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UNCLE NINO

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What You Need To Know:

UNCLE NINO is the story of an elderly Italian man who decides to go to America to visit his deceased brother’s family. When he gets there, he finds intense dysfunction. The family’s father, Robert, is so busy trying to get a raise that he has no time for his children, Bobby, Gina, or his wife Maria. Robert’s son Bobby struggles the most from this lack of parenting. Uncle Nino brings wine, joy and values into the family. He even subtly thanks God for each day. He plays the violin and becomes a member of Bobby’s garage band. Even Uncle Nino has some dark secrets, however. Before there can be healing, everyone needs to confess, repent and forgive.

UNCLE NINO is a well-directed movie. Joe Mantegna is a terrific actor. He excels in this movie, as do the other actors. UNCLE NINO has one of the most heartwarming endings in today’s movies. This fact will endear the movie to many people. Better yet, there are very few problem areas with the moral content in UNCLE NINO. The children surprisingly don’t indulge in sex or drugs, for instance. The movie contains some light obscenities, however.

Content:

(C, BB, LL, A, D, M) Light redemptive worldview with strong moral elements and some subtle comments such as I believe there’s a purpose and each character clearly experiences brokenness, repentance and forgiveness; 12 obscenities; no violence; hugging and kissing but no salacious sexual content; wine brought as a gift from Italy; chain smoking rebuked and boy gives up smoking; and, overworking and ignoring your family rebuked.

More Detail:

UNCLE NINO is not a cartoon or a sequel to FINDING NEMO. It is the story of an elderly Italian man who decides to go to America to visit his deceased brother’s family. When he gets there, he finds intense dysfunction. The family’s father, Robert, is so busy trying to get a raise that he has no time for his children, Bobby, Gina, or his wife Maria. He doesn’t even have time to take Uncle Nino to the cemetery to see his father’s grave.

Robert’s son Bobby struggles the most from this lack of parenting. He hangs out with two questionable teenagers, a white guy with many peircings named Bones and a black guy named Joey. They harass their middle-class neighborhood by toilet papering their neighbors’ houses. Furthermore, they want to enter their band in their high school’s band competition, but they are only freshmen and considered unworthy.

Meanwhile, the mother, Maria, works too hard to cook dinner and the daughter, Gina, only wants a dog, which her father continually denies her.

Uncle Nino brings wine, joy and values into the family. He even subtly thanks God for each day. He plays the violin and becomes a member of Bobby’s garage band. Even Uncle Nino has some dark secrets, however. Before there can be healing, everyone needs to confess, repent and forgive.

UNCLE NINO is a well-directed movie. Joe Mantegna is a terrific actor. He excels in this movie, as do the other actors. They play real, flawed, complex, and likeable people. The writing is better than most small movies, although it does have its moments of static dialogue and jumping character development. These problems are very few and far between.

At first blush, Robert is like many Hollywood fathers, because of his obsession with work. (This is always amusing since Hollywood obsesses with work than many other groups in our economy.) It soon becomes clear, however, that everyone is complicit in their father’s problem.

Of course, God wants us to have balance. He wants us to have a day of rest and forces His people to spend several days in a tent every year so they can’t carry on their businesses and trades.

There are some wonderful resolutions to the issues in this movie. UNCLE NINO has one of the most heartwarming endings in today’s movies. This fact will endear the movie to many people. Better yet, there are very few problem areas with the moral content in UNCLE NINO. The children surprisingly don’t indulge in sex or drugs, although there is one chain-smoking punk who gives up smoking. Surprisingly, there are no profanities, but there are some light obscenities.

In some ways, UNCLE NINO feels too subtle and gentle. It seems as if there’s a more redemptive, more Christian story crying out to be told. As it is, however, it is a very pleasant movie about restoring a dysfunctional family.

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.


Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.