Directed by:
Julio Vincent GambutoCinematography:
Powell RobinsonCast:
Owen Vaccaro, Anthony Patellis, Louis Cancelmi, Greg Rikaart, Thomas Kopache, Anastasia Ganias, Kevin Interdonato, Jake Katzman, Antoinette LaVecchia (more)Plots(1)
It’s old world versus new world, and video games versus the world’s oldest game in this charming coming-of-age story that celebrates friendship, family, and above all, the squabbling, gregarious, loving Italian American culture of Staten Island’s South Beach. Eleven-year-old Marco (Owen Vaccaro) cares only about gaming, and his sole friends are online. What he has in abundance are fears: of allergies, the outdoors, and other people. When Marco’s grandfather moves in for the summer, “Nonno” decides to teach his “robot” grandson how to live. A recent widower, Nonno finds solace at the bocce courts and in the camaraderie of his teammates: a collection of chuckling, cigar-chomping paisans straight out of central casting. Nonno challenges Marco to learn bocce and make friends, telling him: “Bocce is like life. It’s not about thinking. You have to feel.” Marco resists, but his inevitable awakening is genuinely moving as he rises to the challenge, forms a team, and tries to beat the old man at his own game. (Mill Valley Film Festival)
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