Big Night 1996 ***

Stanley Tucci has become a guru figure in independent cinema, and that recognition began with 1996’s Big Night, a cheerful foodie/comedy that he co-directed with Campbell Scott. Tucci and Tony Shalhoub play Secondo and Primo, two Italian brothers with a dream of making it big in the restaurant business. Their plan to launch their volatile talents with a big night are complicated by their dalliance with Phyllis (Minnie Driver) and the final protracted resolution is as dramatic as it is moving. Isabella Rossellini, Ian Holm and Live Schreiber provide tasty support, and Big Night’s portrait of aspirational Italians makes for one satisfying dish.