Caterina in the Big City (Caterina va in citta) poster & wallpaper
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Alice Teghil, Claudio Amendola, Flavio Bucci, Margherita Buy, Sergio Castellitto ... see more see more... , Galatea Ranzi , Carolina Iaquaniello , Federica Sbrenna , Zach Wallen , Martino Reviglio , Antonio Carnevale , Silvio Vannucci

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 (Ser... read more read more...gio 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

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70% liked it

873 ratings

Critics

89% liked it

37 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 46 min.

Directed by: Paolo Virzì

Release Date: January 1, 2003

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DVD Release Date: December 20, 2005

Stats: 75 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (75)

  • bookmunki
    October 8, 2008
    bookmunki
    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 n... read moreot fall under the 'privieged.' caterina finds her place and fulfills a dream.
  • gator681
    October 31, 2006
    gator681
    [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... read more 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]
  • GabrielKnight
    January 3, 2012
    GabrielKnight
    This Italian comedy-drama is quite hilarious at times. While it may seem as a coming of age story, it has serious undertones and social commentary on Italy's politics and society in general. It's quite entertaining, but overall it's on a light side and easily forgettable.

View All Caterina in the Big City (Caterina va in citta) Reviews

Critic Reviews

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
November 3, 2005
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. Full Review

John Monaghan
October 7, 2005
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
September 22, 2005
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. Full Review

Michael Wilmington
September 8, 2005
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. Full Review

Wesley Morris
July 22, 2005
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. Full Review

Carrie Rickey
July 21, 2005
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer

A warm and resonant comedy.

Stephen Hunter
July 15, 2005
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post

Caterina in the Big City won't change your life, but it moves along spiffily and the young Teghil is adorable as she adventures gamely onward. Full Review

Roger Moore
July 15, 2005
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

A lovely and thoughtful exploration of the end of childhood innocence. Full Review

Michael O'Sullivan
July 14, 2005
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post

A blend of gentle comedy and poignant drama. Full Review

Lisa Rose
July 1, 2005
Lisa Rose, Newark Star-Ledger

Like its heroine, Caterina in the Big City is delightfully unclassifiable, a modest, unassuming movie, but a rule-breaker nonetheless. Full Review

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