Uncle Nino

When I watch a DVD I always check out the extras. This 2003 movie included an interview with Joe Montegna and his daughter Gina. He takes on the issue of the artistic merits of this project, head on! He says some people call it "Sappy." Then he adds, "I LOVE Sappy." This movie played in some midwestern cities for a year or more, so it seems to me that a lot of folks must like "Sappy!"

Joe Montegna ("Starter Wife") is the ambitious husband and father to a mildly dysfunctional family reluctantly moved into a new neighborhood. Anne Archer ("Fatal Attraction" - it was her kids' bunny that was boiled!) is his patient wife and the mother of his two children. His daughter Gina plays his movie daughter Gina, BOTH of whom really want a puppy, much to the chagrin of both the real-life dad and the movie dad.

When Uncle Nino unexpectedly shows up from Italy, they are thrown into a tailspin because his eccentric and Old-World attitudes create quite a clash in their upscale neighborhood. Uncle Nino is played by Pierrino Mascarino ("Broken Glass") who does a delicate balancing act between being a little too naïve and a little too cunning.

We see standard teenage rebellion, issues with the Homeowners' Association in their suburban enclave, and seemingly unreasonable demands on an ambitious would-be executive in this heartwarming, family-oriented film. You know... sappy stuff we can all relate to...

My thanks to the JayFlix person who recommended this sweet little film.