The Ramen Girl

"Her romance is on pins and noodles."

2008 1h 42m EN

👍

6.5

SOLID

★6.5TMDB · 388

RomanceComedyDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

An American woman is stranded in Tokyo after breaking up with her boyfriend. Searching for direction in life, she trains to be a ramen chef under a tyrannical Japanese master.

“Her romance is on pins and noodles.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

PhiloSubscription

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Brittany Murphy
Abby
Tammy Blanchard
Gretchen
Gabriel Mann
Ethan
Toshiyuki Nishida
Maezumi
Soji Arai
Toshi Iwamoto
Kimiko Yo
Reiko
Renji Ishibashi
Udagawa
Akiko Monou
Mio

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Robert Allan Ackerman
Writers: Becca Topol
Languages: Japanese, English
Countries: Japan, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $3.2M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 6% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 18 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Japanese, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Japan, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Robert Allan Ackerman, shot by Yoshitaka Sakamoto. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Carlo Siliotto. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Rick Shaine shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Robert Allan Ackerman directs. Yoshitaka Sakamoto behind the camera. Carlo Siliotto scores. Rick Shaine cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in Japan, United States of America. Dialogue in Japanese, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $3.2M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Earned back only 6% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
3Released 18 years ago.
4Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Japanese, English.
5International production across 2 countries: Japan, United States of America.
6Directed by Robert Allan Ackerman, shot by Yoshitaka Sakamoto. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Original score by Carlo Siliotto. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
8Editor Rick Shaine shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
9Brittany Murphy and Tammy Blanchard and Gabriel Mann carry the top of the cast.
10Marketing tagline: "Her romance is on pins and noodles.".
11IMDB entry: tt0806165 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
12Classified under 19 themes, including "japan", "cooking", "language barrier", "restaurant".