While vacationing in Italy, Meg Johnson (Olivia de Havilland) and her 26-year old, mentally-impaired daughter Clara (Yvette Mimieux) meet charming and wealthy Fabrizio Naccarelli (George Hamilton), who falls instantly in love with the beautiful, childlike Clara...and she with him. Although she has been praying that Clara will one day be able to lead a normal life, Meg fears that the same fate will befall Clara as it has in the past...she will be rejected once the suitor finds out about her condition. However, as the persistent Fabrizio continues to pursue Clara and Clara is saddened when her mother tries to keep them apart, Meg begins to wonder whether a simple life as the wife of a wealthy Italian, where all Clara has to do is look beautiful and spend her time gossiping with other wives while the servants take care of everything, isn't a far better future than the one her father Noel (Barry Sullivan) envisions for her...placing her in an institution for the mentally handicapped.
The Light in the Piazza is a 1960 novella by American writer Elizabeth Spencer. The book was adapted for the screen by American screenwriter Julius J. Epstein.
When she was a child, Clara was kicked in the head by her Shetland pony, resulting in a scar on the right side of her head and brain damage that left her with the mental age of about 10.
Van Johnson was an American film star, very popular during the 1940s and 50s. Fabrizio would probably have seen him in WW2-themed movies such as Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944) (1944), The Caine Mutiny (1954) (1954), The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954) (1954), or Miracle in the Rain (1956) (1956).
It's difficult to see in the movie. Some viewers suggest it was a piece of popcorn tossed by the boy who was shown eating popcorn from a bag. Others have suggested it was a Jordan almond, a traditional favor at Italian weddings.
No. She starts to at the ballpark, but a man being accidentally shot by a cannon interrupts her. After that, she keeps quiet about it.
At their first meeting, they say "Fortunatissima," which translates literally as "Fortunate to meet you," but, practically, is closer to "Nice to see you." After their second meeting, Fabrizio explains that "Arrivaderla" is the more proper way of saying "Goodbye." However, Clara likes the sound of "Fortunatissima" better, so they continue to use it.
Naccarelli Sr. was driving a 1960 Autobianchi Bianchina Cabriolet.
Naccarelli, Sr.(Rossano Brazzi), arrives at the Johnson's hotel to discuss his reason for opposing the marriage of their children. Meg is relieved to find out it is only a matter of the age difference between Fabrizio and the older Clara (26) and then has little difficulty changing Naccarelli's mind, allowing the marriage to proceed. When Fabrizio reminds his father that he is 23-years old, not 20, His father is further relieved of concern over the marriage. Meg returns to the hotel to assure Clara that she and Fabrizio will be married as planned. Clara asks Meg to read her a bedtime story from Little Women for the last time, because she doesn't think Fabrizio will like these kinds of stories, and Meg agrees. The film skips ahead to the wedding. Clara and Fabrizio are exchanging their vows, and the church is filled with the entire Nacarelli family. Meg sits with Naccarelli and his wife. Noel is not in attendance. Clara and Fabrizio leave the altar and walk outside where they are showered with confetti, flower petals, rice and popcorn. Naccarelli introduces Meg to his cousin Marchese Bolino (Luciano Barontino), who expresses his regrets that Van Johnson couldn't make the wedding. Just before she and Fabrizio get into their car, Clara stoops down to pick up a candy and pop it into her mouth. Fabrizio kneels beside her and does the same thing. 'I did the right thing,' Meg says to herself. 'I know I did.' In the final scene, Naccarelli, his wife (Nancy Nevinson), and Meg get into a car together to drive away.
Italy's sights are featured in Roman Holiday (1953) (1953), in which a princess escapes her guardians and goes sight-seeing with an American news reporter in Rome, and in Three Coins in the Fountain (1954) (1954), in which three American girls look for love in Rome after tossing coins into the Trevi Fountain. School teachers find love in Italy while on vacation in Rome Adventure (1962) (1962) and in Summertime (1955) (1955). Surfers vacation in Italy in Gidget Goes to Rome (1963) (1963). A Roman journalist with a penchant for the good life has no lack of love interests in La Dolce Vita (1960) (1960). In Come September (1961), the owner of a large Italian villa returns for a vacation only to find that his villa has been turned into a hotel. A Room with a View (1985) (1985) partly takes place in Florence. In Under the Tuscan Sun (2003) (2003), a divorcee buys a crumbling villa in Tuscany. In Stealing Beauty (1996) (1992), a young girl travels to Italy to meet up with an old boyfriend and solve a mystery presented in her mother's diary. In Only You (1994) (1994), a schoolteacher travels to Venice to find her soul mate, while in Enchanted April (1991) (1992), four British women go to Italy on vacation and find themselves. In The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003) (2003), Lizzie and her high school friends take a class trip to Rome.
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- How long is Light in the Piazza?1 hour and 42 minutes
- When was Light in the Piazza released?February 9, 1962
- What is the IMDb rating of Light in the Piazza?6.9 out of 10
- Who stars in Light in the Piazza?
- Who wrote Light in the Piazza?
- Who directed Light in the Piazza?
- Who was the composer for Light in the Piazza?
- Who was the producer of Light in the Piazza?
- Who was the cinematographer for Light in the Piazza?
- Who was the editor of Light in the Piazza?
- What is the plot of Light in the Piazza?Clara is the grownup daughter of an American couple, Noel and Meg Johnson; however, she has a mental disability. When the family travels to Italy on vacation, Clara crosses paths with a handsome young man named Fabrizio, who falls for her, unaware of her condition.
- What was the budget for Light in the Piazza?$553,300
- What is Light in the Piazza rated?Not Rated
- What genre is Light in the Piazza?Drama and Romance
- How many awards has Light in the Piazza been nominated for?1 nomination
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