A young couple must navigate a blossoming romance, amidst a war between their families' competing pizza restaurants.A young couple must navigate a blossoming romance, amidst a war between their families' competing pizza restaurants.A young couple must navigate a blossoming romance, amidst a war between their families' competing pizza restaurants.
- Director
- Writers
- Steve Galluccio(screenplay)
- Vinay Virmani(screenplay)
- Brent Cote(story consultant)
- Stars
Top credits
- Director
- Writers
- Steve Galluccio(screenplay)
- Vinay Virmani(screenplay)
- Brent Cote(story consultant)
- Stars
Videos3
Cristina Rosato
- Ginaas Gina
- (as Christina Rosato)
Michael A. Miranda
- Amadeoas Amadeo
- (as Michael Miranda)
- Director
- Writers
- Steve Galluccio(screenplay)
- Vinay Virmani(screenplay) (story)
- Brent Cote(story consultant)
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
- All cast & crew
Storyline
Young adults Nikki Angioli and Leo Campo were staunch competitors and best friends growing up in the Little Italy neighborhood of Toronto. Their respective fathers, friends Sal Angioli and Vince Campo, ran Pizza Napoli, which made the best pizza in the neighborhood due to the combination of Nikki's paternal nona Franca Angioli's secret marinara sauce, and Leo's paternal nono Carlo Campo's secret thin crust pizza dough recipe. While Leo has stayed in Toronto working part-time at his father's pizzeria with the secret hopes of one day opening his own pizzeria, Nikki, who loved Leo while they were growing up, ran off to London five years ago hoping never to return to Toronto to get away from her past, which includes Leo himself, who she believes has turned into a ladies man solely trying to put notches in his bedpost, and Sal and Vince now in a feud of an unspecified nature following they winning best pizza in Little Italy several years ago, each subsequently having opened competing pizzerias next door to each other, which would preclude Nikki and Leo getting together even if either wanted. Nikki is working toward being a chef in her own right of anything but pizza, she at the cooking school of famed Michelin starred chef, Corinne, who seemingly has nothing nice to say about anyone, especially her students. Nikki learns that it is between her and another student, Gareth, who Corinne will choose to work at her new London restaurant, the two who will compete to produce the best menu. First, Nikki further learns that she has to deal with a visa issue, meaning that, whether or not she likes it, she has to return to Toronto for a few weeks. In inevitably running in Leo, she finds that there is still a sexual tension that exists between the two. They will have the many existing hurdles to overcome to get together, they each having to realize that they are hurdles worth overcoming, while learning some of those issues are truly non-existent. —Huggo
- Taglines
- Three generations. Two families. One forbidden love.
- Genres
- Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
- Rated R for some sexual references
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaEmma Roberts was spotted on set wearing a red shirt saying, "A slice of heaven." Julia Roberts, Emma's real life aunt, wore a shirt with the same color and description in Mystic Pizza (1988), made by the same director as this film, which has people speculating this may be a follow up.
- GoofsWhen Carlo proposes to Franca the camera is facing him and he puts his hat on. In the next shot, from behind over his shoulder, his hat is off while he places the ring on her finger.
- Quotes
Dora Angioli: You're so thin... no one trusts a skinny cook.
- Crazy creditsThere are some bloopers shown during the first part of the credits.
- ConnectionsFeatured in CTV News at Six Toronto: Episode dated 22 August 2018 (2018)
- SoundtracksPapa Loves Mambo
Performed by Perry Como
Written by Al Hoffman, Dick Manning and Bickley Reichner (as Bickley 'Bix' Reichner)
Published by Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., Inc., Al Hoffman Songs, Inc., admin. by Music Sales Corp. (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment by arrangement with Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc.
Top review
Toronto's Little Italy is the setting for dueling Italian Pizza families.
My wife and I watched this movie at home, on DVD from our public library. It is mostly a cute, lightweight romantic comedy. Although I had assumed the location was New York City it in fact is Toronto. I suppose lots of large cities have a "Little Italy" section.
Two families are in the pizza business together, a boy and girl from each family grow up together as best friends. As young adults she goes off to culinary school in London, where she becomes one of the young stars with the opportunity to start a new restaurant. He stays home, works in the pizza shop, and has an apartment above the local bar where he also works.
Meanwhile the two families had a big falling out, they now have two competing pizza shops next to each other, and generally do not associate with the other family. This creates additional interest when the two old grandparents start to have affection for each other.
Hayden Christensen is the boy, Leo Campo and Emma Roberts is the girl, Nikki Angioli. (In real life he is 10 years older than she.) When Nikki has to return home to change her visa from student to work she and Leo, after 5 years apart, rekindle their old friendship. And it looks like there is a lot more there.
All the actors are fine here, the director made "Mystic Pizza" all those years ago with Julia Roberts, plus others like "Miss Congeniality", so there is some of that sensibility in this movie. Some scenes were irritating, with the anger and yelling, some acting was over the top, but overall it is an entertaining little movie.
Two families are in the pizza business together, a boy and girl from each family grow up together as best friends. As young adults she goes off to culinary school in London, where she becomes one of the young stars with the opportunity to start a new restaurant. He stays home, works in the pizza shop, and has an apartment above the local bar where he also works.
Meanwhile the two families had a big falling out, they now have two competing pizza shops next to each other, and generally do not associate with the other family. This creates additional interest when the two old grandparents start to have affection for each other.
Hayden Christensen is the boy, Leo Campo and Emma Roberts is the girl, Nikki Angioli. (In real life he is 10 years older than she.) When Nikki has to return home to change her visa from student to work she and Leo, after 5 years apart, rekindle their old friendship. And it looks like there is a lot more there.
All the actors are fine here, the director made "Mystic Pizza" all those years ago with Julia Roberts, plus others like "Miss Congeniality", so there is some of that sensibility in this movie. Some scenes were irritating, with the anger and yelling, some acting was over the top, but overall it is an entertaining little movie.
helpful•30
- TxMike
- Feb 1, 2019
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- Khu Phố Little Italy
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- CA$8,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $990,230
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $283,399
- Aug 26, 2018
- Gross worldwide
- $1,362,536
- Runtime1 hour 42 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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