A Dozen Donut Moments in Movies

Being stuck in Major Holiday Limbo gives us a chance to focus on some important business that needs our attention - like compiling a list of 12 of my favorite donut references in motion pictures. Even if you haven't already skimmed ahead you can probably guess what most of them are - partly because you know me, but mostly because you know movies, and you know donuts. So put on a pot of coffee and we'll compare notes. 

- Paul

Wayne's World

If this were a ranking of donuttiest movies, I think Wayne's World would be Number One. Because the main hangout spot is the fictional Stan Mikita's Donuts, the whole film feels saturated in deep fried dough. But while there's a lotta donut talk throughout (it was the first time I'd heard of a "cruller") the only real on camera hero is Mr. Donut Head Man - an invention of Garth's and so very much a product of the early 90s. We don't know much about Mr. Donut Head Man (or the animals around him) other than he clearly has some vicious enemies. 

Full Metal Jacket

"A jelly do-nut?!" Leonard just doesn't seem to have the wherewithal to know that this kinda contraband will get him into deep shit (where did he even get that?). I would say that the moment of its discovery is maybe the most tense moment in any Kubrick film - placing it high in the running of most suspenseful of any film. And on a personal note, I used to think jelly donuts were excessive and gross and entirely too much, but over the years I've come to form a better understanding of where Private Pyle was coming from. 

It Happened One Night

Maybe the most famous donut-related scene put on celluloid, and part of that is because its wisdom has rung true for nearly a hundred years(!). As a child, cold milk was the beverage of choice to accompany a donut - coffee was only ever its own separate project, never to be paired with food. It wasn't until I grew up a bit that I truly embraced the coffee/donut experience, and while Clark Gable wasn't the one to inspire me to partake in the act of dunking (that honor goes to Joe DiMaggio) I consciously adopted his efficient in & out method. 

Running Scared

Reigning as the Ultimate Buddy Cop Movie in my book, it's only fitting that there are some donuts in there, and because it's the 1980s, it had to be Dunkin' Donuts - the decade when the chain (and new spokesman Fred the Baker) went global. The gag is that Billy Crystal brought donuts because he was too embarrassed to try and pronounce croissant. To this day I'm not entirely sure if I've ever had one (I'm not a fan of "flaky" or "airy" pastries) but I know I'll never hear the word without thinking of this movie. 

Red Rocket

More relatable than an international fast food chain is "your local donut shop", and this movie is partly a shrine to those. You know the ones: their quality is always way better or way worse than the mainstream stuff - there's never any in-between. And there's usually a pretty girl working there who, if you're truly depraved, you could talk into becoming an Adult Film Star. Plot stuff aside, there are a few lengthy, flirty conversations about different kinds of donuts in this, and to my fat ass those are the sexiest bits of the film.

Hardly Working

Now back to Dunkin', which makes a prominent appearance in this mostly obscure Jerry Lewis film from 1980. Honestly, I myself remember nearly nothing from this movie other than what can maybe be called its most well known scene: Jerry just started his job at the post office, and while his superior sits silently across the desk from him, Jerry can't help but ogle the Dunkin' box of dozen right there in front of him. After much tension has built, the boss finally asks him if he wants a donut, to which Jerry quickly and excitedly replies, "Where are they?!"

Wonder Boys

Another exciting delivery device for donuts are the boxed kind you can find on the shelf of a grocery store or gas station. Sometimes they're individually wrapped within the box so you and you alone can spread them out for nearly a fortnight without the threat of staleness. Or, you can fall victim to the munchies and plow through them in one introspective sitting. "Smoke the rest of that joint, James, you can start chewing on the box."

Breakdown

I remember the hype surrounding this as being the next Duel. And then I saw it and it wasn't anything like Duel and I was bummed. Today, I appreciate it for the singular fact that it might be as close as we ever got to J. T. Walsh in a leading role. Added to this, whatever mystery or suspense it did convey lost its flavor from being on HBO every day for like a year. So, every day I'd get that same craving for the other gas station donut option: the wrapped sleeve of 6 mini donuts (or Donettes). If you think this is a stretch then you haven't seen the film - these little powdered Hostess treats are actually a huge plot point, making this one of the most prominent Donut Movies to ever exist.

Breaker! Breaker!

Very few details from this movie ever stay with me despite seeing it several times. That's actually true of most of the films in this actor's résumé; I don't think Chuck had enough screen presence to ever fully leave an impression on me. But if there's one stunt he pulled that will forever be memorable in my mind is when he ordered a single donut at the counter of a truck stop. I understand (only through film and television) that one can order a donut at a restaurant that isn't specifically a Donut Shop, but the reality of it is alien to me. Also, a donut is a snack, or sometimes an on-the-go convenience, so the thought of one being served to me on washable dishware is so decadent and divine that it's actually quite attractive. Thank you Sir Charles Norris for opening my eyes.

Four Rooms

How about a single plain (or "old fashioned") donut on a silver platter? Quentin's segment, titled "The Man From Hollywood" is one of my favorite things he's ever done, for reasons I'll probably never bother to explain (because who else gives a shit about Four Rooms?). In it, he orders (amongst other things) one donut from room service, which he proceeds to stuff entirely into his mouth like it were Salma Hayek's foot, and then washes it down with Cristal. How many auteurs can execute a maneuver like that? (Okay, most likely Orson Welles.)

Midnight Run

The only entry on my list that doesn't feature any visual depiction of donuts. Instead, it features what ultimately became a catchphrase amongst the hardcore fans of this film (or I think it did - I don't really know any outside my extended family). In short, whenever character actor Jack Kehoe wants to excuse himself from employer Joe Pantoliano, he suggests running out to "get some donuts." And so, anytime he popped up in any other movie, either me or my parents would sit up and point at the screen like Rick Dalton and say, "I'll get some donuts!"

Boogie Nights

An otherwise lighthearted detour that lets us explore a variety of donut options in the San Fernando Valley in 1983 - but by this point in the movie, it can't help but be entirely ominous. (That fear is validated almost immediately.) The biggest takeaway from this moment is that if you ever wanna make the argument that Boogie Nights is a Christmas Movie, this is your proof.