There’s something about a grandmother’s cooking that feels timeless. Maybe it’s the way she stirs the sauce like she’s coaxing memories into it. Maybe it’s the aroma of freshly baked bread or a stew simmering slowly that makes us feel safe, understood, and loved. Nonnas (2025), the newest food-centered drama starring Vince Vaughn, taps beautifully into that sentiment. It’s not just a film about food—it’s about memory, grief, heritage, and how food can bring people back to life when everything else feels lost.
For those of us who crave movies that celebrate the sensual pleasures of cooking while offering a heartfelt story, Nonnas serves up a generous helping. Based on the real-life story of Joe Scaravella, this film invites us into a world where grief meets garlic, and where resilience rises like dough in the hands of experienced grandmothers from across the globe.
Let’s step into the kitchen and take a closer look at why Nonnas is one of the most comforting films of the year.
From Loss to Lasagna: A True Story with Heart
After the death of his mother, Joe Scaravella finds himself unmoored—adrift in the waves of grief and longing. But instead of retreating inward, he does something unexpected: he opens a restaurant. Not just any restaurant, but one staffed by grandmothers—or nonnas—who bring their family recipes, their stories, and their love into the kitchen.
Nonnas is based on Scaravella’s real experience of opening Enoteca Maria, a unique restaurant in Staten Island where real-life grandmothers cook traditional dishes from their heritage. Every night, a different nonna takes over the kitchen, serving authentic recipes passed down through generations. The film captures this idea beautifully, allowing food to become a living, breathing character in the story—one that nurtures and heals.
This isn’t a high-stakes chef drama with kitchen tantrums or Michelin stars on the line. It’s something quieter, warmer, and arguably more powerful: a story of finding purpose through the humble act of feeding others.
Vince Vaughn Like You’ve Never Seen Him
If you’re expecting the fast-talking, sarcastic Vince Vaughn of wedding-crashing fame, you’re in for a surprise. In Nonnas, he takes on the role of Joe with a gentle restraint. His performance is filled with quiet grief, subtle humor, and a deep appreciation for the women who become his guiding lights.
The supporting cast includes the wonderful Susan Sarandon and Talia Shire—both of whom bring warmth and gravitas to their roles. But the true stars of the film are the nonnas themselves, some of whom are played by real-life grandmothers with zero acting experience. This choice adds authenticity and charm, making you feel like you’ve pulled up a chair in their kitchens and are watching magic unfold in real time.
Cooking as Connection: The Soul of the Film
Food films often have a way of making us hungry, but Nonnas goes deeper than cravings. It reminds us of what food truly represents: love, memory, culture, and care. Each dish prepared by the nonnas comes with a story. One might make a Sicilian caponata that her mother taught her during wartime. Another rolls out gnocchi by hand, telling tales of Sunday dinners that brought a noisy family together in a quiet home.
These scenes aren’t rushed. The camera lingers on the dough, the bubbling sauces, the careful slicing of vegetables. The film invites us to slow down and savor not just the food, but the hands that make it. In a world obsessed with speed and convenience, Nonnas is a reminder that the most meaningful meals take time—and they carry with them the legacy of those who came before us.
A Shared Table, an Italian Soul
While nonna is an Italian word, it stands for something universal: love expressed through food. The film keeps its focus on Italian grandmothers, drawing from the protagonist’s roots and grief. But even within this shared heritage, there’s variety—each nonna has her own spice, her own rhythm, and her own emotional baggage. What unites them is their willingness to share—to feed others with both food and wisdom.
Watching these women cook and interact is one of the film’s great joys. There’s humor, sass, and a beautiful display of intergenerational learning. Joe, still reeling from his loss, learns to listen, to accept, and to let himself be nurtured. And the audience, watching him, is invited to do the same.
The Restaurant as a Second Home
The restaurant in Nonnas isn’t just a business; it’s a sanctuary. A place where the smell of tomato sauce means more than dinner—it means comfort, resilience, and the continuation of love. For many who have lost parents or grandparents, the film is likely to hit an emotional nerve. But it doesn’t dwell in sadness. Instead, it offers hope, in the form of soup, risotto, and heartfelt stories.
There’s something quietly radical about the restaurant model portrayed in the film. In a food industry driven by trends, competition, and fine dining pressure, Joe creates a space where tradition, authenticity, and human connection take center stage. And it works—not just in real life, but in the story too.
Why Food Lovers Will Adore This Film
If you love movies like Chef, Julie & Julia, Big Night, or even The Taste of Things, Nonnas will be right up your alley. It doesn’t just show food; it respects it. It honors the labor, the emotion, and the culture that go into every meal. From the flour-dusted kitchens to the softly spoken instructions passed from one cook to another, the film is a love letter to home cooking—and to the women who’ve kept those traditions alive.
Even if you’ve never made pasta from scratch or stirred a sauce for hours, Nonnas will make you want to. And more importantly, it’ll make you want to call your grandmother. Or remember her, if she’s gone. That’s the true power of this film.
Final Thoughts: A Hug in Movie Form
Nonnas is not a flashy film. It’s gentle, loving, and deeply human. It doesn’t rely on dramatic twists or grand reveals. Instead, it lets the quiet moments speak—the clink of a spoon in a bowl, the laughter of women swapping stories, the soft sigh of someone tasting something that reminds them of home.
For those of us who believe that food is more than sustenance—that it’s connection, heritage, healing—Nonnas is a cinematic gift. It reminds us that every dish has a history, every cook a story, and every meal an opportunity to love and be loved.
Nonnas is currently streaming on Netflix. You can also check out more details, including cast and ratings, on IMDb.
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