Food Festival Week: "Big Night" January 18, 2008

Food Festival Week ends the work week appropriately with "Big Night" on Friday 1/18. Exquisite food will make our movie lovers run out to dinner right after this wonderful film - and the place to go is Caffe Italia right next door. They are generously underwriting this movie.

Set in the 1950s, "Big Night" tells the story of two Italian immigrant brotherswho own and operate"Paradise" an Italian restaurant. One brother, Primo, is a brilliant, perfectionist chef who chafes under their few customers' expectations of "traditional" food.The other brother, Secondo, is the restaurant's manager, who is enamored with the possibilities presented by their new endeavor and life in America. Despite Secondo's efforts and Primo's magnificent food, their restaurant is failing; unless something can turn business around for them, it will soon close.

Secondo is unable to commit to his girlfriend Phyllisas he has recently been sleeping with Gabriella, the wife of a competitor. Her husband's self-named restaurant, Pascal's, has enjoyed great success despite (or perhaps due to) the mediocre, uninspired food served there. Desperate to keep Paradise afloat, Secondo asks Pascal for a loan. In an apparent display of generosity, Pascal instead insists that he will persuade a famous person (Louis Prima)to dine at Paradise when he comes to town; the celebrity's patronage should revitalize the brothers' business. Primo and Secondo plunge themselves into preparations for this "big night", inviting dozens of people to dine for free and spending what little they still have on planning a magnificent, extraordinary feast. Primo pours his heart into each dish, lavishing care and attention on the cooking. The film is Rated R for language.

The Firehouse Theatre doors open at 6:30 with the film beginning promptly at 7. Tickets at the door are $5. We also offer a "10 Pass" for $40 that is fully transferable and never expires. It can be used for multiple entries to the same film. Our thanks to Caffe Italia for underwriting this film.

Official Website: http://www.m-l-t.org/movies/