10 Movies Like Nonnas You Must See

Directed by Stephen Chbosky, ‘Nonnas’ is a heart-warming comedy-drama film about starting a restaurant where the chefs are Italian grandmothers (nonnas) who share their culinary heritage. Four nonnas, namely Roberta (Lorraine Bracco), Antonella (Brenda Vaccaro), Teresa (Talia Shire), and Gia (Susan Sarandon), get involved in the opening of the restaurant, infusing their passion into the place and leading to much chaos. However, it also transforms into a melting pot for people of all ages to bond over their shared love of food while being embraced in the warmth of the grandmothers’ love.

The Netflix film champions a bunch of resilient women who refuse to fade into oblivion and instead share an abundance of love among all. It is based on the real-life experiences of Joe Scarvella, the owner of Enoteca Maria in Staten Island, who launched the establishment following the death of his mother in 2007. If you’re in search of other films that endorse the young at heart or fearlessly express their love of good food, these movies similar to ‘Nonnas’ will surely help you out.

10. Big Night (1996)

Two brothers arrive in the US from Italy and open up their dream restaurant, Paradise, in New Jersey in ‘Big Night.’ While the elder brother, Chef Primo, prepares authentic Italian dishes with great care, it fails to impress the local patrons who are not familiar with the taste. This puts the younger brother, Secondo, who handles the business aspect, in a precarious position. While they are both passionate about the food and the business, the two brothers fight over cooking things in the traditional way or breaking norms to keep the business afloat.

Soon, an opportunity presents itself to help them make their mark in the US culinary scene, as famous Italian-American bandleader Louis Prima decides to dine at their place, and they pull out all the stops to prepare an elaborate feast. Co-directed by Campbell Scott and Stanley Tucci, ‘Big Night’ stars Tucci as Secondo and Tony Shalhoub as Primo. The Italian grandmothers in ‘Nonnas’ are replaced by brothers in the film, who are also passionate about the cuisine and doing their best to make their restaurant a success. The films overlap thematically as heartfelt family comedy dramas.

9. Julie & Julia (2009)

‘Julie & Julia’ tells the real-life story of Julie Powell (Amy Adams), a New Yorker who finds herself stuck with a job she hates and decides to challenge herself to cook 524 recipes in Julia Child’s (Meryl Streep) cookbook in 365 days. She details her experience in a blog, which in turn gets published into a book and then made into a film. Based on the eponymous internet blog and ‘My Life in France’ written by Julia Child and Alex Prud’homme, ‘Julie & Julia’ also intersperses Julie’s experience with the early life of celebrated chef Julia Child, during her days as a young American in Paris, France.

The Nora Ephron directorial shares many similarities with ‘Nonnas,’ apart from being a delightful watch for culinary enthusiasts. While ‘Nonnas’ has people from generations apart bond in person over food, a similar bond is formed between Julie and Julia as a cook of yesteryear transcends barriers to impact the life of another through her recorded work.

8. The Farewell (2019)

‘The Farewell’ revolves around a young Chinese American, Billi, who learns that her grandmother, Nai Nai, has been diagnosed with cancer and has only a few more weeks to live. The information is known by every member of her family except the matriarch herself, and they decide to organize a fake wedding to get together and quietly bid her farewell. Partly based on the real-life experience of director Lulu Wang, ‘The Farewell’ stars Awkwafina as Billi and Zhao Shu-zhen as her grandmother, Nai Nai.

While the setting of the film is underlined with the somber tone of impending death, it does not diminish the genuine warmth and laughter that it evokes, as family members across generations come together. While Nai Nai is not involved in running a business like the four ‘Nonnas’, she actively brings her family together and becomes a source of comfort for everyone around her, thus making ‘The Farewell’ a similarly heartfelt watch.

7. Book Club (2018)

‘Book Club’ follows Diane (Diane Keaton), Vivian (Jane Fonda), Sharon (Candice Bergen), and Carol (Mary Steenburgen), four elderly women who are best friends and have participated in monthly book club meetings for 40 years. They decide to read the erotic novel ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ by E.L. James in one of their meetings, which leads to them collectively having a changed outlook towards life and personal relationships.

With a new lease of life, they set out to face the world on their own terms in the directorial debut of Bill Holderman. Their resilient and youthful spirit is sure to bring to mind the young at heart ‘Nonnas.’ Diane, Vivian, Sharon, and Carol embrace change with the openness that is seen in Roberta, Antonella, Teresa, and Gia when they decide to work together to make their restaurant a success.

6. The Intern (2015)

‘The Intern’ tells the story of 70-year-old Ben Whittaker (Robert De Niro), a retired widower who gets bored with his life and joins an online fashion retail company as the titular senior intern. His sharp manners and old-school charm soon make him popular among his much younger colleagues and a favorite of the company’s founder and CEO, Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway). Whittaker forms a special bond with Ostin, playing various roles from best friend to personal and professional mentor. ‘The Intern’ flips the script of ‘Nonnas’ by having an elderly man work for a young founder trying to run a successful business. Both films are driven by the spirit to overcome all odds through the experience of the aged and the enthusiasm of the youth working hand-in-hand.

5. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ follows the experiences of a group of British pensioners who arrive in India to holiday at a retirement hotel run by an enthusiastic young man named Sonny. However, they are stunned to find that the establishment is a far cry from the grandeur that was advertised. With their senses overwhelmed by the bustling foreign land, they decide to stay for a while. In due course, they make new discoveries about life and love and stand at the precipice of a fresh start without being encumbered by the past. Directed by John Madden, the film is based on the 2004 novel ‘These Foolish Things’ written by Deborah Moggach.

The ensemble cast comprises A-listers such as Dev Patel as the novice hotel owner Sonny, and Judi Dench, Celia Imrie, Bill Nighy, Ronald Pickup, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, and Penelope Wilton as the foreign guests. Much like the young restaurateur Scarvella reaching out to the Italian grandmothers and forging a wholesome bond in ‘Nonnas,’ it is Sonny in ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ who wins over the elderly Britishers and persuades them to open their hearts to new experiences. Both films further overlap in their shared theme of the celebration of life among the elderly.

4. The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)

‘The Hundred-Foot Journey’ is about a battle between two restaurateurs situated across the road from each other in a village in France. One of them, Saule Pleureur, has a Michelin star and is owned by Madame Mallory. The other, Maison Mumbai, is a new establishment set up by a family of Indian immigrants headed by the patriarch Abbu Kadam. While Mallory and Abbu initially declare war on each other, their relationship evolves over time.

Mallory discovers the culinary talent of Abbu’s son Hassan and decides to take her under her wing to train him as a professional chef. Directed by Lasse Hallstrom, the comedy drama is adapted from the eponymous novel by Richard C. Morais and stars Helen Mirren as Mallory, Om Puri as Abbu, Manish Dayal as Hassan, and Charlotte Le Bon as Marguerite, a sous chef at Mallory’s restaurant. ‘The Hundred-Foot Journey’ shares many themes with ‘Nonnas,’ such as family, food, and setting up a restaurant, but most importantly, it has the same heart.

3. Chef (2014)

Carl Casper gives up his job as the head chef of a high-end restaurant in Los Angeles and decides to run a food truck to enjoy his creative freedom in ‘Chef.’ He is joined in his endeavour by his ex-wife, Inez, son Percy, and best friend and former line cook, Martin. Written, produced, directed by, and starring Jon Favreau in the titular role, the comedy drama tells the story of going back to the basics to reignite one’s passion and fall in love with the culinary experience all over again.

In addition to the subject of setting up a new business, the film also resonates with ‘Nonnas’ as Carl strengthens his bond with his family while operating the food truck. Both films consider their businesses to be a passionate affair, rather than a formulaic venture aiming for financial security. While Scarvella and his team of grandmothers figuratively become a family, Carl’s business helps to bring his literal family together.

2. The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015)

A sequel to the 2011 original, ‘The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ continues the story of the British pensioners who arrive at a retirement hotel in Jaipur, India, and decide to stay back after falling in love with the place and with each other. While they all have new prospects on the horizon, the young, enthusiastic hotel owner Sonny struggles to attain a work-life balance. Not only is his wedding coming up, but his plans to expand the hotel are also being set in motion.

Directed by John Madden, the comedy drama sees the return of the original cast of Dev Patel as Sonny and Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Celia Imrie, Penelope Wilton, Ronald Pickup, and David Strathairn as his long-term guests, with the addition of Richard Gere. In ‘The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,’ the group of elderly people band together to help out the young Sonny they have come to adore, while working out new challenges in their own lives, much like the theme of ‘Nonnas.’

1. Ratatouille (2007)

Named after a French dish, ‘Ratatouille’ follows a Parisian rat named Remy (voiced by Patton Oswalt) who has a sophisticated palate and dreams of becoming a chef. However, not being human severely hinders his goal until he forms an alliance with a young restaurant staff member, Alfredo Linguini (Lou Romano), and makes his dream come true while saving the latter’s job. Directed by Brad Bird, the animated comedy drama is impossible to leave out while compiling a list of films on the themes of forging bonds while undertaking a culinary journey. Both ‘Nonnas’ and ‘Ratatouille’ present culinary experience as more than physical, as something that can transcend barriers and speak to the souls of those who are preparing and eating it, entangling them in a sacred and soulful bond.