Directed by Stephen Chbosky, Nonnas is a heartwarming retelling of a true story that started with death but transformed into something magical and healing. Joe Scaravella had grown up watching his mother and grandmother (nonna) prepare delicious meals, and he had subconsciously developed a strong connection with food. When his mother passed away, he felt the sudden need to recreate the dishes that she used to make. He wanted to feel closer to her, and food was the only way he knew how. Joe had her insurance money, and his friends advised him to use it to clear his debts or maybe even start a hobby. But to their surprise, Joe ended up buying a restaurant on Staten Island. It was his way of paying homage to his nonna and his mother and the soulful dishes they lovingly prepared. So, was the restaurant a success? Let’s find out.
Spoiler Alert
Why did Joe decide to hire grandmas instead of professional chefs?
From the very start, Joe had a vision. He didn’t want to run a regular restaurant; he wanted to create something special. He’d come to realize that the taste of home cooked meals made with love and care was something that the heart often craved, but not everyone had a nonna they could run home to. He wanted people to be reminded of his restaurant every time they thought of having a hearty meal. And that was how ‘Enoteca Maria’ (named after Joe’s mother) was born. The shabby, dilapidated bar was turned into a tastefully decorated restaurant with green walls and warm lights. Joe’s childhood best friend, Bruno, thought starting a restaurant was just a terrible idea, but he loved Joe, and he ultimately decided to help him out. Joe kept his job while setting up his restaurant because he knew that there was no guarantee that things would work out.
While Bruno took care of the permits and setting up the place, Joe got started with hiring nonnas. While the idea was noble, he soon realized that working with nonnas would be a challenge. Elderly women from different walks of life arrived to audition for the chef position. Joe had invited Roberta, his mother’s best friend, for the job. She was hesitant at first, but Joe managed to talk her into it. He had recently crossed paths with his old prom date, Olivia, and she had introduced him to Antonella, her neighbor. Antonella preferred spending most of her days at home, so to keep her busy, Olivia encouraged her to apply for the job. When Roberta and Antonella met for the first time, they instantly grew fiercely competitive. Roberta was from Sicily, and Antonella was from Bologna, and naturally their cooking styles and ingredient preferences were vastly different, and that soon became a reason for conflict. They argued, fought, and even ended up almost burning down the place—eventually realizing the damage that they could end up causing. Theresa, a nun turned cook, came bearing an olive branch. She left the convent to explore new possibilities, and she looked forward to working in a restaurant kitchen. Gia, Joe’s mother’s hairdresser-turned-friend, joined as the pastry chef. She was used to the judgmental glances as a fashionable elderly woman, and she didn’t mind that her colleagues were initially bothered by her presence. The four chefs with radically different personalities initially struggled to bond, but their keenness to turn Joe’s business successful ultimately helped them overcome their differences.
How did the restaurant change the lives of the nonnas?
With Olivia’s help, Joe finally got the permit to run the place. On their opening night, there was a thunderstorm. No one showed up except Bruno and his wife, who appreciated the ladies for whipping up a scrumptious meal. While Joe hoped things would pick up from the next day, that didn’t happen. He and his chefs waited to serve, but no one turned up. Joe actively wrote to food critics and the media, hoping that a review could change the course of his business, but he was met with constant rejections. He decided to take matters into his own hands, and he dropped by food critic Mr. Durant’s studio and left him some food cooked by the nonnas. The critic was displeased with Joe’s approach, and he assumed it was just another mediocre restaurant that opened up on Staten Island. He made it clear that he had a busy schedule and he didn’t have the time to drop by Joe’s restaurant. Defeated, Joe came to terms with his circumstances. He could no longer bear the loss, so he decided it was time to shut down the place. He and his team had tried their best, but for some reason it just didn’t work out. It was particularly heartbreaking for the nonnas who’d found a purpose in their lives after a long, long time. They were ignored by their families, and they felt discarded by society. Most of them were extremely lonely, and Joe’s endeavor made them feel hopeful about their lives once again. One of the most heartwarming scenes in Nonnas is when Gia offered her colleagues a makeover and they bonded like never before. The ones who criticized her were sympathetic when Gia expressed she’d had to undergo a double mastectomy. Even though she seemed to have everything under control, her life was not easy as a single woman. But she stayed strong and dedicated her life to her profession, and she enjoyed every minute of it. Roberta regretted being a strict mother, and she believed it had resulted in the distance between her and her children. Theresa finally found the confidence to disclose that she was a closeted lesbian who’d once fallen in love with a woman named Isabella. When she came to terms with who she was, she left the convent. She refused to live in a place that rejected her, and from then on she strived to be financially independent. Antonella had lived a fulfilling life with her late husband and her children. But since her children and grandchildren were busy with their lives, she appreciated having a group of friends to have an honest conversation with.
Joe recognized the potential in them; he acknowledged that they were the true advocates of their heritage. The Italian grandmas who’d settled in America post-war held on to their roots through their food, and it was a matter of pride for them. But unfortunately, his vision didn’t seem to resonate with the locals, and Joe didn’t have a choice but to shut the place down.
How did the restaurant become famous?
Before closing down the restaurant, Joe decided to celebrate the nonnas who’d come on board with him and simply have a gala time with friends and family. For the first time, the restaurant was echoing with giggles, laughter, and conversations. The guests applauded the chefs, who left them craving for more. After the eventful night, Joe stayed back at the restaurant and finally decided to read the letter his mother had left him. He had been waiting for the right moment because he was afraid that once he opened the envelope, he would not have anything to look forward to. It was the last thing his mother had left him, and he wanted to take the time to grieve her death before finding out what she’d written to him. Upon opening the envelope, he discovered that she’d left him all her recipes, because she knew it would mean the world to Joe. He was elated when he noticed that his mother had left him the recipe for his nonna’s Sunday gravy. He’d recently attempted to recreate it, but he failed each time. As soon as he got the recipe, he went to the kitchen to make it. The minute he slurped on the ladle coated with the gravy, he felt nostalgic. Just when Joe was ready to throw the towel in, the universe conspired to let him know that he had a long way to go. As it turned out, after tasting the food, Mr. Durant had asked one of his reporters to review the food at Joe’s restaurant. She had attended the gala dinner and was completely mesmerized. She thought the food was divine and the hospitality unmatched, and she encouraged her readers to book a table already.
Joe was over the moon; this was all the indication that he needed to continue with his humble endeavor. Antonella, too, played a crucial role in encouraging the locals to visit her restaurant. She had scolded a local seller after she discovered that most of the vendors at the market were conspiring against their restaurant by calling it gimmicky. She clarified that she felt valued working there and their decision to boycott the restaurant had hurt her deeply. The local seller had attended the gala dinner as well, and he’d noticed that Joe had kept a memento of the former owner. He and the other vendors assumed that, as an outsider, Joe must not be trusted. But the gesture touched his heart, and he realized that he had misunderstood Joe. In Nonnas’ ending, we discovered that the review pulled in quite a crowd, but the nonnas had no reason to complain.
Did Olivia And Joe End Up Together?
Bumping into Olivia at the market unexpectedly was possibly one of the best things that had happened to Joe. He never got the chance to apologise to her for being a disappointing prom date, and he hoped he could fix his image now that he was a grown man. Olivia was impressed when she saw how passionate Joe was about his restaurant. Since she was close to Antonella, she knew how desperately these elderly women needed someone who would trust them and create not just job opportunities but also a sense of community for them. Olivia helped Joe whenever she could. When Joe recreated the prom night, she was delighted, and it marked the beginning of their romantic relationship.
In Nonnas’ ending, the camera focused on Olivia’s wedding ring; it was on her right hand. Olivia had struggled to move past her husband’s demise, and she couldn’t make herself remove her wedding ring. She believed everyone was allowed to take time to grieve, and she needed the time to process it. When Joe came into her life, she realized that maybe she should allow herself the chance to fall in love all over again. Switching the ring to her right hand suggests that she was ready to reimagine her life with Joe, and since the restaurant was successful, we can assume that their next step was to build a life together.
Is The Film Based on a True story?
Nonnas is directly inspired by Joe Scaravella’s effort to bring nonnas around the world to cook at his restaurant, Enoteca Maria. Joe was heartbroken when he lost his mother, and that was when the idea of bringing together nonnas to run a restaurant was born. He had never worked at a restaurant, and he had no idea about the business and its operations. But he had a clear vision, and he successfully managed to turn it into reality. He didn’t make money off his business, but he experienced extreme joy watching the nonnas do what they love. They felt appreciated working at the kitchen, and he noticed how the restaurant had not only changed his life but also the lives of the nonnas. For some, cooking for people was a healing process; some combatted grief and loneliness by showing up at the kitchen every day. Joe had been clear from the very beginning that he didn’t start the business for glamour or to provide his guests a luxurious experience— he simply promised delectable food, good wine, and incredible hospitality, and that is exactly what he continues to serve.
