--- title: "Big Night: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/big-night/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/big-night" critics_score: 80 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Big Night (1996): what the critics said Critics' score 80 from 9 reviews: 9 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. All nine reviews are positive, and the praise gathers in the same two places: the performances, above all Tucci and Shalhoub as the brothers, and the food. Most critics find it a charming, modest, warm film about two Italian immigrant brothers and their failing restaurant in 1950s New Jersey, and several read it as a fable of art against commerce, or Old World against New. The feast itself and the long, quiet kitchen scene that closes the film are singled out again and again as the moments that stay with them. The spread is narrow, from 70 to 90, and nobody dissents. What reservations there are come gently: Total Film thinks it slightly quaint, and the cooler notices from Variety and The New York Times call it graceful and smartly made rather than remarkable. The warmest come from the Los Angeles Times, Time Out and, most recently, Collider, which ranks it among the finest films about food. ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 20 September 1996. The critic calls the film a delicately prepared lyric to the love of food, family, and persuasive acting, noting its sensual feast and intelligent avoidance of overindulgence. It singles out the volatile brotherly relationship and the care taken with character development. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-09-20-ca-45581-story.html) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. This beautifully acted film is a modest but big-hearted delight focusing on mood, character and situation, with a generous appraisal of the brothers' relationship. Much is made of the big night and its preparation, with mouth-watering results, but the long final shot of an omelette being cooked and eaten best characterises its simple, unpretentious virtues. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/big-night) ## RogerEbert.com — Bill Ryan Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 8 April 2021. The critic praises the film as a charming, funny and melancholy portrait of immigrant brothers running a failing Italian restaurant in 1950s New Jersey, highlighting its realistic depiction of the restaurant business and strong ensemble performances. The piece singles out the poignant final kitchen scene for particular emotional resonance. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/features/breaking-bread-on-the-25th-anniversary-of-big-night) ## The New Yorker — Terrence Rafferty Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 16 September 1996. The critic sees the film as a comic fable of art versus commerce centered on two brothers running an elegant but struggling Italian restaurant. It singles out the subtle, precise performances by Tucci and Shalhoub and the vivid ensemble cast for praise. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1996/09/23/feast-and-famine) ## Total Film Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 30 May 1997. The critic calls it a charming, slightly quaint tale about brotherly angst and top-notch Italian food, using cuisine as a metaphor for the brothers' differing attitudes to life and business. They praise the cast performances, especially Tucci and Shalhoub, and highlight the central feast scene as a highlight that will leave viewers craving lasagna. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/big-night-review/) ## The AV Club — Charlie Hopper Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 October 2013. The critic praises the film's warm, nuanced portrayal of two Italian brothers running a struggling restaurant in 1950s New Jersey, highlighting its metaphor for art versus commerce and the brothers' conflict over authenticity. It singles out the timpano dinner sequence and the performances for making the food and relationships feel vivid and meaningful. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/a-big-dinner-and-big-dreams-collide-in-big-night-1798241354) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin Rating NYT Critic’s Pick. 29 March 1996. Festival review. The critic praises the graceful, short-story-like tale of two Italian immigrant brothers running a failing gourmet restaurant in 1950s New Jersey as their last chance to keep it alive. The review highlights the brothers' close culinary bond and the film's faith in artistry and independence. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/29/movies/film-festival-review-brothers-last-chance-to-save-their-paradise.html) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 4 February 1996. The critic calls the film a smartly made, delightfully acted period piece that straddles art films and the mainstream with its look at Old World versus New World values and the American dream. Food preparation details and brotherly dynamics are singled out as particularly engaging elements. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1996/film/reviews/big-night-3-1200445154/) ## Collider — Rebecca Schriesheim Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 9 November 2024. The critic calls it one of the best food movies ever made and a moving examination of the American dream and immigrant experience. They single out the authentic, mouthwatering depictions of Italian cuisine and the intense, loving yet combative relationship between the two brothers. [Read the review](https://collider.com/big-night-stanley-tucci/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/big-night.md