Program 02: An Almost Ordinary Summer (Croce e delizia)

In Italian and French with English subtitles.

It’s looking like a perfectly ordinary summer vacation when Carlo brings his family to stay at a beach house he “rented” on the property of Tony’s seaside estate. Meanwhile, Tony has gathered his family for what appears to be an ordinary family dinner. But what their families don’t know is that not only are these two seemingly straight grandfathers in love with one another, they’re planning to get married in just three weeks! Despite their families’ expectations, this is not going to be an ordinary summer.

Tony is wealthy, free spirited, and expresses his emotions with ease. He never married, but 30 years ago, he fathered two daughters with two different women one month apart.  Unreliable and a bit selfish, he was a bad father and his daughter Penelope still bears the emotional scars to prove it. Angry that her father is marrying Carlo, Penelope hatches a plot to sabotage their relationship.

A widower who struggles to open up emotionally, Carlo is Tony’s polar opposite. He operates a fishing boat with his adult son Sandro and has always been a reliable and affectionate father to his two sons. Sandro wants his father to be happy, but struggles to accept that his father intends to marry a man. Will Sandro find acceptance for his father’s new relationship or will he go along with Penelope’s nefarious plan? Can Tony and Carlo overcome their differences and win over their families in time for their upcoming nuptials?

Director Simone Godano and his stellar ensemble cast have created an almost perfect dramedy. Even as it wades through tense family drama, the film always feels light and is consistently funny throughout. In fact, there’s nothing ordinary about An Almost Ordinary Summer; this crowd-pleasing film proves at every turn that it’s nothing short of extraordinary.

~ Stephen Weisenreder

Awards & Accolades

• Audience Award, Best Narrative Feature – Damn These Heels LGBTQ Film Festival (Salt Lake City)
• Official Selection – OUTshine Film Festival (Miami)
• Official Selection – Frameline SF Int’l LGBTQ+ Film Festival
• Official Selection – Outfest LA LGBT Film Festival
• Official Selection – TLVfest Tel Aviv LGBT Film Festival
• Official Selection – Vancouver Queer Film Festival
• Official Selection – Reeling Chicago Int’l LGBTQ+ Film Festival
• Official Selection – Provincetown Int’l Film Festival
• Official Selection – Seattle Int’l Film Festival
• Best Actress, Alba Rohrwacher – Golden Globe Italy