By the end of Stanley Tucci and Campbell Scott's Big Night, you might have the desire to cook like an artist, or at least the desire to promptly head to the nearest authentic Italian restaurant. Tucci and Tony Shalhoub are perfect as the film's sibling restaurateurs forced to confront the reality of a failed American dream. Tucci wrote the script with his cousin Joseph Tropiano, cooking up a wonderfully emotional, personal story full of real characters with real problems. Though the film tells a small story, there are big themes: loyalty, trust, and the need to value integrity over vulgar expedience. Tucci holds the proceedings together, but like the climactic feast itself, the movie is populated with rich supporting moments: Isabella Rosellini, Minnie Driver, Ian Holm and even co-director Scott turn up to add color to the character-driven script.
