Big Night (1996)

Directors:

Campbell Scott
Stanley Tucci

Writers:

Joseph Tropiano (writer)
Stanley Tucci (writer)

Release Date:

20 September 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

In love and life, one big night can change everything.

Plot:

A failing Italian restaurant run by two brothers gambles on one special night to try to save the business.

Plot Keywords:

Restaurant | Brother | Italian | Italian Restaurant | Chef

Awards:

8 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Marc Anthony	...	Cristiano
Tony Shalhoub	...	Primo
Stanley Tucci	...	Secondo
Larry Block	...	Man in Restaurant
Caroline Aaron	...	Woman in Restaurant
Andre Belgrader	...	Stash
Minnie Driver	...	Phyllis
Peter McRobbie	...	Loan Officer
Isabella Rossellini	...	Gabriella
Liev Schreiber	...	Leo
Pasquale Cajano	...	Alberto N. Pisani
Christine Tucci	...	Woman Singer
Gene Canfield	...	Charlie
Ian Holm	...	Pascal
Allison Janney	...	Ann
Tina Bruno	...	Ida
Peter Appel	...	Chubby
Jack O'Connell	...	Man on Truck
Campbell Scott	...	Bob
Karen Shallo	...	Chubby's Wife
Alvaleta Guess	...	Lenore
Tamar Kotoske	...	Dean
Robert W. Castle	...	Father O'Brien
Susan Floyd	...	Joan
Dina Waters	...	Natalie (as Dina Spybey)
Seth Jones	...	Jameson
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ken Cheeseman	...	Photographer (uncredited)

Directed by
Campbell Scott
Stanley Tucci

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Joseph Tropiano		writer
Stanley Tucci		writer

Produced by
Elizabeth W. Alexander	....	associate producer (as Elizabeth Alexander)
Jonathan Filley	....	producer
David Kirkpatrick	....	executive producer
Peter Liguori	....	associate producer
Oliver Platt	....	associate producer
Keith Samples	....	executive producer
Campbell Scott	....	co-producer
Stanley Tucci	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Gary DeMichele

Cinematography by
Ken Kelsch

Film Editing by
Suzy Elmiger

Casting by
Ellen Lewis

Production Design by
Andrew Jackness

Art Direction by
Jeffrey D. McDonald
David Stein

Set Decoration by
Susan Raney

Costume Design by
Juliet Polcsa		(as Juliet A. Polcsa)

Makeup Department
Scott W. Farley	....	key hair stylist (as Scott Farley)
Patricia Grande	....	assistant hair stylist (as Patricia Grand)
Anthony Gueli	....	assistant hair stylist (as Tony Gueli)
Todd Kleitsch	....	additional makeup artist
Linda Lazar	....	assistant makeup artist
Neal Martz	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Diana Schmidt	....	production manager
Charlie Vogel	....	post-production supervisor: Post-Productions Inc.

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Carla Bowen	....	second assistant director
Peggy Craven	....	additional second assistant director
Lynn K. D'Angona	....	first assistant director (as Lynn d'Angona)
Liz McGregor	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
William Armstrong	....	scenic artist
Diane Bishop	....	food stylist assistant
Robert Covelman	....	property master
Robert Dillon	....	key carpenter (as Bob Dillon)
Deborah J. DiSabatino	....	food stylist
Midge Duffy	....	assistant property master
Stephen Finkin	....	set dresser (as Steve Finkin)
Edward Gangloff	....	carpentry foreman (as Ed Gangloff)
Joseph Garzero	....	charge scenic (as Joe Garzero)
Jim Gilmartin	....	scenic artist (as James B. Gilmartin)
Donna Hamilton	....	assistant set decorator
Mark Horstmann	....	construction coordinator
Ross Huttick	....	additional property
Akeo Ihara	....	shop production assistant
Miguel Jimenez	....	shop electrician (as Miguel Jiminez)
Nicole Katz	....	art department coordinator
Philip Kennedy	....	scenic artist (as Phillip Kennedy)
Ron Mingalone	....	additional property
Beth Moran	....	art department production assistant
Ed Newins Jr.	....	key construction grip (as Ed Newins)
Liam E. O'Rourke	....	second construction grip
Gerard H. Pineo	....	lead man
Steve Scanlon	....	set dresser (as Stephen E. Scanlon)
Andrea Teicher	....	food stylist assistant
John Wolanczyk	....	scenic artist (as John P. Wolanczyk)
Harriet Zucker	....	assistant set decorator

Sound Department
Michael Barry	....	sound re-recording mixer
Benjamin Cheah	....	sound effects recordist (as Ben Cheah)
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist (as Marko Costanzo)
Mick Gormaley	....	assistant sound editor
Kenton Jakub	....	adr editor
Dan Korintus	....	dialogue editor
George Leong	....	boom operator
Julie Lindner	....	assistant sound editor
Sylvia Menno	....	dialogue editor
Richard Murphy	....	utility sound (as Rich Murphy)
Eliza Paley	....	supervising sound editor
Glenfield Payne	....	sound effects editor
Bruce Pross	....	foley engineer
William Sarokin	....	sound mixer
Steven Visscher	....	foley editor (as Steve Visscher)

Special Effects by
Connie Brink	....	special effects

Stunts
G.A. Aguilar	....	stunt coordinator
Douglas Crosby	....	stunts
Susan Trout	....	stunts
Blaise Corrigan	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Larry Banks	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Peter Clark	....	additional grip
John Clifford	....	still photographer
Patrick Cousins	....	electrician (as Pat Cousins)
Jim Denault	....	additional electrician
Dan Denitto	....	dolly grip (as Daniel De Nitto)
Jim Denny	....	additional electrician
Joe Donohue III	....	company grip (as Joseph Donohue III)
Andrea Dorman	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Steve Drellich	....	camera operator
Samuel G. Friedman	....	lamp operator (as Samuel Friedman)
Jim Galvin	....	lamp operator
Pedro Hernández	....	best boy grip (as Pedro Hernandez)
Robert Kummert	....	key grip (as Rob Kummert)
Dennis A. Livesey	....	first assistant camera (as Dennis Livesey)
Paul Loret	....	additional grip
Charlie McNamara	....	chief lighting technician (as Charlie 'Gigi' McNamara)
Noah Prince	....	generator operator
Rick Raphael	....	Steadicam operator
Johnny Santiago	....	additional grip
Anthony Santos	....	additional electrician (as Tony Santos)
Jennifer Stuart	....	camera trainee
Phil Testa	....	assistant lighting technician
Phil Testa	....	best boy electric
Stephen Treadway	....	second assistant camera (as Steve Treadway)
Phil Cohen	....	Steadicam assistant (uncredited)

Casting Department
Byron Crystal	....	extras casting
Marcia DeBonis	....	casting associate (as Marcia Bebonis)
Elisabeth Rudolph	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marie Abma	....	costume assistant
Susan Carrano	....	assistant to costume designer
Elizabeth Feldbauer	....	wardrobe supervisor
Irene Feldbauer	....	wardrobe assistant
Barbara Krauthamer	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Barbara Krauthamer)

Editorial Department
Armando Fente	....	assistant editor (as Armando Fente Jr.)
Kent McGrew	....	color timer
Beth Moran	....	editing intern
Zeborah Tidwell	....	associate editor

Music Department
Bradley Ard	....	musician
Steve Borne	....	music editor
Chris Collins	....	musician
Margot Core	....	music supervisor
Gary DeMichele	....	musician
Glenn DeMichele	....	musician
David Gordon	....	music recording engineer
David Gordon	....	musician
Jeffrey Mickus	....	musician
Henry Salgado	....	musician

Transportation Department
David Babcock	....	driver (as David J. Babcock)
Theodor A. Brown	....	transportation captain (as Ted Brown)
Joseph Buonocore	....	driver (as Joseph Buonocore Jr.)
Kenny Gaskins	....	transportation co-captain
Gerard Maggio	....	driver
Charlie Murphy	....	driver
Charles Spillane	....	driver

Other crew
Marc David Alpert	....	production assistant (as Marc Alpert)
Eva Barnes	....	dialect coach
Hélène Cardona	....	stand-in
Justin Daly	....	production assistant
Michael Del Rio	....	stand-in
Jill Footlick	....	production coordinator
Vernon Guinn	....	production assistant
Lisa Horne	....	assistant: Mr. Tucci and Mr. Scott
Larry Horodner	....	location production assistant
Marty Houston	....	production assistant
Sam Hutchins	....	location manager
Andrea Isaacs	....	production accountant
Jon M. Johnson	....	parking
Kimberly Jones	....	production assistant (as Kim Jones)
Harley Kaplan	....	stand-in
Lisa Katcher	....	script supervisor
Daniel Kaufman	....	stand-in (as Dan Kaufman)
Valerie Livingston	....	production assistant
Pamela Mathis	....	title designer: The Effects House Inc.
Mary Kate McCormick	....	assistant production coordinator
Andrew McDade	....	production assistant (as Andrew 'Ace' McDade)
Frank McKenna	....	craft service (as Francis J. McKenna)
Michael McKenna	....	craft service (as Michael J. McKenna)
Frances N. Murdock	....	assistant: Mr. Filley
Cristopher Novick	....	production assistant (as Chris Novick)
Lynn Reich	....	production assistant
Brad Rivers	....	assistant: Mr. Samples
Judy Rossi	....	assistant: Mr. Kirkpatrick
Shea Rowan	....	production assistant
George Sheanshang	....	production attorney (as George Sheanshang Esq.)
Karen Sibrava	....	stand-in
Alberto Sterling	....	security officer (as Alberto 'Louis' Sterling)
Dale C. Todd	....	assistant accountant
Mark Urman	....	unit publicist: Dennis Davidson Associates
Eric Van Alstyne	....	stand-in
Gary van der Meer	....	location assistant (as Gary L. van der Meer)
Justin Vanson	....	production assistant
Michael Ventresco	....	title designer: main titles
Rose Viggiano	....	location production assistant
Andrew Vogliano	....	production assistant
Michael Wolinski	....	office production assistant
Christopher Wyllie	....	production secretary
Tom Yeager	....	assistant location manager

Thanks
Robert Altman	....	special thanks
Steve Buscemi	....	special thanks
Michael McCormick	....	special thanks
Aidan Quinn	....	special thanks
Liev Schreiber	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Rysher Entertainment
• Timpano Production

Distributors

• RCV Film Distribution (1997) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• Eurocine (Argentina)
• Líder Films (Spain)
• Prokino Filmverleih (Germany)
• RCV Film Distribution (Belgium)
• RCV Film Distribution (Luxembourg)
• RCV Home Entertainment (1997) (Netherlands) (video)
• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Other Companies

• C-5  foley recording
• Effects House  titles
• J.G. Films  negative cutting
• Kallista Marketing & PR  international marketing and publicity
• Panavision  lenses and Panaflex camera (as Panavision New York)
• Planet 10 Post  post-production audio facility
• Saturn Productions  music recorded at
• Sound One  post-production facilities (as Sound One Corp.)
• TVT Soundtrax  soundtrack

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby

Certification:

South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Germany:o.Al. | Netherlands:AL | Spain:7 | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:PG | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Chelsea Pier, Chelsea, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Rysher Entertainment

Trivia:

The woman singing in the competing restaurant is played by Christine Tucci, who is 'Stanley Tucci''s sister.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The pianist in Pascal's restaurant is playing an electronic keyboard, the likes of which would not be invented for another twenty years or more.

Quotes:

Secondo: Sometimes the spaghetti likes to be alone.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in An Italian Christmas with Mario and Giada (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Giordani, Caro Mio Ben

big hit

This is an excellent little movie which looks like it's about food but is actually about the search for success, the striving for excellence in a crass and uncaring world, and brotherly devotion. Two Italian brothers run a little restaurant serving superb food as a labor of love, but it's failing, in contrast to the wildly successful spaghetti emporium down the street with execrable food but which is raking in the big bucks. The story line - set in the late 50's U.S.A. - is paper thin, but the movie is populated with interesting, likable people and the tale is lovingly told with an excellent script and superb acting all around, especially from the two brothers and from Ian Holm, the British actor, who does an unexpectedly great job as the owner of the red sauce place (Ian Holm playing an Italian? Yes, stunningly). Caring seriously about food does help one to appreciate this flick; I have never seen the preparation and serving of food presented so beautifully and lovingly in a movie. The final, wordless scene, in which a simple omelette is prepared and the brothers express their reconciliation, is, for me, one of the most eloquently poetic codas I have ever seen. This is a warm-hearted movie with a great deal of humor that rates an A+.