I watched this movie again last night and enjoyed it quite as much as I have the last two or three times I have seen it- in fact I think it rather gains in the reviewing.
Lastnight I was particularly struck by the beautiful interiors of the nineteenth century Danish houses against which the scenes were played.
There is not a cloying moment in this movie and even though now it must be close to 20 years old it dates not.
In a strange way it is a very French movie because the French heroine imposes a wonderful French sensibility on the puritan Danish village and changes them all.

Babette, as any french housewife, is shown haggling and being extremely parsimonious with her shopping showing that she was able to save her employers money as she also improved the quality of their table (and that of the unfortunate poor they supported).
But then , for a treat, she was able to manage a superb blow out, spending a lifetimes money on one meal.

On Christmas eve, in our locan Super U I watched otherwise canny French housewives queue to buy Black Truffles which they traditionally insert under the skin of their turkey.They were selling them at €190 for 100g, that is nearly €2000 a kilo.