American Adobo

In the tradition of such films as LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE (1992), EAT DRINK MAN WOMAN (1994), WHAT'S COOKING and WOMAN ON TOP (both 2000) and TORTILLA SOUP (2001), this slight slice of hyphenate life uses food as a metaphor for the complicated relationships between friends and family, in this case five Filipino-Americans in their late thirties and early forties. They met in college in the Philippines, and now all live in the New York area. Tere (the aptly named Cherry Pie Picache) is the group's center, and its star cook: Her signature dish is adobo, a pork dish whose seasonings reflect the Philippines' culinary diversity. But while Tere holds her friends together, ...