Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

Just so...so bad

Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

...this would be one of them. Sunny, cheesy and thoroughly enjoyable love-among-the-grapes farce surrounding two generations of volatile Italians in the Napa Valley. A bit schmaltzy, as you might expect, but not too much; and the script is excellent, with plenty of twists and some nice one-liners. Great performances from all 6 main stars (two triangles from different generations), particularly Lainie Kazan and Tony Lo Bianco as childhood sweethearts who never quite got together and have blamed each other ever since.I had to put in my two-penn'orth on this one, because I've acted on stage a few times with the lady who played Nana, and it was great to see her in such a good movie.

If you've loved at all in your life, you'll enjoy this film. Actually, you'll enjoy it anyway, but you'll understand every nuance if you've been in love. This movie dances with every emotion and dynamic one experiences in a relationship of any substance; love, hatred, anger, betrayal, hurt, humor, power struggles, pride, fear. It's all wrapped up tightly in this movie and presented in a tender, subtle, yet gripping way that engages the viewer and gently holds your attention until the end. The acting is great, the emotions are real, and the presentation is lively, interesting, and even informative. I can't remember when I've seen a better balanced film; each role is important in piecing the message together and everyone involved does a great job. Very enjoyable. I challenge anyone to view this film without laughing and shedding a tear.

I'm sorry to sound like a Scrouge, but this TNT film was a holiday stinker! The film's premise had good potential: From overseas, an American GI in World War II sends his high school sweetheart a marriage proposal and an engagement ring, which unfortunately are lost in the mail. When the letter and the ring are miraculously discovered forty years later, one would expect that the revelation would clear up the mystery and end the long-standing feud between two Italian families. But when Alicia (Lainie Kazan) learns about the letter and the ring sent by her former beau Nick (Tony Lo Bianco), her inexplicable response is to continue to be angry at him! This made no sense because it wasn't Nick's fault that the letter and the ring were lost. The subplot of the couple in the next generation (Patricia Heaton and Vincent Spano) also seemed forced and not believable. There were moments in this film that resembled French farce, then turned immediately into Greek tragedy!The dialogue was terrible, and the cast seemed to be reading their lines, as opposed to performing the action and connecting with each other in their relationships. I almost wished that the actors could have improvised the scenes around the basic romantic premise, instead of forcing the emotional life and giving us the impression that they were reading the insipid lines from cue cards. Before the film began, TNT offered this tagline as a teaser: "The holidays are for bringing people together." As it turned out, that line was better than any of the scripted dialogue in the film, and the best character was the grandma mainly because she was mute!

A delightful comedy of errors, much in the vein of "Moonstruck;" but in some ways funnier and more charming. The acting is less over-the-top than in "Moonstruck." It's Shakespearean in its Romeo & Juliet romance, and its comedic errors and misunderstandings. Its odd little plot twists cover a 40-year spoiled romance, an up-to-the minute romance, and provoke an old Italian grandmother into finally speaking, after 20 years of mourning in silence for her dead husband. Vincent Spano and Tony Lo Bianco are charming as uncle and nephew; and Lainie Kazan shines. Patricia Heaton (of "Everybody Loves Raymond") is fabulous. This is far better than most made-for-TV movies. I recommend it highly.