. “I don’t worry about anything anymore,” he professes before explaining that his lack of care is “what makes [him] so special”.
While Murray tucked into his plate with reckless abandon, Zoe Deschanel and Joseph Gordon Levitt approach their meal with a far more dour outlook in 500 Days of Summer. Amidst a lover’s tiff, Deschanel suggests the two pick up their argument after enjoying their food. She then looks at probably the most miserable-looking plate of pancakes known to humankind before sardonically expressing, “Mmm… I love these pancakes. I’m so glad we did this.” Cruel.
But perhaps the most memorable pancake scene of all time comes from Matilda, in which ‘Send Me On My Way’ by Rusted Root plays over footage of the child prodigy making perfectly formed scotch pancakes. Check out a complete video of the aforementioned scenes, plus a few bonuses from the likes of Rain Man and The Big Lebowski, below.
