Nonnas is a story about moving through grief by embracing one’s passion. Based on his real-life counterpart, Joe Scaravella (Vince Vaughn) loves two things: his family, and their cooking. As a kid, he watched his mother and nonna (grandmother) cook Italian food for hours on the weekend. They would invite friends and family in from the neighborhood to share in the joy of a shared, home-cooked meal. When Joe’s mother passes, he feels lost. Stuck in a job he doesn’t care about Joe impulsively decides to buy and open a restaurant. His hook: all the chefs will be actual nonnas. As Joe quickly learns, opening an eatery—and staffing it with strong-willed Italian women no less—is a bigger challenge than he expected.
What works in Nonnas is the love. Writer and director Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) has crafted a film as heartwarming and comforting as a nonna’s Sunday gravy. Vaughn in particular fully embraces his affable side as a man with endless optimism and a hug always at the ready. He pains, but his choice to channel It into his food venture is endearing and inspirational. On top of that, Nonnas is laugh-out-loud funny. This is thanks to an absolutely stellar cast that includes Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise), Lorraine Bracco (The Sopranos), Talia Shire (The Godfather) and Brenda Vaccaro (Midnight Cowboy). This quartet of women are constantly having more fun than anyone as they take over the kitchen, and it shows in every scene.
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Audiences craving a movie with more heft and less formula may not enjoy Nonnas as much as others. Chbosky has clearly made the movie as he intended, but that means following a structure that will be instantly recognizable. Scaravella’s arc and journey with the restaurant will likely feel obvious and telegraphed as similar stories have been told countless times. That said, these “shortcomings” don’t ever detract from the joy. There’s a reason people love and embrace these stories and if anything, Nonnas reminds us of that.
Nonnas is a warm blanket of a movie. It’s wholesome message about living life to the fullest as a way of remembering those lost is wonderful for the whole family. And thanks to a fabulous cast who dive in headfirst, Nonnas is a ride that will leave people laughing…and hungry!
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Nonnas is now available for streaming on Netflix.
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