Big Night

Campbell Scott/Stanley Tucci, USA 1996, 109 mins

Some day Martin Scorsese is going to make the definitive 1950s themed Italian American food movie. (Think of Ray Liotta at the end of Goodfellas summarising his degradation with that classic line: "Right after I got here I ordered some spaghetti with mannara sauce and I got egg noodles and ketchup".) Until he gets round to it there is Big Night and it is very good indeed.

The fine cast includes Stanley Tucci, who manages to have a fling with both Isabella Rossellini and Minnie Driver. (This is the movie where it is proved that she is nine foot tall and all the stuff in Good Will Hunting about how she can dunk, is no BS.) Tony Shaloub plays Stanley Tucci's brother, who is less talented on the woman front but is, in compensation, the superiour chef. Both of them have a mixed relationship with Ian Holm who I feel lets the side down rather by doing too much of the acting stuff with a forced "eyetalian" accent. Two points here, firstly, all the male leads also crop up in supporting roles in A Life Less Ordinary and take the opportunity to show off their talents in these bigger roles. Secondly, if a fine actor like Ian Holm is the only disappointment in a movie, that is quite a distinction.

The script is good, the direction is good - the movie is a miracle of brevity considering that, on repeated viewing, one can see that it is shot on a budget that wouldn't buy two lemon polenta cakes at The River Cafe. Big Night is one of the three cool indie movies that came out of America in 1997. Miss it and you deserve to eat at Burger King for the rest of your life.

Tom Hutchinson
EUFS Programme 1998-99