Little Italy
By Renee Longstreet,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Charmless romcom has swearing, sexual references.
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Little Italy
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Based on 3 parent reviews
cheesy but good
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it was good. I'll have to watch it again.
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What's the Story?
Formerly best friends and partners, Vince (Gary Basaraba) and Sal (Adam Ferrara) have been feuding in their side-by-side Toronto pizza parlors for years in LITTLE ITALY. It's been five years since their now-adult children, Leo (Hayden Christensen) and Nikki (Emma Roberts), have seen each other. When Nikki, a budding chef in London, comes back to the city for a time they meet again. Best friends as kids, competitive but inseparable, both are trying to negotiate adulthood and both are aware of their dads' hostility. Still, spending time together is an intriguing possibility. Complicating matters is the secret romance between Nikki's grandmother (Andrea Martin) and Leo's grandfather (Danny Aiello). In typical storybook fashion, for both couples, it's "boy gets girl, boy loses girl, and boy gets girl back" and only a "best pizza" contest will determine whether or not they'll all be winners.
Is It Any Good?
This throwback to 1980s romcoms succeeds only at reaching new heights of cheesiness: predictable plot, forced comedy, cringe-worthy stereotypes, weak script, and artless execution. It's pointless to mention all that's wrong with Little Italy, but when the biggest laughs come from a Chinese man named Luigi who runs an Italian-style bar; a sex-crazed senior dancing on the table in a pizza joint after having inadvertently ingested pot, and an Indian restaurant named "Karma Sutra," it's all downhill from there, hitting rock bottom with the female cop who pats down the hero for what seems like forever as she utters one double-entendre after another. A misfire on all cylinders.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the way sex and sexuality are portrayed in Little Italy. Some of it is silly; some of it is meant to be romantic. What values do the scenes convey? How does the film treat its gay characters?
Find out what the term "product placement" (referred to as "Consumerism" in our Content Grid) means in film and television. Which name brands most likely provided the film company with either products or other financial consideration in Little Italy? Is it important to be aware of this practice? Why or why not?
Romeo and Juliet is a story that often provides the basis for media fare. One of the most celebrated examples of this is West Side Story. What is about the universality of the tale and its characters that make it work so well in a variety of times and settings?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: November 20, 2018
- Cast: Hayden Christensen, Emma Roberts, Andrea Martin
- Director: Donald Petrie
- Studio: Lionsgate
- Genre: Comedy
- Topics: Friendship
- Run time: 102 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: some sexual references
- Last updated: October 15, 2022
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