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Features: DVD, Pan and Scan (TV Format), Widescreen, French, Subtitled
Florence, Italy on the brink of WWII -- it was a time of social unrest and, of course...afternoon tea. Join Oscar®-winner Cher and an incredible cast of leading ladies as they host this "radiant, beautiful film" (Gene Shalit, The Today Show) that is "worth savoring." (Mademoiselle) Pre-war Florence is the place to be for any proper British woman who relishes culture and the arts. These ladies have everything they would ever want or need -- including a promise from Dictator Mussolini himself that not even the imminent World War will impede upon their lifestyle. But when it appears that his word is not kept, and these expatriates -- who choose to stay in Italy instead of seeking refuge in their own country -- are in trouble, it takes a young outcast boy and a brazen American woman (Cher) to keep them in the high life and out of harm's way.
Editor's Note
In this gently comic coming of age story, set in Florence over the course of the 1930s and 1940s, the illegitimate son of an Italian merchant is raised by a group of prim English ladies whose passion for Italian culture have made them permanent residents. With the rise of Mussolini and the outbreak of war, the ladies are interned as prisoners, and the boy risks his life to help them. It's a lushly photographed ensemble piece that instills in the viewer Zeffirelli's contagious passion for Italian art and affection for these brave ladies.
Plot Summary
The beautiful city of Florence is at the heart of this story, based on director Franco Zeffirelli's autobiography. It's the 1930s, and young Luca (Charlie Lucas), the illegitimate son of an Italian businessman, is taken in by a group of proper English ladies known as "Il Scorpioni" (for their "sting"). He acquires a passion for the arts as he follows them on their excursions through various museums and cathedrals, and finds his first taste of love when he falls for an extravagant Jewish American named Elsa (Cher). When Mussolini's fascist regime joins the Nazis, the old ladies become prisoners of war, and Elsa finds herself in even greater danger. Luckily, the now older Luca is on hand to help. This lovingly photographed film allows Zeffirelli to give voice to his passion for the art and architecture of his native city. The ensemble of mature actresses have a field day, of course, and includes Judi Dench, Lily Tomlin, Joan Plowright, and Maggie Smith.
| Features | Region 1 | | Keep Case | | Single Side - Single Layer | | Full Frame - 1.33 | | Letterbox - 1.85 | | Audio:
| Dolby Digital 5.1 - English | | Dolby Surround - French | | Additional Release Material:
| Trailers: Original Theatrical Trailer | | Additional Products:
| Booklet |
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| Technical Info
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Release Information
|  | Studio: MGM |
| Release Date: 5/1/2001 |
| Running Time: 117 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1999 | | Catalog ID: 907918 | | UPC: 00027616791825 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English, French Dubbed | | Available Subtitles: English, French | | Video: Color |
| Cast & Crew
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| | Professional Reviews | Sight and Sound
"...[The film] serenely glides along..." 03/??/1999 p.60-1Movieline's Hollywood Life
"...[Zeffirelli's] most personal film....Cher gives a spirited performance..." 06/01/1999 p.32 Box Office
"...Cher and Tomlin play the Americans with gusto..." 07/01/1999 p.89 USA Today
"...It works surprisingly well....The film has truly novel subject matter....Cher is terrific here doing what she does best..." 05/14/1999 p.8E Los Angeles Times
"...Lively, fanciful....An amusing yet touching high adventure and an unusual coming-of-age tale..." 05/14/1999 p.F4 |
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