I went middle of the road with my rating because, honestly, I didn't finish watching to the end. I was drawn to the title "Our Italian Christmas Memories" because I come from a family that is Italian on my father's side.
First of all, the casting was disappointing to me. Most of the cast is not Italian and doesn't even look Italian. Most are Canadian. The late matriarch of the family floats in and out of an Italian accent.
Second, they pepper the few obligatory Italian words and phrases throughout the scenes: nonno, nonna, Buon Natale, sugo (which they pronounce incorrectly as "suko" the entire time).
Third, which I realize is essential to their plot, they contend that none of the children or grandchildren in the family wanted to learn how to cook. This is unheard of in Italian homes. Kids are brought into the kitchen very early and they are very excited to be taught how to cook and bake by their mothers, grandmothers, fathers, whoever might be teaching.
Fourth, the feast of the seven fishes on Christmas Eve was barely mentioned. Of course, that was at least up to the point where I quit watching.
What really made my head explode was the CHRISTMAS PICKLE! That is a GERMAN tradition!! Not Italian!! Hallmark has even mentioned that being a German tradition before in their movie "Christmas Getaway."
I'm guessing whoever wrote, cast, directed, produced and acted in this movie has never spent any time around an Italian family at any time let alone Christmas. Very disappointing.
Our Italian Christmas Memories
2022
Comedy / Drama / Romance
Our Italian Christmas Memories
2022
Comedy / Drama / Romance
6.6Keywords: christmas
Plot summary
An adjunct professor in Sociology which has had her move from place to place around the world, Anna Colluccia is going home for Christmas, she the only one of her close knit Italian family to move out of town. This situation places her somewhat at odds with her younger sister, Ella Collucia, who, with her wife Nathalie Wolford, pregnant with their first child, has felt the need to take on many of the "oldest sibling" family tasks, such as taking over running the family farm, where the family has hosted a pre-Christmas Italian dinner for the community for forty-eight years. Their younger brother, RJ Collucia, has always felt like a failure, but, working as a dishwasher at an Italian restaurant, has discovered a passion for the first time in his life, namely cooking and love for the boss' daughter, Monica Banks. Their mother, Madelynn Collucia, takes care of their "nono" (grandfather),Vincent Collucia, at the family home, nono in the early stages of Alzheimer's. As the siblings have given their mother a well-deserved Hawaiian vacation for the week before Christmas as a gift, Anna is largely left to take care of nono in Madelynn's absence, when she learns from nono's neurologist, Dr. Greg Krasinski, that his Alzheimer's has progressed further than she was initially meant to believe by the family. With things in the family changing, which includes an announcement by Ella about the farm, Anna, in an effort as Dr. Greg suggests to keep nono's mind engaged and to come back to some lost family traditions, wants nono to try and recreate long deceased nona's famous sugo pasta sauce to serve for Christmas Eve dinner, a written copy of her recipe which is not known to exist. In the process, Anna may come to some understandings of her family from who, in her adjunct life, she has purposefully run away, while discovering toward what she really wants to run.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.WEB 1080p.WEBMovie Reviews
Disappointed
Just ok
Eh, nothing to get excited over. I loved Sarah in The Good Witch series. She's so beautiful but WOW, that wig was a horrible choice for her, it looked fake and awful. She saved this movie. Beau Bridges was good. That's about it. So many storylines but the worst was the lead finding love in a matter of days, and he just happens to be handsome, single, great job. How many young doctors like him just happen to be available? The sister was obnoxious. The lesbian couple added nothing really. The mom who came and left. It's like here she is, here she isn't. The chef guy, added nothing and no chemistry with his girlfriend who declares her love. Gave this a generous 3 just because of Sarah.
So close to a 10 in many ways ... but an important warning
If your family has already gone through incipient or fully developed dementia with a parent or close grandparent, this movie is a VERY difficult watch. We did. It was painful at the time and painful to be reminded of years later.
Let me leave one piece of advice for families who struggle with dementia. Find a GREAT facility with a GREAT memory impaired wing. The normal person cannot substitute love and a desire to serve for the professional training required to deal with this disease. We tried, SO HARD, for six months and everyone was miserable. One incident in the movie reminded me of the day I had to take the keys out of the deadbolts and screw L-brackets onto the windows as we cared for my father-in-law.
Beau Bridges portrayal was perfect. Superb acting and on the money.
The movie lost stars for us from the other subplots. The writers were simply too ambitious with virtually everyone having a meltdown.
The two romances didn't have the scenes needed to properly build to their conclusions because of the overly packed plot.
You may appreciate much of this film as you watch it and relive some family trauma as well. Having once lived it, we won't relive it again by rewatching this film.