Every week, Netflix unveils its top 10 list the week before and ranks TV shows and movies by ratings. This week, Vince Vaughn’s film Nonnas won first place in the top 10, and judging by my latest group chat with mom and her friends, the film has gained high recognition in its title Italian Nonnas.
I know this because my own mother is a nonna (she is Nana, officially Nana), and from our weekend group chat, her close friends (including in the above chat) watched the movie right after the premiere and they loved it. The movie is essentially a love letter to a man’s mom and grandmother, which is no accident, released on Mother’s Day weekend.
In the movie, Vaughan plays Brooklyn man Joe, whose mother recently passed away. Joe felt comforted in recreating old recipes from his mother and grandmother and savoring the flavors of his childhood. This gave him an idea to bring the same comfort to others by opening a restaurant where he cooked the dishes with his mom’s adult friend (played by a powerful quartet actress: Susan Sarandon, Talia Shire, Brenda Vaccaro and Lorraine Bracco).
Nonas came out on Friday. By 11pm that night, my mother had sent her children a message and a message to her children, “Just based on the true story of love, food and family called Nonnas on Netflix, and I’m sure you’ll be laughing, crying and happy! And I’m sure you’ll all be connected to the theme!” Classic mom text that is certain! By Saturday morning, her friends’ responses had rolled, and they had also watched the movie and loved it. All these nonnas, don’t work hard on premiere night!
The film evokes so much imagery that this generation of Italian-American women grew up: crucified in every room of the house, pasta dried on a washing rack, and schnitzels smashed to perfect thickness. While many films portray the experience of Italy and America, it is rare to tell stories from the perspective of grandmothers. I can assure you that my mom hasn’t seen Bracco in Karen Hill in Goodfellas, but she can definitely be related to Bracco’s character Roberta.
Vaughn’s name recognition makes the film’s opening weekend big. He and his co-star are a talented group of actors, and the film is heavily embedded in Vaughan’s charm and the theme of facing sad hopes and goals. But for moms and grandmothers who chat in groups, the movie brings a mirror to their own lives: Which part of Italy is your Family from? You use sugar In your Sunday gravy? You buy sausage Where? It’s a specific audience, but that’s what the movie does. While the Nonnas in my group chat are from Boston, not Brooklyn, there is familiarity and universality of cultural and food experiences that transcend the lines of the country. (Although the mother-son narrative of this movie is a big part of its appeal, I’ll take a moment to hint that if you like to watch the actual cooking scenes, you might like the newly released Marcella, now available on demand, about chef Marcella Hazan, who has revolutionized Italian cooking for many Americans.
Nonnas is ranked No. 1 in the Netflix Top 10 because it is a sweet, sensual film with its actors showing lovely performances. But to get a movie, not only one, but also a bunch of self-righteous Italian Nonas? This is indeed highly praised.
