Is Pig a True Story? Is Rob Feld Based on a Real Chef?

Directed by Michael Sarnoski, ‘Pig’ tells the story of Rob Feld, a reclusive man who lives in a cabin in the woods with his beloved pig. Aided by his pet, Rob spends most of his days hunting truffles in the wild, which he sells to a wealthy contact named Amir, who provides them to the local restaurants around the Portland region. When the pig is kidnapped from his house one night by a group of assailants, Rob has to embark on a search and recovery mission to locate its whereabouts and bring it back home. However, in the process, he has to navigate the perils of his past life while also doing what he can to rescue his pig from the clutches of those who mean to harm her. The mystery drama film delves into the complexities of human existence, isolation, and temperance in the face of grief and tragedy, drawing allusions to an individual’s journey through life.

Pig Highlights the Dark Side of the Truffle Hunting Business

Written by Vanessa Block and Michael Sarnoski, ‘Pig’ is a fictional story centered on the unique skill of truffle hunting, a practice that requires patience, perseverance, and experience. For the uninitiated, it generally involves the use of trained dogs to search for exotic underground mushrooms known as truffles. The use of pigs for truffle hunting, as depicted in the movie, is a much rarer form of truffle hunting, although not unheard of. To that end, the basic idea of the narrative came to Sarnoski through numerous stories he had heard of lonesome truffle hunters camping on their porches with guns to discourage any rivals. As per his own admission, the director “loved the image of an old man and a pig in the woods together,” setting the stage for a grand yet straightforward narrative.

Historically, truffle hunting as an industry has been rife with cases of sabotage and malpractice from competitors. This is mainly due to the high-stakes nature of the business, as expensive truffles can cost a small fortune, especially for the local high-end restaurants that wish to acquire fresh, high-quality ingredients. In the movie, Rob’s pig becomes the victim of a rivaling force wishing to sabotage his competitor while also gaining an advantage over the local market. It showcases the perils of the business, which feel strangely out of kilter with its seemingly innocuous elements on the surface. As such, the movie shines a spotlight over the grisly side of an isolated and cutthroat business, layering it with emotions and grief as the protagonist moves heaven and earth to be reunited with his truffle pig.

Pig is an Exploration of Connection and Loss

Despite centering on the idea of truffle hunting, the main message at the heart of ‘Pig’ revolves around the idea of loss. Every aspect of the film is generated through the notion of losing oneself, both psychologically and spiritually. As Rob emerges from his secluded area of the woods, he confronts his old life in the city, reminding him of everything he left behind once upon a time. The scriptwriters deliberately seed this sense of detachment and disconnect into the story. In an interview with Portland Mercury, Michael Sarnoski said, “My dad passed away when I was a kid, and I was in my late 20s when I wrote this script. I was at this point in my life where I was starting to see how my family and I had shaped our worlds around that loss.”

The creative team emphasized a minimalistic approach to the environment to capture the solitude of Rob’s day-to-day existence authentically. As such, the opening parts of the movie are a testament to the harmonious balance between nature and humanity, showing how a simple life brings joy to the protagonist. However, it is one of many “realms” that Rob travels through as he embarks on his quest to find his beloved pig, showing vague parallels to the mythic tale of Orpheus. These different realms comprise the woods, the urban life, fine-dining restaurants, and the majestic allure of a villa, each bringing a different feel to Rob’s story. The further he moves from the forest, the more distant he grows from his roots. To that end, the story presents a layered depiction of navigating the different facets of human existence.

Rob Feld is a Fictional Chef at the Heart of the Story

The human element of ‘Pig’ is mainly embodied through the struggles faced by Rob Feld, the fictional protagonist whose life is characterized by a crumbling mess of ill-fitting jigsaw pieces. Although conceived by the writers as the central lynchpin for the story’s exploration of grief, tragedy, and coping mechanisms, he is a resolute man confronted by demons that go far beyond his love for truffles and a companion pig. In many ways, the character was designed to subvert the expectations people have of a classic revenge protagonist who solves their problems through violence and destruction. However, director Michael Sarnoski wanted Rob to have a different approach to life, often choosing to discuss his problems in a non-confrontational yet firm manner to get to the bottom of the problem.

Nicolas Cage, who plays Rob, also delved deeply into the culinary arts to authentically embody Rob’s chef side. To that end, he trained with local chefs like Christopher Czarnecki and Gabriel Rucker to get in touch with the art of cooking and paying attention to the aesthetic elements of his craft. It was a crucial part of showing the character’s duality; one focused on his frugal lifestyle in the woods, and the other concentrated on his once successful career as a world-renowned chef. These disparate elements are integral to understanding Rob’s dichotomy and what drives him as a person. His detachment from the material aspects of society makes him a strangely unorthodox presence in contemporary society. And yet, it also serves him in various ways when push comes to shove. Ultimately, though, the character remains a fictional addition who contributes immensely to the story.