A Wedding for Bella (2001)

54% of critics liked it
(50 reviews)
59% of users liked it
(2,059 ratings)

Pastry, Gypsy dancing, and Scott Baio all feature prominently in this independent romantic comedy from Pittsburgh, which focuses on the relationship between three brothers and an elderly Italian couple. Dominic (Baio), Eddie (Billy Mott), and Pino (Shuler Hensley) are brothers who have little in… More Pastry, Gypsy dancing, and Scott Baio all feature prominently in this independent romantic comedy from Pittsburgh, which focuses on the relationship between three brothers and an elderly Italian couple. Dominic (Baio), Eddie (Billy Mott), and Pino (Shuler Hensley) are brothers who have little in common aside from the bakery they own together. Dominic works for a management firm and specializes in firing people; Pino is mentally handicapped; and Eddie is a womanizer. The brothers are close friends with Massimo and Bella, the Italian couple who live upstairs, and when Dominic learns that Bella is sick, he decides to do whatever he can to make her feel better. This includes a full-fledged attempt to get Massimo and Bella's errant daughter Lucca to come home for Christmas. This being a romantic comedy, it doesn't take long for Dominic to realize that he has other motives for wanting Lucca to come home, motives that don't have a great deal to do with Bella's health. The Bread, My Sweet was screened at the 2002 Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 45 min.
Directed By: Melissa Martin, Melissa Martin (II)
Genres: Drama, Romance, Comedy

In Theaters: Oct 24, 2003 Wide
On DVD: Feb 3, 2004
Studio: Screen Media

Critic Reviews

Philip Wuntch, Dallas Morning News
You'll know better, but you'll still like it.
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger
Contrived and clichéd, the dramatic momentum ends long before the movie does.
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
If you're willing to swallow those formulaic plot machinations, you may reasonably enjoy this rough-hewn debut effort, which is far more effective in its quieter, dialogue-heavy moments than when it attempts more ambitious cinematic conceits.
V.A. Musetto, New York Post
Alas, good intentions do not always a good movie make.
Dave Kehr, New York Times
Pretty much of a mess, full of narrative gaps and characters who arbitrarily appear and disappear.
Gene Seymour, Newsday
Despite good performances and a warm ambience, this squishy story needed more time in the oven.
Eric Monder, Film Journal International
For a directorial debut, The Bread, My Sweet shows some promise, but Martin will have to engage her audience more if she wants to make a mark in film.
Ken Fox, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Performances are really what count in a character-driven romantic comedy like this, and each is well above the indie average.
Forrest Hartman, Reno Gazette-Journal
Like a Lifetime movie that's a step ahead of its peers, The Bread My Sweet is as gooey and tearful as the title suggests.
Jon Lap, Apollo Guide
A story of death-as-deus-ex-machina - where the contrivances are not so offensive - with interesting performances.
Frank Swietek, One Guy's Opinion
An undercooked loaf of whimsy and sentiment...a little sourdough in the mix would have improved the recipe.
David Sterritt, Christian Science Monitor
Although this Moonstruck knockoff is diverting to watch, it's basically a low-budget loaf of Italian-American movie cliches.
Jeremiah Kipp, Filmcritic.com
The Bread, My Sweet is inoffensive