Love Is All There Is

Love Is All There Is is a romantic comedy that presents a riotous, contemporary spin on Romeo and Juliet, the timeless tale of star-crossed lovers. The film was released in 1996 and was directed by Joseph Bologna and Renee Taylor. The film stars Lainie Kazan, Paul Sorvino, and Barbara Carrera, who bring their cumulative acting prowess to this modern farce, giving it a unique atmosphere of enthusiastic chaos and passionate sentimentality.

Set against the vibrant and bustling backdrop of The Bronx, New York, the narrative primarily revolves around two Italian-American families, quite reminiscent of the Montagues and Capulets. The Cappamezzas are a hard-working, salt-of-the-earth family with deep roots in traditional Italian cooking, owning a local Pizza restaurant, whereas the Malacicis are a more uppercrust lot with a flourishing gourmet Italian catering business that caters to a more sophisticated clientele.

The families’ bitter rivalry is intensified when the children of the households, their respective heir and heiress, fall in love. Against this tumultuous background, an unexpected romance blossoms between Rosario Cappamezza, played by Nathaniel Marston, and Gina Malacici, played by Angelina Jolie. Both are handsome and charming young actors, who are accompanied by experienced and accomplished performers like Lainie Kazan and Paul Sorvino, who play Sadie and Mike respectively, the warm-hearted but hot-tempered parents of Rosario.

This story takes a comedic yet sentimental look at the universal challenge of young love against familial opposition. As the young couple’s clandestine romance develops and intensifies, their respective families attempt to mediate the situation in their own, often hilarious ways. In a split screen phone call, Sadie and Mike (Gina's parents) try to discuss the situation with their son without escalating tensions between the two families. Simultaneously, Mike and Sadie participate in a dinner that could potentially resolve the families' grievances, but instead takes a detour into a comic disaster.

Kazan's portrayal of Sadie Cappamezza is both enduring and charismatic. Sadie, a drama-loving, exuberant woman, beautifully emulates the oft-overlooked trials and tribulations of matrimony and motherhood in a traditional Italian family. Gina’s mother, Maria Malacici, played by Barbara Carrera, is a sophisticated, glamorous and shrewd businesswoman attempting to break societal norms and preconceived notions about the roles of Italian-American women.

One of the most iconic scenes in the movie includes a local community production of Romeo and Juliet where Rosario and Gina are cast as the leads. This audacious play within a film adds an extra layer of comedic confusion and highlights the families' reactions and interventions, ultimately escalating familial tensions to new comedic heights.

"Love Is All There Is" is filled with moments of humor, pathos, and genuine love. It not only tells a story of young love but also shows the struggles of parents who love their children but have difficulty understanding or accepting their choices. The film is not just a battle between two families but also a battle between new and old ways of thinking, established conventions vs evolving societal norms in the Italian-American community.

Drawing inspiration from one of Shakespeare's most well-known tragedies, Love Is All There Is retells this classic story with a fresh, humorous, and distinctly Italian-American lens. Packed with lively performances by a star-studded cast, this film breathes life into a beloved tale of forbidden love, turning a tragedy into a vibrant comedy. The end product is an entertaining and heart-warming film that makes for an enjoyable watch, leaving viewers with the poignant message that sometimes, love is indeed all there is.