Big Night (1996)

Set in the 1950s, two immigrant brothers (Stanley Tucci, Tony Shalhoub) from Italy run a quality Italian restaurant on the Jersey shore. But the restaurant is failing and on the brink of bankruptcy so they risk everything on one "big night" that will make them or break them. Co-directed by actors Campbell Scott (who plays a car salesman in the film) and Stanley Tucci. Among the "foodie" movies (think BABETTE'S FEAST, JULIE AND JULIA or LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE), this dramedy is one of the very best. It's well written, well acted and the food is yummy. But it's not only all about the food. It's about family, the immigrant experience and the American dream. The film's satiric humor hits its target. This was the 1950s when cuisine to the average American was spaghetti in a can (Chef Boyardee). The scene where Tucci tries to explain to a customer (Caroline Aaron) why it isn't logical to serve a side of spaghetti with risotto is priceless. Shalhoub's performance won him the best supporting actor award from the National Society Of Film Critics. With Isabella Rossellini, Ian Holm, Minnie Driver, Allison Janney, Marc Anthony and Liev Schreiber.