FFW - Dessert in Just Add Water

The small object of “just add water” to me is dessert. Throughout the entire movie, dessert makes itself present in many forms. It symbolizes the different struggles along the plot of the movie, and it represents the different relationships among the characters. For instance, Ray’s mother is killed over her lemon meringue recipe. This overwhelming importance on a dessert shows the strained relationship between Ray’s sister and his mother at this point in the movie. The dessert fight is not actually over a dessert; it is more an argument over control and trust within their relationship. Another instance of a dessert is the pudding Nora saves for Ray. Not only is this an act of kindness, but also a small instance of Nora’s adoration for Ray. The pudding that is saved shows that Nora does care deeply for Ray, and is willing to make sacrifices for him. The last main instance of dessert occurs when Charlene gives Edward a frozen icicle from the freezer for dessert. The forced offering of this “popsicle” shows how strained the relationship between Ray’s family is. His wife does not truly want to be there, or else she would be serving cake or ice cream. Sadly, she can only offer an icicle from the freezer; it is a feeble attempt at the least possible effort she is obligated to put in to carry on her duties as a mother and a wife.