Nonnas

Rated PG • Netflix 

Nonnas tells the true-life story of Joe Scaravella (Vince Vaughn), who, after the loss of his mother, risks everything to honor her by opening an Italian restaurant with a group of local grandmothers (nonnas) as the chefs. In the end, this dream helps Joe, the nonnas, and the town come together in ways they didn’t expect.

The film hits most of the notes you’d want from a film like this. It’s sweet, it’s inspirational, it makes you cry, and it gives you warm fuzzies. Vaughn is really good as Joe, bringing the role a grounded, wisecracking demeanor to balance the sentimental vibe of the story. Most of the cast does a good job as well, with the nonnas (played to perfection by Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, Brenda Vaccaro, and Talia Shire) all being incredibly lovable and charming.

Much of the humor simply comes from letting the characters banter back and forth.

There’s a comforting predictability to the plot that should appeal to families, but a scene toward the end will cause many Christians to feel betrayed.

When the nonnas start bonding and talking about their pasts, Sarandon’s character mentions how happy she was never settling down with one man, bouncing from (presumably sexual) relationship to relationship, and how hard it was that women disapproved of her (something the others apologize for). Likewise, Shire’s character, despite being portrayed as the religious one, admits that the love of her life was a woman and bemoans the prejudices that kept them apart.

Nonnas should have been comfort food, but this overt rejection of Christian sexual morals will leave a bad taste in the mouths of families, who should be its target audience.