Caterina in the Big City
Encyclopedia
Caterina va in città is an Italian movie directed by Paolo Virzì
and written by Virzì and Francesco Bruni
.
) is the 13-year-old only child of Giancarlo Iacovoni (Sergio Castellitto
), an aspiring novelist and teacher of accounting at a country school in an area north of Rome that one character describes as "hillbilly country." In spite of his often lucid assessments of modern society, Iacovoni is a typically burned-out teacher whom his job (perhaps among other, undisclosed personal experiences) has imbued with bitterness and social resentment, with a sheer lack of perspective concerning human relations, and with an overbearing, holier-than-thou demeanor that is a major plot point throughout the movie.
He relocates his daughter Caterina and his timid, long-suffering wife Agata (Margherita Buy
) to his birthplace, Rome, after finally secured a long-coveted teaching position. The family settles in Giancarlo's former district, where he reconnects with his neighbor and childhood friend, Fabietto (Silvio Vannucci). Once settled in the Italian capital, Caterina enrolls in a fast-track high school. She immediately finds herself pulled between two competing student cliques: a leftist bohemian contingent headed by Margherita Rossi-Chaillet and a right-leaning group headed by Daniela Germano. Both clique leaders come from socially prominent families. Margherita's mother is a noted intellectual and political writer. Daniela's father is a government minister who married into a wealthy family.
Margherita instantly adopts Caterina as her new best friend. The two girls attend rallies, visit graves of poets, and listen to Nick Cave
records. Caterina eventually has a disagreement with Margherita due to being caught by her father drunk and having just gotten a tattoo from Margherita, and begins to gravitate toward Daniela's group. Margherita kisses Caterina, but it's a bit ambiguous as to whether this is to imply sexuality or a pact between them, as she says, to never betray each other. Daniela invites Caterina to join her at a wedding, where Caterina observes a group of neo-fascists
pay homage to Daniela's father Manlio who, it is heavily implied, is a covert fascist himself.
Meanwhile, Caterina's father is trying to capitalize on his daughter's connections. When Caterina is friends with Margherita, Giancarlo secretly gives Margherita a copy of his manuscript to pass along to her mother (with instructions not to tell Caterina), a highly placed editor. Once Caterina becomes friends with Daniela, Giancarlo pays a visit to Daniela's father's office to solicit favors, after having become enraged on a talk show and a laughing stock. He was fired due to hitting a student who was mocking his TV performance and lost his job, leading him to his visit with Signor Germano. After failing to get help from the prime minister, he slowly becomes more and more miserable. Caterina then finds out that Daniela and her friends don't like her and "tried to make her civilised". She then lashes out at Daniela and runs away from home only then taking comfort with her neighbor, a young Australian about her age. He has been watching their family and describes them as a soap opera
and that she is his favorite character. She then returns home but her family is still in misery. Her father, then, begins shouting about all that matters in the world is tightly knit groups. This is one of the first moments in the movie where Caterina's mother shows her stress and unhappiness—by screaming and smashing plates on the floor.
Caterina's father remains in his miserable life only working on his motorcycle until he fixes it. Once he does, he finds out that either his wife and Fabietto are having an affair or it is a mere question of time before they do. (He had thought Fabietto was gay.) Agata says to Fabietto that she wants to leave Giancarlo but is unable because she doesn't think he could make it on his own. He then rides off on his motorcycle and is never heard of again which "doesn't bother our family more, we like to think he's in a place that's making him happy".
Caterina graduates middle school and is encouraged by Margherita to apply to the conservatory of music. Before leaving on holiday, her young Australian friend explains that he is going back to Australia because his parents are getting back together. She then tells him that, if they ever meet again, she would like to be his girlfriend. She abruptly kisses him; embarrassed she runs back to her mother's car wanting to speed off. The summer includes her playing with her second cousin on the beach, while spending time with her mother and Fabietto. The last shots are of Caterina singing in a performance at her conservatory of music.
Paolo Virzì
Paolo Virzì is a film director, writer and producer. He is one of the most acclaimed storytellers for the screen and is considered to be one of the major heirs of the Italian-style comedy film tradition.-Biography:...
and written by Virzì and Francesco Bruni
Francesco Bruni
Francesco Bruni was an Italian engraver. He engraved a plate of The Assumption of the Virgin after Guido Reni.-References:...
.
Plot
Caterina (Alice TeghilAlice Teghil
Alice Teghil is an Italian film actress who was born on 23 January 1989 in Rome, Italy. She has starred as Caterina in the 2003 Italian teen drama Caterina in the Big City which appeared at the Sundance film festival.-References:...
) is the 13-year-old only child of Giancarlo Iacovoni (Sergio Castellitto
Sergio Castellitto
Sergio Castellitto is an Italian actor and director.Castellitto attended the academy of dramatic art and dedicated himself to theatre soon after, working with many famous actors such as Luigi Squarzina, Aldo Trionfo and Enzo Muzii...
), an aspiring novelist and teacher of accounting at a country school in an area north of Rome that one character describes as "hillbilly country." In spite of his often lucid assessments of modern society, Iacovoni is a typically burned-out teacher whom his job (perhaps among other, undisclosed personal experiences) has imbued with bitterness and social resentment, with a sheer lack of perspective concerning human relations, and with an overbearing, holier-than-thou demeanor that is a major plot point throughout the movie.
He relocates his daughter Caterina and his timid, long-suffering wife Agata (Margherita Buy
Margherita Buy
Margherita Buy is an Italian actress born in Rome on 15 January 1962.-Overview:After a long period of studying at the Academy of Dramatic Arts, she made her breakthrough role in Duccio Tessari's Una grande storia d'amore , which was followed by roles in Daniele Luchetti's two projects Domani...
) to his birthplace, Rome, after finally secured a long-coveted teaching position. The family settles in Giancarlo's former district, where he reconnects with his neighbor and childhood friend, Fabietto (Silvio Vannucci). Once settled in the Italian capital, Caterina enrolls in a fast-track high school. She immediately finds herself pulled between two competing student cliques: a leftist bohemian contingent headed by Margherita Rossi-Chaillet and a right-leaning group headed by Daniela Germano. Both clique leaders come from socially prominent families. Margherita's mother is a noted intellectual and political writer. Daniela's father is a government minister who married into a wealthy family.
Margherita instantly adopts Caterina as her new best friend. The two girls attend rallies, visit graves of poets, and listen to Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
records. Caterina eventually has a disagreement with Margherita due to being caught by her father drunk and having just gotten a tattoo from Margherita, and begins to gravitate toward Daniela's group. Margherita kisses Caterina, but it's a bit ambiguous as to whether this is to imply sexuality or a pact between them, as she says, to never betray each other. Daniela invites Caterina to join her at a wedding, where Caterina observes a group of neo-fascists
Neo-Fascism
Neo-fascism is a post–World War II ideology that includes significant elements of fascism. The term neo-fascist may apply to groups that express a specific admiration for Benito Mussolini and Italian Fascism or any other fascist leader/state...
pay homage to Daniela's father Manlio who, it is heavily implied, is a covert fascist himself.
Meanwhile, Caterina's father is trying to capitalize on his daughter's connections. When Caterina is friends with Margherita, Giancarlo secretly gives Margherita a copy of his manuscript to pass along to her mother (with instructions not to tell Caterina), a highly placed editor. Once Caterina becomes friends with Daniela, Giancarlo pays a visit to Daniela's father's office to solicit favors, after having become enraged on a talk show and a laughing stock. He was fired due to hitting a student who was mocking his TV performance and lost his job, leading him to his visit with Signor Germano. After failing to get help from the prime minister, he slowly becomes more and more miserable. Caterina then finds out that Daniela and her friends don't like her and "tried to make her civilised". She then lashes out at Daniela and runs away from home only then taking comfort with her neighbor, a young Australian about her age. He has been watching their family and describes them as a soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
and that she is his favorite character. She then returns home but her family is still in misery. Her father, then, begins shouting about all that matters in the world is tightly knit groups. This is one of the first moments in the movie where Caterina's mother shows her stress and unhappiness—by screaming and smashing plates on the floor.
Caterina's father remains in his miserable life only working on his motorcycle until he fixes it. Once he does, he finds out that either his wife and Fabietto are having an affair or it is a mere question of time before they do. (He had thought Fabietto was gay.) Agata says to Fabietto that she wants to leave Giancarlo but is unable because she doesn't think he could make it on his own. He then rides off on his motorcycle and is never heard of again which "doesn't bother our family more, we like to think he's in a place that's making him happy".
Caterina graduates middle school and is encouraged by Margherita to apply to the conservatory of music. Before leaving on holiday, her young Australian friend explains that he is going back to Australia because his parents are getting back together. She then tells him that, if they ever meet again, she would like to be his girlfriend. She abruptly kisses him; embarrassed she runs back to her mother's car wanting to speed off. The summer includes her playing with her second cousin on the beach, while spending time with her mother and Fabietto. The last shots are of Caterina singing in a performance at her conservatory of music.
Cast
- Alice TeghilAlice TeghilAlice Teghil is an Italian film actress who was born on 23 January 1989 in Rome, Italy. She has starred as Caterina in the 2003 Italian teen drama Caterina in the Big City which appeared at the Sundance film festival.-References:...
— Caterina Iacovoni - Sergio CastellittoSergio CastellittoSergio Castellitto is an Italian actor and director.Castellitto attended the academy of dramatic art and dedicated himself to theatre soon after, working with many famous actors such as Luigi Squarzina, Aldo Trionfo and Enzo Muzii...
— Giancarlo Iacovoni - Margherita BuyMargherita BuyMargherita Buy is an Italian actress born in Rome on 15 January 1962.-Overview:After a long period of studying at the Academy of Dramatic Arts, she made her breakthrough role in Duccio Tessari's Una grande storia d'amore , which was followed by roles in Daniele Luchetti's two projects Domani...
— Agata Iacovoni - Federica Sbrenna — Daniela Germano
- Claudio AmendolaClaudio AmendolaClaudio Amendola is an Italian actor and a director.He is a son of the actor and voice dubber Ferruccio Amendola and dubber Rita Savagnone. His son is voice dubber Alessia Amendola and his girlfriend is actress Francesca Neri...
— Manlio Germano - Carolina Iaquaniello — Margherita Rossi Chaillet
- Giulia Elettra GoriettiGiulia Elettra Gorietti- Biography :Gorietti was born in Rome from an Italian father and a German/Portoguese mother: at the age of 12 she joined the Italian Rhythmic gymnastics team, but she had to quit because of an accident....
— Giada - Zach Wallen — Edward
- Galatea Ranzi — Livia