To be honest, when the film starts out with all the usual Italian soundtracks and shots of Italian food, it felt like Nonnas was going to be stereotypical. To a certain extent, it is, with all the familiar story beats we’ve seen in other biopics. However, there’s a sincere understanding of what makes this real life story work. It’s not just all beautiful shots of Italian food placed for set dressing– It’s a celebration of the food culture that continues to survive through the craft of these immigrant women. While technically a biopic about Joe Scaravella, director Stephen Chbosky and screenwriter Liz Maccie clearly recognize these women as the community that helped keep their culture alive. It’s a delight to see the talented ensemble– Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, and Brenda Vaccaro– let loose and have fun here. Nonnas isn’t the most unique biopic ever created, but it’s certainly warm and hearty enough to swallow.