A honeymoon for one

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MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Today is Friday, the 6th of February.

Thank you for turning to WORLD Radio to help start your day.

Good morning. I’m Myrna Brown.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher.

Before we move on, I want to bring in a colleague from WORLD Watch, that’s our daily TV news for students. I just love WORLD Watch, and I want to say good morning to one of our on-air reporters, Caleb Bailey. Hey, good morning, Caleb!

CALEB BAILEY: Good morning, Nick! And I love WORLD Watch too. I might be a little more biased than all of you, but I do love WORLD Watch.

EICHER: Well, lots of WORLD listeners are WORLD Watchers, but not everyone, so lets see if we can remedy that problem today. But listen, if you’ve got kids at home, WORLD Watch is a terrific resource. It’s real news, but done in a way that helps students to grow in their understanding without insulting their intelligence. It’s really great for the whole family. 

But Caleb, I want you to tell about the special offer for WORLD Watch … let’s hear it.

BAILEY: Yeah. I mean, if you haven't tried out WORLD Watch, there is no better time than the present. We've got a deal that's really too good to pass up. So WORLD Watch, we're offering 90 days free to new subscribers. So that's gonna be three months of current events covered by Christian journalists that we remind you every day, you know what? Whatever the news, the purpose of the Lord will stand. That's a pretty good perspective for all news. And so why not try it for yourself for free for three months? 

So here's all you have to do. You go to WNG.org/LOVE90. Once again, that’s WNG.org/LOVE90. You know, personally, it's pretty easy to fill up on candy at this time of the year, Nick, but trust me, signing up for WORLD Watch is even easier.

EICHER: Well, Valentines candy and free WORLD Watch...I think that the Health Secretary would frown on the candy, particularly if it's got red dye in it...but WORLD Watch is way better for you anyway. Three months for free, the price is right, 90 days … but did I hear it right? WNG-dot-ORG-slash-L-O-V-E-9-0. Love 90?

BAILEY: That's correct. Nat King Cole said it best, L, O, V, E.

EICHER: Caleb, thank you, nice Valentine’s offer. We’ll link it in the program transcript and in the program notes.

Well, coming next on The World and Everything in It: speaking of Valentine’s Day: a new romantic comedy … not a moment too soon.

BROWN: Perfect timing. Rom-coms used to be movie-theater staples, but these days, it’s pretty rare to find the genre on the big screen. It’s even more rare to find one that doesn’t try to be funny by transgressing traditional values.

Well this weekend, the new film Solo Mio hits theaters. It’s the latest collaboration between the family of Catholic filmmakers known as the Kinnane brothers and Kevin James, who’s most famous for his role on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens.

EICHER: Here now is WORLD Arts and Culture Editor Collin Garbarino.

COLLIN GARBARINO: In Solo Mio, Kevin James plays Matt Taylor, a romantic guy who books an all inclusive package for his upcoming honeymoon in Italy.

MARCELLO: Buonasera, signore.

MATT: Hey… Um… I’m just gonna need to move some things around with my reservation.

There’s only one problem with this honeymoon package. It’s not going to be a honeymoon anymore. His fiancee left him at the altar.

MATT: Just… we’re going to need to shift some things down a little bit. Shift the tour, the dinner reservations, the few days in Tuscany… Let’s just go ahead and let’s do it. You can shift it.

MARCELLO: Mr. Taylor, I am sorry. But I cannot shift anything.

Matt’s dream vacation turns surreal when he decides he might as well go alone.

MARCELLO: Call it what you want. Honeymoon. Vacation. It’s paid for.

Solo Mio is an utterly charming film reminiscent of the screwball romantic comedies of the 1930s and ’40s. The idea of a single man participating in the “Two Become One” package has an appealing and absurd quality. Much of the comedy comes from the other two couples who booked the same vacation.

JULIAN: Aw. Let me be your wingman.

MATT: I don’t need a wingman.

JULIAN: Please.

MATT: I’m not single!

Jonathan Roumie, known for playing Jesus on The Chosen, and Julee Cerda play newlywed therapists who use respectful tones and meaningful looks when they disagree. 

Kim Coates and Alyson Hannigan play a married couple who are devoted to each other, despite being a total mess. The husbands on the tour function sort of like Job’s friends from the Bible. They’re well meaning, but the contradictory advice they offer provides little comfort to Matt.

JULIAN: He’s just got to move on.

Neil: Yes. Maybe. But not right now.

JULIAN: Is that your opinion or your therapist’s?

As the honeymoon progresses, Matt’s heartbreak gives way to confusion when he meets a kind and beautiful woman named Gia played by the Italian actress Nicole Grimaudo. 

She owns a local cafe and has her own disappointments to work through.

GIA: Zucchero, not “Zoo-cher-o.”

MATT: No, I think it is “Zoo-cer-o,” um… only because in the app it says… um… let me see, I’m sorry… I’m pretty sure… yeah.

The film is rated PG. When was the last time we had a romantic comedy in theaters rated PG? There’s not much objectionable content. But we do get a couple of scenes of drunkenness in which Matt attempts to cope with his discouraging situation.

MARCELLO: It’s impossible.

The film also has some out-of-the-blue moments that I won’t spoil. I expect some viewers will be amused and delighted. 

But the film’s charm is rooted in the performances of the lead actors. James’ Matt is wholly sympathetic, and Grimaudo’s Gia is endearing and enchanting. There’s also something refreshing about both leads being middle-aged. 

Solo Mio feels like a romantic comedy for grownups without the offensive material usually aimed at adult audiences. And of course, the beauty and romance of the movie’s Italian setting also add to the enjoyment.

GIA: Cheer up, Zucchero. You are in Rome. Okay? / Okay.

With a running time of only 97 minutes, the story zips along from one absurd moment to the next. 

The romantic aspect of the plot is a little predictable, but I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. Solo Mio offers a comforting return to the love stories of the past. 

I’m Collin Garbarino.

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