Big Night (1996) is a small film that was written by cousins Joseph Tropiano and Stanley Tucci and directed by both Campbell Scott and Stanley Tucci. It was well-received at the time and was nominated for and even won many critics association and festival awards. It is an independent film which offers a look at American culture, business, artistry, and food.
Big Night follows the story of two Italian brothers, Primo and Secondo, who have immigrated to the U.S. and are trying to run an authentic Italian restaurant in 1950s New Jersey. The bank is about to foreclose on them because they are struggling with money. Unlike the other Italian restaurant in town which serves spaghetti and meatballs and other foods that people familiar with traditional American cuisine would love, yet are not authentic Italian. Primo, however, is a chef who only wants to serve the best—what is real Italian cuisine. This alienates guests and leaves the restaurant struggling. In an effort to revive the business, the brothers put on a banquet for which they are expecting famous Louis Prima to attend. Although the banquet is a success, not all ends well for the brothers. This story suits the relatively small $4.1 million project told by mostly unknown creators to give a film with perspective (Dinner For Five).
Just as Big Night’s story is about people who are not only creators, but players in business, so are the people who made the film. Actor Stanley Tucci is at the center of this film serving as co-writer, co-director, and actor. He also directed with fellow actor, Campbell Scott, with neither of them having prior directing experience (IMDb: Big Night (1996)). Along with Tucci and Campbell is a large cast: Tony Shalhoub, Marc Anthony, Minnie Driver, Isabella Rossellini, Ian Holm, Allison Janney, and even Liev Schreiber can be seen. While at the time Rossellini and Holm were the only famous actors, today, much of the cast is well-known and respected. So, at the time, this was not a collection of Hollywood powerhouses coming together for a side project, this was a genuine collaboration or sorts.
So why have all these actors come together for this project? First of all, Tucci and Tropiano had a story to tell. Hollywood is full of Italian stereotypes, and they come from an Italian family. Here, they could tell a story that was genuine with cultural perspective. What they put together in the script was very personal. In fact, the timpano, the most attractive dish presented in the film was a secret recipe of the family that Tucci’s mother later published in her cookbook, Cucina & Famiglia (1999) (Coyle 45, 47). The elements, like the food, were very personal to the filmmakers. Second, there are the players. One side of the actor is the artist. They put life into stories and can become the essence of a film. However, while producing a performance, they must please. After all, to live is to work and find jobs. This story is very relatable to this kind of life.
I think that this is a great film not only about life in general, but about artists by artists. One can look at Babette in Babette’s Feast and see someone who gave all the money she had to make a feast. I believe that Primo is very much like her. He prizes the artistry and the pure way of the food as the only way. But artistry has a price. Unless Primo sacrifices his authentic Italian way for an “impure” American version of his dishes, he will end up not being able to offer his talents to the people at all. As I look at this film, I see a bunch of actors coming together for themselves. They want good jobs and they want a good show. There is an idea of actors needing to be guided by the filmmakers, so I think it was a bit risky for Tucci to put this together. There is risk of making a flop, or losing money, or even just personal discouragement in the learning process. But the actor did what the actor needed and, I believe, it came out as a success.
Other References
Coyle, Margaret. "Il Tampano--"To Eat Good
Food Is to Be Close to God": The Italian-American Reconciliation of
Stanley Tucci and Campbell Scott's Big Night." Reel Food. Ed. Anne
L. Bower. New York and London: Routeledge, 2004. 42.
I think that Prof. Kaufmann was right in that Italians believe it's the ingredients to make the meal and not like the French's style of presentation. Primo loved cooking true authentic Italian meals and he would not compromise his cooking. He was an artist of flavors. Notice in the beginning Secondo is cutting up onion and Primo complains about the onion being cut up too small that the flavor will be lost and then Secondo tastes from a pot, gives it some salt and then a good stir. Primo looks at him and asks, is it ok. Need salt? Secondo says no but Primo adds salt anyway. I found it to be funny and yet it shows which brother is the cook.
ReplyDeleteI think that you are on to something with this thought. I also think that Primo and Secondo, have a love of Italian cooking, the purity of what they brought with them and not the Americanization of Italian cooking. Which Pascal's has come to represent in the film.
ReplyDeleteBy the way blue it was not an onion, it was garlic that Secondo was cutting in the opening seen. The onion was from Water for Chocolate, I believe
I thought it was a comical but well done representation of the competitiveness of siblings. Siblings compete in lots of ways, and these two are no different.
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