Vince Vaughn plays the owner of a restaurant that he started in honor of his mother. The unique angle is that he hired all nonnas (grandmothers) to re-create their family recipes. It’s based on a real man and his place in Staten Island. The women playing the title characters are Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, Brenda Vaccaro & Talia Shire. Vaughn lacks his usual smirky wiseguy style that always adds laughs. The women do embody unique personalities, but they’re not especially funny either. Even the cooking montages don’t make the food look especially appetizing. The cast and the concept had potential to be a charming comedy, but this film veers much more into the heartfelt drama category. Maybe the creators wanted to honor the restauranteur’s concept by keeping it sweet, but they missed some great potential for humor. The capable cast helps it rise above Lifetime movie mediocrity, but not by much. 
(1.5 / 5)
