Relationships Between Four Grandmothers Gives Life to "Nonnas"

The movie Nonna's, now available on Netflix, is directed by Stephen Chbosky and stars Vince Vaughn and is loosely based on a true story about an Italian restaurant where the food is prepared by Italian grandmothers-Nonnas. It's apparently still open.

Courtesy Netflix

Italian cooking and the love of family create an inspiring story in Nonnas, a new release on Netflix.

The story follows Joe who grieving the recent loss of his grandmother. He fondly remembers her Sunday dinners, filled with family, laughter, and delicious food. In an effort to recapture that warmth, he opens a restaurant with the goal of bringing those memories to life-through actual Italian grandmothers cooking up traditional dishes.

This theme of food bringing family together isn't exclusive to Italian culture. My own Lithuanian grandmother would prepare an impressive spread whenever we visited. One scene in the movie raised my eyebrows, though: everyone arrives and the grandmothers immediately start cooking. That didn't seem quite right-some of those dishes must've taken a few days to prepare!

The film isn't especially deep, and Vince Vaughn gives a solid but not standout performance as the nostalgic restaurant owner. Still, the real stars of the show are the grandmothers and the food. The scenes where they talk about cooking, and the close-up shots of steaming plates, were enough to make me genuinely hungry-even when I didn't recognize the names of the dishes.

What really gives Nonna's heart, though, is the budding relationship between the four grandmothers. Their friendship, humor, and support for one another as older women navigating life on their own added a sweet and meaningful layer to the story. This shows the importance of women having female friends.

Overall, Nonna's is a warm, charming, enjoyable film. I highly recommend it.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars