Is a forgotten 1996 movie the most authentic Italian food film ever made? I am taking a break from the kitchen to review Stanley Tucci’s cinematic masterpiece, Big Night. This isn’t just a movie review; it’s a deep dive into the food, culture, and drama of a struggling Italian restaurant in America. In this video, I am sharing my authentic Italian perspective on:
– Why Stanley Tucci’s passion for Italian cuisine shines through every scene.
– The timeless conflict between traditional Italian cooking and American expectations.
– Whether this film deserves a place in the pantheon of great food movies.
Whether you’re a fan of Stanley Tucci, a lover of Italian food, or simply looking for a new classic to discover, this review will make you hungry for more. We’ll break down the artistry, the drama, and the unforgettable final scene that has captivated audiences for decades.
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44 Comments
and the Funiculi-Funicula in the background. that song is a classic
i have learned to not put cheese on pasta with seafood or anything with seafood
in 2026, this movie will be 30 years old
timpano is also called timballo
The dish is prepared in a dome or springform pan and eggs or cheese are used as a binder. Rice is commonly used as an ingredient in Emilia-Romagna, where the dish is referred to as a bomba and baked with a filling of pigeon or other game bird, peas, local cheese and a base of dried pasta. Crêpes are used as a base in Abruzzo, and other regions use ravioli or gnocchi. In Sicily, it is typically made with pasta and eggplant.
Mushroom sauce, a rich Piedmontese cheese soup and sauce, are sometimes used, and Anna Del Conte wrote that béchamel is the most consistently used ingredient in timballo.
By the 1990s in Campania, timballo was rarely made in homes, more often purchased as take away from food businesses, whole or by the slice.
Take a look at Babette's Feast. The final meal is pretty incredible.
If u consider yourself a foodie and you have never seen this then ur not a foodie
I think this is the best 'foodie' movie ever made. I first saw it maybe a year after I began serious pursuit of cooking as most wonderful hobby. The pursuit of a good 'timpano' or timballo was a minor obsession for a while: I still produce a pretty good version from time to time. (The only cookbook I ever owned was 'The Joy of Cooking, mostly I just try to recreate, rather than follow precise recipes.) The soundtrack is also superior to most movies.
Another great foodie movie that flew under the radar was 'Eat Drink Man Woman': a movie where cooking and food is more central to the action, and more centrally the metaphor for life, than any other I know. Chinese in this case, and from Ang Lee, before he became so well known.
I disagree that Big Night is just the best food movie. It’s one of the best movies you will ever see! It is a favorite of mine, down to the specificity. I WILL NOT offer a spoiler, but the final scene in the kitchen is one I have used to teach film students how to do so much more with a simple shot – let the story breath. The mix of humor and drama is amazing, and the love of food shines through even if you’ve never cooked anything yourself. EVERYONE needs to see this movie – and, if you love Italian cooking, it’s a requirement. If you don’t love this movie, you do not have a heart.
One of my favorites!!
Try "Cookies Fortune" – a Robert Altman movie. Different, but charachter driven like this one.
Love this movie so much.
got vague memories of an french or italian movie about eating way back like early 1960,s or so…as a kid i remember being shocked,but cant remember much now…a thriller i think…..my parents let me watch scary stuff way to soon….
a must watch eating scene,is anthony hopkins in titus…he makes the best meat pie there,best looking anyways….
your college mentioned rings the other day….a waiter grating your cheese better not have rings on his fingers…..one of those food poisenings that are impossible to trace…..
another movie icon that needs revival is louis de funes…he played a cook once or twice….
Another great ‘Italian’ food movie. Dinner Rush with Danny Aiello. Every bit as good as Big Night.
vincenzo, please do more of this food movie reviews! it’s like a breath of fresh air for your channel 😍🤩
the 90,s are fine,but dig a few decades deeper and find real treasure….
Way too many generalizations Vincenzo. Many customers are STILL like her. And many restaurants STILL make their own food and don't buy frozen crap. And some things are better than before, especially in the way staff are treated (still a long way to go). This kind of restaurant may be rarer than before, but they do exist everywhere and don't forget that you encouraged people to check restaurants menu and reviews before going. It's important, don't be so pessimistic.
Never watched it before, but I just saw that Amazon Prime Video has it… So, I'll watch it this weekend!
Tony Shalhoub is an American -Lebanese actor
Thanks for recommending it!!
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🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Hi Vincenzo, I saw this movie when it came out. As an Italian American, I cried through this film because of the passion that Tony Shalhoub's and Stanley Tucci's characters have for the food they create. I'm sure that they have that same passion for food in real life. Unfortunately, ethnic foods, whether it is Italian, Latin, India, or Chinese, become bastardized, and what you get is nothing like what they should have been. Beautiful movie and a wonderful cast.
13:50 Tony Shalhoub is actually Lebanese American, NOT Italian. Other than that, great video!
Love the reacting video vincenzo love your content your a amazing YouTuber I love watching your videos they are the greatest and the best and the coolest your content is the greatest and the best and the coolest it always brings a smile to my face watching your content your a amazing and fantastic cook vincenzo😊❤️❤❤❤
Love the video ❤
I am so intrigued.
Thank you!
I love this movie and bought it on DVD to re-watch it again and again! It’s wonderfully acted and the relationship between the two brothers is honest and moving! It also depicts the struggle of immigrants who want to succeed in a different culture.
😂 Brilliant. Soooo true. I will watch it.
This has been one of my favorite movies for years. It’s a beautiful celebration of excellence. Thanks for reminding me that it’s time for a rewatch. Cheers!
There’s a wonderful German movie called Mostly Martha 2002 (it has subtitles), and it’s an excellent movie about the struggle of an exceptional chef trying to cope with customers issues and relationships! Another movie I really enjoy watching over and over again!
Did not know of the movie. Seems like your clips caught the essence of it. I will have to see how I can watch it from here (Europe). Thanks to you and the one who introduced it to you. I hope the actors (and Co.) get residuals from it. I recognize and appreciate their work
Try "Couscous" or "Le Graine Et La Mulet" – a french/algerian film, it's a really great cooking-related and very heart-warming film.
I saw it on video not long after it was released, and like many people, it awoke a passion about food and cooking. One of my favorite lines: "Do you know what happens in that restaurant every night? Rape! RAPE!… The rape of cuisine!!!" 😊
This film has my favorite ending of all time. So powerful in its restraint and honesty.
I used to be a regular fixture at a hole in the wall sushi restaurant called Bizen here in the San Fernando Valley. Toshio Shikami, the Itamae specialized in Edo style sushi and I used to take sick delight in listening to him refuse to make rainbow, dragon and caterpillar rolls straight to the customers’ faces. “No, I don’t make. No mix the fish!” Man I miss him. Fun fact: he played the sushi chef in Albert Brooks’s Defending Your Life.
Babette’s Feast and Tampopo are MUST watch food movies.
I very much liked this movie. I saw it either shortly before or after my only trip to Italy, and probably one more time since then. That trip, this movie, and a few other movies about food that came out about the same time encouraged me to be more adventurous in my cooking efforts.
It’s a new movie but I really enjoyed Nonnas
Not the ‘90s Vincenzo…this is supposed to be the New Jersey shore in the fifties
I will enjoy watching "Big Night! " Although not a movie, 'Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy' is a must see for a in-depth look at regional Italian cuisine
A favorite of mine as well
Awesome.❤🎉. 0:23 .