Caterina in the Big City (Caterina va in citta) (2003)

89% of critics liked it
(37 reviews)
70% of users liked it
(874 ratings)

Writer/director Paolo Virzì and co-writer Francesco Bruni follow up their sly fish-out-of-water comedy My Name Is Tanino with another comedy in a similar vein, Caterina in the Big City. Giancarlo (Sergio Castellitto) is delighted when he has an opportunity to leave his provincial teaching job and… More Writer/director Paolo Virzì and co-writer Francesco Bruni follow up their sly fish-out-of-water comedy My Name Is Tanino with another comedy in a similar vein, Caterina in the Big City. Giancarlo (Sergio Castellitto) is delighted when he has an opportunity to leave his provincial teaching job and drag his wife Agata (Margherita Buy) and 12-year old daughter Caterina (newcomer Alice Teghil) back to his old neighborhood in Rome. Caterina is a sweet, naïve, and pretty girl, and on her first day of school, she finds herself mocked as a hick. Her classmates are the sons and daughters of Rome's elite. Margherita's (Carolina Iaquaniello) parents are prominent intellectuals, and she leads a faction of bohemian socialist kids, while Daniella's father is a political heavyweight, and her preppy clique dresses in designer duds and espouses right-wing politics. Poor Caterina finds the two opposing factions battling over her allegiance, but every time she makes a new friend, her father fouls things up. Giancarlo, who is also an aspiring novelist, spends his evenings at home ranting about the elites and their devious, cliquish ways, but every time he's in the presence of an important person, he desperately tries to ingratiate himself and get his talents noticed. Meanwhile, he's drifting into depression and isolating himself from his wife and daughter. Caterina in the Big City was shown at New York City's Walter Reade Theater in 2004 as part of a Sergio Castellitto retrospective presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 46 min.
Directed By: Paolo Virzì
Written By: Francesco Bruni, Paolo Virzì, Paolo Verzi
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 1, 2003 Wide
On DVD: Dec 20, 2005
Studio: Empire Films

Critic Reviews

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On the surface, Caterina in the Big City is like Mean Girls, Italian-style. But it's much more layered than that.
John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press
Caterina in the City is a coming-of-age story, of course, but its adult characters are also well rendered.
Mario Tarradell, Dallas Morning News
It's an adolescent-to-adult drama that never veers into maudlin or sugary territory. There's a realness on screen that translates to any culture.
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
Though Caterina is unusually well-acted and crafted for this kind of movie ... Giancarlo is the one character who makes the movie special.
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
It's not a satire, it's a family drama whose social and political thoughts flicker like a neon sign on the fritz. Alas, sentimentality is the movie's pilot light.
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer
A warm and resonant comedy.
David Noh, Film Journal International
A truly wonderful coming-of-age tale, suffused with wit and warmth.
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul), St. Paul Pioneer Press
The Italian Caterina in the Big City is sloppy, but it's on to something.
Jean Lowerison, San Diego Metropolitan
An odd, and oddly dishonest bird.
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone, TheMovieChicks.com
Caterina faces challenges in this coming-of-age movie, but nothing earth-shattering or exceptional.
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald
Played in a manic, volcanic manner by Castellitto, Giancarlo is a constant source of humor and embarrassment.
Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
...a funny, affecting, and intricate comedy that continually surprises and gets better as it goes along.

Read all 12 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Stefanie C

very good coming of age tale set in contemporary day rome. caterina moves from the country and is exposed to alternative vs. preppy (like mean girls) and the politics of communism vs. fascism. this movie ends hopefully, for there is a place for the majority of society that does not… More
very good coming of age tale set in contemporary day rome. caterina moves from the country and is exposed to alternative vs. preppy (like mean girls) and the politics of communism vs. fascism. this movie ends hopefully, for there is a place for the majority of society that does not fall under the 'privieged.' caterina finds her place and fulfills a dream.
Walter M

[font=Century Gothic]"Caterina in the Big City" starts with Giancarlo(Sergio Castellito), a teacher with dreams of being a writer, finally getting a transfer to Rome after years of trying and taking his wife, Agata(Margherita Buy), and daughter, Caterina(Alice Teghil), along… More
[font=Century Gothic]"Caterina in the Big City" starts with Giancarlo(Sergio Castellito), a teacher with dreams of being a writer, finally getting a transfer to Rome after years of trying and taking his wife, Agata(Margherita Buy), and daughter, Caterina(Alice Teghil), along with him.(Giancarlo also has dreams of hobnobbing with the influential parents of his students.) Caterina is a shy teenager who sang in the local chorus. At her new school, she gets caught in the crossfire between the two poles of political thought in Italy. Her first friendship comes from the left, when Margherita(Carolina Iaquaniello) takes her under her wing.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Caterina in the Big City" is a charming, pleasant coming of age story about making friends and learning what kind of person you are going to become. But it might have helped if I had a better understanding of Italian politics and society. [/font]