It’s time to eat! In this episode of my “What Makes This Movie Great?” series, I briefly examine the 1996 movie “Big Night,” starring Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub and directed by Tucci and Campbell Scott.
This complex movie depicts two Italian brothers who have opened a restaurant in New Jersey in the 1950s. Their restaurant is failing, so they ask another Italian restaurant owner for help. He agrees to give them a famous customer, and so the two brothers spend the movie preparing for their “big night”.
The movie is intricately constructed, just like the food it displays, with rich characters whose conflicts include whether to entertain Americans or serve them great food they’ve never heard of.
And also, whether they should emigrate back to Italy or stay in the U.S. “Big Night” is a good movie that’s on my list of movies that most people will like. It also rewards multiple viewings.