Perhaps Life is Sweet is the finest example of Leigh's style, and his "British" touch, even though the film's has an decidedly American focus of a family trying to succeed and, in a word, follow their dreams. The father, Andy, is a successful head chef who buys a broken down food truck. His wife, Wendy, seems to be a housewife first and tries to pick up a career afterward. Their two twenty-two year old daughters appear to be polar opposites- Natalie is a neat, short-haired, focused plumber's apprenticed, while the frail Nicola appears to do nothing but sit around all day. Essentially, the parents want to move forward with their lives, while their daughters are content, one way or another.
The film is set in motion by Andy's brash decision to spend decidedly too much on a broken down food truck, drawing mockery and criticism from the rest of his family. Andy never really does much with the van, besides sleeping in it after a rough night at the pub. Based on his family life, Andy seems like a bumbling man-child, akin to a schlubby sitcom Dad. However, our perception of Andy is shattered when we see brief scenes of him working as a head chef- he has complete control of his kitchen. While his family life is not a total mess of dysfunction, it is certainly less sleek and streamlined than his kitchen. Andy's purchase of the truck is simply an attempt to come into his own, and truly have control of his own life, by owning a business. However, despite the impulsive purchase, Andy is slow to get started, planning and thinking practically.
Andy's slow, planned start greatly contrasts the food-business entry of family friend Aubrey, a young, showy, unintentionally goofy young man who seems to hide his great insecurity with inflated pride. Aubrey's chief characteristic appears to be frustration- both occupational and sexual. He lusts over both Wendy and Nicola, and loudly hammers on the drums when things do not go his way, to the mocking amusement of Andy and Wendy. While Andy begins to informally plan a menu, discussing a few food items the cart will serve, Aubrey had no planning it seems besides working off his presumed culinary genius. His food is incredibly unappetizing, as is the restaurant's decor. Aubrey's rush into the restaurant business is disastrous, as he forgets to advertise at all for the restaurants opening. Aubrey represents the dangers of unchecked dreaming without realism.
Wendy volunteers to be Aubrey's opening night waitress, adding to a string of odd jobs- child's dance instructor, baby clothes salesperson, and French cuisine waitress. However, Wendy is only seen at each of these jobs once, and she is mainly seen around her family, which is perhaps her true occupation in her eyes, even though she may resist it. As she reveals to Nicola towards the end, she originally had other plans for her life before becoming pregnant at a young age with twins. Her decision not to abort Nicola and Natalie alters her coure in life, although she, nor Andy, seem to regret their decision. Still, Wendy takes up small, quirky jobs as means to entertain and fulfill her still young spirit.
Of the twins, Nicola appears to be a complete mess, and the source of the biggest dramatic tension in the film. Nicola is bulimic, a fact Lehigh deals with seriously, but does not force down the audience's throats. Life is Sweet is certainly not an "issue film," like an after-school special, in this regard, biut simply is a film that, among other things, covers this topic seriously and without judgment. Nicola's bulimia is just another complication in her life and her personality- she's rude, unpleasant, and appears to be completely apathetic towards everything. Although she says she is political, she attends no rallies, does not write, and is completely non committal. In fact, when she criticizes her father for striving to be a capitalist, Wendy encourages her to join a socialist group, just so she can do something. Nicola also appears to care deeply for her unnamed lover, but tries to show no affection whatsoever. Even if she does not care for him, per say, she cares what he says and what he does. She constantly forces him to rub her down with Hazelnut spread, and then eat it off of her, relating back directly to her eating disorder, and despite blowing him off and acting disinterested, she seems heartbroken when he calls her stupid. Nicola's apathy has ruined her in a way, leaving her empty and aimless.
Natalie, on the other hand, appears a different kind of empty. She has a solid job with a plumber, and is constantly referred to as the "happy one." However, externally, Natalie shows no emotion, especially no signs that she is happy at all. In reality, she is not the "happy one," but simply the one who is much more emotionally stable. Besides her work, though, Natalie seems to have very little. She never mentions a boyfriend or lover, despite her plans to have a child soon. Natalie's emptiness is much more subtle than the rest of the family's, but possibly could be the most devastating she appears to have little besides a solid career, while everyone else has something- even Nicola learns how important her family is.
Life is Sweet paints a portrait of dysfunction, but does so lovingly and sincerely. Even calling it dysfunction doesn't seem right, but I currently lack a better term. Sure the family has issues, but most do. At the end of the film, they appear completely united by a small, lightly traumatic event- a simple broken leg. After fights, every member of the family renews their peace with one another. However, their occupational peace is interrupted- the food cart is on hold, Wendy will no longer work for Aubrey after he drunkenly came on to her, and Nicola still has no idea what she will do. But the family is together, and for them, and for the audience, that is really all that matters when the film closes. We focus not on the food truck, but on the family.
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