After watching the first few minutes of Nonnas, the Netflix film directed by Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) that has become a massive worldwide hit, I had to run out and make myself a bowl of pasta. Because simply looking at all that wonderful Italian food makes you hungry.
The film, based on true events and written by Liz Maccie, Chbosky’s wife, has a plot that may seem simple but is far from it: a man named Joe Scaravella, a Brooklyn native and public transportation worker, decides to open an Italian restaurant in Staten Island where the chefs will be four nonnas (Italian grandmothers) in charge of making homemade Italian food… the good, traditional kind, the kind you ate when you were little (let’s say, if you weren’t Finnish or something).
Throughout the movie I thought: this is the mental detox center where Carmy Berzatto (The Bear) must be put.
A few words about Vince Vaughn’s performance. This film shows an interesting side of him. Of course, the real person exists, and Vaughn was able to tap into that, and he honors the real Joe. Vaughn remains humble as an actor, forgetting easy ways out and humanizing his character, which is ultimately what creates empathy. Very good work.
Given that premise, which, while beautiful, also sounds like regular stuff, I approached it with no expectations… and here I am, with a bowl of pasta, enjoying not only a great film but also the performances and absorbing screen presence of a cast that takes your breath away: Vince Vaughn, Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, Brenda Vaccaro, Susan Sarandon, Drea de Matteo, and Michael Rispoli; every scene, every small appearance especially by some of these ladies fills the screen with light and magic—it’s a shame not to be able to see and enjoy this film on a truly big screen, in a theater, and feel beautiful emotions that are so easy to connect with.
But now let’s get into the details about Nonnas and their perfect condiments.
Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
Straight to the plot: Joe Scaravella (Vaughn) works in public transportation. He has a flashback to about 40 years ago. He was a child and saw all the delicious Italian food cooked by his grandmother and mother. If you’re Italian, you know that food is an important part of family life.
Secret recipes, the right ingredient, giving small tastes to the sauces… the textures… a culinary universe filled with love: the love that mothers have for cooking and the love of knowing they’re cooking for their loved ones. Not long ago, I lost my mother. She was like that; she learned to cook from foreign women, and I would die of ecstasy when she cooked lasagna or pasta. Mom loved making Italian food. I loved her. So my connection with this film was immediate.
Years passed, and decades later, Joe’s mother died. He’s left with the insurance money and a letter in an envelope that he doesn’t dare open.
While visiting the old open-air market her nonna and mother used to frequent on Staten Island, he found the former location of the community’s most beloved restaurant for sale. From there, he had the idea to open a new one, called Enoteca Maria.
There are many twists and turns in the plot that I don’t want to reveal; I’d like this to be an experience for you, as much as it was for me. And not just a gastronomic experience, but one of growth and even healing.
But the first step is building the restaurant. And it’s a difficult step, and helping with all the hard work is Vaughn’s best friend, who works in construction, Bruno (Joe Manganiello), married to Stella—played by the wonderful Drea de Matteo, who doesn’t waste a single second on camera to play a very cool and convincing role.
Reluctantly, Bruno agrees. It’s a big project. The good thing is that Stella is an interior designer. The result is a beautiful, cozy, and at the same time elegant place.
Who ‘s gonna cook?
After going through the typical problems of obtaining permits and passing inspections (I won’t give you any spoilers, but it’s funny how they pass the inspection), the big question comes: Who will cook? And here come four warriors and cinema legends who take this film to another level: Roberta (Lorraine Bracco), who was Joe’s late mother’s best friend. But convincing her to buy into this idea and to cook professionally—meaning: for strangers and outside her home—is a huge problem. Incidentally, Roberta is Sicilian. Should that last bit be a problem? It turns out it is. Because the next recruit is Antonella (Brenda Vaccaro), who defends her Bolognese origins and roots, and the Italians know the rivalry—almost hatred—between the inhabitants of these two cities.
The next cook is another… God, what casting, another great one: Talia Shire as Teresa. Teresa is a retired nun, she’s quiet, very sharp, and somehow the balance between them all. And the fourth chef is the unbalance: Susan Sarandon—who looks spectacular—playing Gia, pastry chef, stylist, and lifelong friend of Joe’s mother.
But after everything is ready to go and they are open, no one shows up. Not a single diner, not a single critic. Nothing. And the situation reaches a point of utter frustration. And here comes the villain: Michael Rispoli as Al, a beloved market vendor who has alienated the community against Joe’s restaurant, as well as a food critic, Edward Durant (Campbell Scott), who refuses to go there.
I don’t want to spoil the rest for you. There are many funny, humorous moments handled by these four actresses, who are what they are: the best in their craft. But there are also introspective, reflective moments.
Was it real? Let’s just say for 15 years now, Joe Scaravella’s (yes, they used his real name) Enoteca Maria restaurant has been operating successfully on Staten Island, welcoming part-time “nonnas” not only from Italy, but from all over the world. From Argentina to Europe, the house Joe built in honor of his mother achieved its purpose. “They came.” And returning to the use of the word happiness… happiness is when Joe finally dared to open the envelope his late mother left him. Blessings to all the nonnas. So let ‘s mangiare!