Scenes from an Italian Restaurant
For one reason or another, there are a handful of recent-ish films with strong critical and commercial fanbases that I end up disliking; these films include Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; Being John Malkovich; Reservoir Dogs; Fight Club; The Hours; Secretary; Closer; My Big Fat Greek Wedding. At one point or another, I’ve considered that millions of fans can’t be wrong, and decided there must be something wrong with me. I mean, I’m not the type of person who will dislike something just because it’s popular, but I’m also not a viewer who enjoys something just because society tells me I should. In a lot of cases, perhaps I waited too long to see the film and my expectations become astronomically high, ultimately rendering the film less enjoyable than it really is.
One such film is Big Night.
I recall wanting to see this 1996 indie upon its release, but never got around to it until just now, after discussing it with friends who loved it. I generally enjoy anything that Campbell Scott works on, and with a co-directing team of Scott and the always-competent Stanley Tucci, I predicted Big Night would surely become one of my favorites.
The film’s minimalist storyline focuses on two immigrant brothers whose New Jersey shore Italian restaurant is failing. When Pascal (Ian Holm), a sympathetic rival restaurateur offers to arrange a dinner for his friend — Louis Prima — to help the flagging business, the practical, business-oriented, New World Secondo (Tucci) jumps at the chance, and attempts to convince his stubborn, idealistic, Old World brother Primo (Tony Shalhoub), who equates good food with being close to God, to help make the “big night” a success, in order to save their business.
SPOILER: Predictably, Louis Prima never shows. The “big night” is all part of Pascal’s ruse to remind Primo and Secondo of their uncompromising ideals. But this reasoning is faulty; anyone who owns a business knows that profit IS important. Of course, no one wants to be labeled a sell-out. But as one of my professors used to say, You can’t pay the rent with idealism. Primo’s emphasis on impeccability is established in an early scene in which a finicky patron expresses disdain for his authentically Italian cuisine; but why he is apprehensive to prepare for Prima? After all, no one instructed him to alter his cuisine for Prima, and when the diners finally do sit down for the meal — sans Prima — they are perfectly content with the authentic meal.
I was surprised not only to see that Marc Anthony — who I mostly associate with being Jennifer Lopez’s husband — stars in the film, but he also plays an important role — the restaurant’s “help.” It’s interesting to see the failing restaurateurs contrasted with Cristiano, who we assume is also an immigrant. The film opens with a poetic shot of Cristiano, and Anthony is also top-billed in the credits. However, the film’s female characters, played by Minnie Driver, Isabella Rossellini, and Allison Janney, are utterly wasted, used more or less as props and, regretably, all three of their storylines are practically unresolved.
The film does have a message, albeit not a groundbreaking one — don’t sacrifice family values or culinary authenticity for profit — and the period setting and attention to detail are impressive. The portrayal of food preparation is loving, the ups and downs of owning a restaurant are realistic, the soundtrack perfectly complements the onscreen action, and the camerawork and editing are excellent. The film’s closing shot, of Primo and Secondo quietly sharing an omelette the morning after the big night, is poignant.
By the film’s end, I didn’t necessarily dislike the film; but felt more or less apathetic. To be even more innocuous…I just didn’t like it as much as I thought I would, and I can’t quite figure out why. I’m interested to read your thoughts on the film.
February 19th, 2006 at 11:07 pm
Is this movie always on Bravo at weird times? It seems really familiar though I don’t think I’ve actually seen it.
I also love that Billy Joel song!
February 19th, 2006 at 11:16 pm
I don’t have cable, but I could definitely see Bravo showing this movie ad nauseam. If you find yourself becoming incredibly hungry while watching, it’s definitely Big Night!
“Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” was an acquired taste for me. It used to annoy the hell out of me, but its deceptively slow intro/turnaround finally hooked me!
Oh Sandie, sweet Sandie, do you remember how we used to drive around during high school BLARING “Pressure” by Billy Joel? And we would lean out of the window and scream “PRESSURE!” at everyone we saw (especially suburbanites holding garden hoses). I think one time, after creeping the hell out of about a dozen passersby, we laughed so hard we had to pull over. Those were the fucking days. PRESSURE!
February 20th, 2006 at 11:15 am
I pretty much still hate the sappy slow intro of Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, while loving the rest of the song.
PRESSURE! That is hands down THE BEST SONG EVER IN THE UNIVERSE! Water pressure, blood pressure, pressure washers… it can have so many meanings.
…you cannot handle PRESSURE!!!!
Must go look buy on itunes and re-live the good old days!
February 20th, 2006 at 4:58 pm
Do you also remember we were driving around one night (what else is new?), flipping through the radio, and we heard the very last 6 seconds of “Changes” by Bowie, and we both had Bowie-amnesia and couldn’t remember what song it was? And we convinced ourselves it was a Billy Joel song (it has that jazzy sound, our mistake was understandable) and we proceeded to fast forward through all of the A-sides — and B-sides — on your Billy Joel tape to figure out what song it was.
P.S. I also vaguely remember discovering some mono/stereo type discrepancy on your Billy Joel tape — our tape with the song “Pressure” included some kind of hidden message that I had never heard on my CD. What was that all about? Crazy talk!
February 20th, 2006 at 5:23 pm
Yes! On my tape there was “more” to the song than on your CD! I think maybe there was an extra Joel aside to the listeners which totally freaked you out, as you had never heard it before every other time you heard the song!
February 20th, 2006 at 7:53 pm
Seriously, Joel could have easily lopped off the first minute and a half of Scenes from an Italian Restaurant. And just blow right into “THINGS ARE OKAY WITH ME THESE DAYS / GOT A GOOD JOB / GOT A GOOD OFFICE!!!” It could be like in Eric Clapton’s “It’s in the Way That You Use It” from the Color of Money soundtrack where it just STARTS and shocks the hell out of the listener (at least that’s the way I remember Clapton’s tune starting).
“Pressure” is absolutely one of Joel’s most underrated tunes. Catchy beat, scathing message, and hands down one of the most creative, and scary, music videos ever. The part that freaked me out was when I heard, for the first time, the “I’ll tell you what it means” during the breakdown. For whatever reason, it wasn’t on my version of the exact same album. It’s also one of the few Joel tunes that doesn’t mention Catholic guilt, pianos, or crazy family members!
All your life is Channel 13 / Sesame Street / What does it mean? I’LL TELL YOU WHAT IT MEANS!
February 27th, 2006 at 2:51 pm
hey, it’s a switch to hear a positive comment about billy joel these days. one does have to wonder why such a great tune is bookended that way.
February 27th, 2006 at 6:58 pm
You know, I loved it. BUT- I caught it halfway thru by complete channel scan accident and had no intention of even caring. I got suckered in by the banquet scene. And then I had to see it. I feel like that whole part- the dinner- is really its own mini-movie and I am always waiting for that part to begin when I see it now- it sort of takes off for me at that part. Also it makes me so, SO hungry.