Donuts. They have become ingrained into society as the perfect side-kick with coffee. Anyone alive during the 70s and 80s has probably seen a commercial where it was time to make the donuts.
Donuts have also made their way onto the silver screen. Several movies have included scenes that feature that baked or fried confection. The pastry has etched itself into cinematic memory through several feature films and television appearances.
Here are a few appearances of everyone’s favorite breakfast pastry.
Boogie Nights (1997)
This movie is famous for many things. Mark Wahlberg completely naked might be one of them. However, in one of the pivotal scenes from the movie, Don Cheadle is playing Buck Swope. Buck is a former porn star turned stereo salesman who has a rather unusually high admiration for country music. He tries to get a loan to open his own stereo store but is brutally rebuffed by the bank. Later, he stops by a donut shop to purchase some of the sweet confections. A robbery takes place that leaves everyone but Buck dead. Seeing an opportunity, he grabs the bag of cash and opens his stereo store.
Roadhouse (1989)
This film starring Patrick Swayze as unflappable bouncer Dalton has obtained cult classic status. Dalton is ripped and obviously very adept at hand-to-hand combat and handling drunken ruffians. In one scene from the movie, a waitress shows up at his barn loft apartment, bringing him coffee and a donut. Dalton sits down, and with revulsion, removes the donut from the top of his coffee and accepts only the coffee. The waitress apparently finds this amusing. Guess six pack abs and donuts do not mix.
Jack and Jill (2011)
We’re not here to criticize movies, nor question why A-list celebrities who can pick and choose any script they want would choose this. We’re here to discuss donuts. Adam Sandler’s character Jack is an advertising executive who has to pull off the impossible. He has to get Al Pacino into a Dunkin’ donuts commercial. There’s far more screwiness involving Adam Sandler in drag, but the end result is Al Pacino calling himself “Dunkaccino.”
Wreck It Ralph (2012)
The donut-shaped police officers who harass the titular character in this Disney animated offering are called Wynnchel and Dunkin. Don’t recognize those names? They’re a sly reference to Winchell’s donut House and Dunkin donuts. Further, when Ralph meets King Candy, he asks, “Who are you? The guy that makes the donuts?” This is yet another reference to Dunkin’ donuts, hearkening back to the commercials where a sleep-deprived baker named Fred rising early for work with the line “Time to make the donuts.”
Last Action Hero (1993)
This action flick starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as a movie action hero who finds a fan magically transported into the movie met with mixed reviews. However, in a scene referencing donuts, co-star F-Murray Abraham, says the one-liner “Those are government donuts, my friend. It’s not easy work.”
Iron Man 2 (2010)
When Nick Fury decides he needs to speak with Tony Stark, a.k.a., Iron Man, where does he find the superhero? Nowhere other than hanging out in the center of the hole of the towering donut at Randy’s donuts. Randy’s donuts might as well be Hollywood real-estate royalty itself, but Stark, Fury, and Black Widow then proceed inside to partake of some of their offerings while they have a discussion.
Wayne’s World (1992)
Dana Carvey is probably the best thing about Wayne’s World. Late in the movie, Garth is alone at Stan Mikita’s donut Shop, where he makes monsters out of the offerings. He made a centipede out of a crueller and some toothpicks. But what everyone remembers is donut Head Man. This was just innocent Garth doing what Garth does when he’s alone. And Garth is cool for that.
Black Dynamite (2009)
This movie is a parody of 1970s blacksploitation films starring Michael Jai White as the titular character, Black Dynamite. In the film, Black Dynamite, a Vietnam veteran and former CIA operative vows to clean up the streets after his brother is murdered. In one scene, Black Dynamite makes a wholly observable point about donuts: “donuts don’t wear alligator shoes.”
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
R. Lee Ermey plays abusive drill instructor Hartman whose very nemesis is a young Vincent D’Onofrio, an overweight, slovenly man he must build up into a Marine. Nicknamed Gomer Pyle after the ne’er-do-well from the Andy Griffith Show, Pyle doesn’t adapt well to boot camp. During one inspection, a jelly donut is found in Pyle’s footlocker. Pyle’s not allowed jelly donuts due to his weight. As punishment, Hartman forces Pyle’s platoon to do push-ups while Pyle stands at attention and eats the donut.
We love donuts and cheer every time we see them on the silver screen. These are but a few places where the donut shows up, but there are many more. Want to talk about them in the comments?
