Bread and Tulips (2000)

After being forgotten in a highway café during a bus trip, a housewife decides to start a new life by herself in Venice.

Director:

Silvio Soldini

Writers:

Silvio Soldini (story), Doriana Leondeff (story)

Stars:

Licia Maglietta, Bruno Ganz, Giuseppe Battiston

32 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Licia Maglietta	...	Rosalba Barletta
Bruno Ganz	...	Fernando Girasole
Giuseppe Battiston	...	Costantino Caponangeli
Antonio Catania	...	Mimmo Barletta
Marina Massironi	...	Grazia
Felice Andreasi	...	Fermo
Vitalba Andrea	...	Ketty
Tatiana Lepore	...	Adele
Daniela Piperno	...	Woman in Car
Tiziano Cucchiarelli	...	Nic
Matteo Febo	...	Salvo
Lina Bernardi	...	Nancy
Mauro Marino	...	Lello
Antonia Miccoli	...	Sami
Ludovico Paladin	...	Eliseo

Storyline

Life is often just "for sake of" and we need to know about it and want to benefit when we are presented with the occasion to. A bit for "sake of", a bit for choice, Rosalba, young and apart from anything a housewife of Pescara, during a bus trip after she found herself alone and...forgotten in a highway café, decides not to wait for her husband and sons to come back to pick her up but instead decides to find her own way home. She is a little offended that she has been forgotten by her family and has been told by her husband to stay put so, rebelling a little she finds herself hitch-hiking direct for Venice. Her adventure in Venice begins meeting strange but fascinating people. Fermo; an anarchistic florist, Grazia; a masseuse and Fernando; a waiter from Iceland that speaks his own language of Italian.

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Plot Keywords:

f rated | italy | amateur detective | bus | housewife | 

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Taglines:

A woman's fairy tale of hope.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for brief language, some sensuality and drug references

Details

Official Sites:

Monogatari

Country:

Italy Switzerland

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

2 November 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bread and Tulips

Filming Locations:

Rome, Lazio, Italy

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$32,933, 29 July 2001

Gross USA:

$5,318,679

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,719,848

Company Credits

Production Co:

Monogatari, Istituto Luce, Rai Cinema

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Licia Maglietta actually played the accordion in the scenes where her character does so. It is her playing that can be heard in the movie.

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Quotes

Rosalba Barletta: Is it true that you're on drugs?
Nic: Who told you that?
Rosalba Barletta: Aunt Ketty.
Nic: Mom, that's not true. Weed is not a drug.
Rosalba Barletta: No? Then what is it?
Nic: Weed.

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Connections

Features Out of the Past (1947)

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Soundtracks

Tanti auguri a te (Happy Birthday to You)
(uncredited)
Written by Patty S. Hill and Mildred J. Hill
Performed by The Partygoers

User Reviews

A movie like only a European can make it.

Pane e tulipani or Bread and Tulips is a wonderful Italian movie. The story is told in a way only a European can, you would never find such a movie in Hollywood. There are no special effects, no gadgets, no fast cars, ... nothing you would probably find in it if this was a Hollywood production. The characters are the real stars in this movie, together with all the streets and canals of Venice.

It's about a middle aged, neglected housewife and mother who is left behind by her family on a bus trip. Her family doesn't even notice she's missing until two hours later. She decides to hitch-hike home and she meets different people. To one of them she says that she has never been to Venice, but that she really would like to see it. The man suggests to bring her to Venice instead of driving her home and so her adventure begins. She meets some interesting people and in one way or another she always influences their lives. But not only their lives change, her life is influenced by it as well.

I guess this must sound incredibly boring to some people, but it really isn't. I enjoyed the movie - which can be seen as a modern fairy tale or as a real story - a lot. I guess it all depends from the viewer. Do you believe finding real love, when it's not supposed to happen to you, could actually happen? Personally I do, but I'm a real optimist, so perhaps that's why I liked it so much. It might also be because it gives a very optimistic view towards life.

I guess the real strength of this movie lies in the fact that even after the movie has ended, you are still thinking about it. The story is simple, very universal, but also subtle and deep.

I could talk for hours about this movie, but I guess you'll have to see it for yourself. My advice to everybody, but especially to the people who love Italy as much as I do: Sit down, relax and enjoy. I give it a 8.5/10.