Picture: Netflix
Nonnas is now on Netflix and has received many positive reviews, including from our critic today. The new movie features Vince Vaughn, Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, Brenda Vaccaro, Talia Shire, Linda Cardellini, and Joe Manganiello. The story centers on a man who buys up a restaurant and devises a risky but unique business model: have all the food cooked by Nonnas.
Naturally, given the subject matter and rich American-Italian focus of the film, that’s deeply ingrained into the soundtrack, which features some classical songs from Italy alongside some more contemporary music from the US. At the heart of the film is family, heritage, and the matriarchal spirit, and the song choices complement those themes perfectly.
Speaking about the music in the film, director Stephen Chbosky said in an interview (provided via Netflix):
The music in Nonnas was a real passion for me. We used “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ ” by Nancy Sinatra when they did the cool hero walk down the sidewalk. Susan in particular said, “Play it really loud.” Later, I choreographed that entire single shot through the restaurant to “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant,” by Billy Joel. I would play it on my phone in my earbuds, and it became something of a dance.
And those songs that we love when we’re that age, they are eternal to us. And they are timeless to us. And maybe to our children, I’ll play something for my kids and some of them they love, and some of them they go, ‘I don’t get this, but it’s yours.’ And so a lot of this soundtrack was like, these four amazing women, what songs did they love? When they were running around raising kids, or they were making out in high school, you know what I mean?”
Full Soundtrack List for Nonnas
Italian Songs Featured in Nonnas
- Funiculi Funicula – Ossi Bashiri
- Viva La Pappa Col Pomodoro – Rita Pavone
- Un Desiderio Per L’Estate – Marina Moran
- Tarantella Napoletana – Mario Rusca
- Via Veneto – Alexander McCabe
- Morbido – Catalogo Club
- L’Italia
- Lazy Mary – Lou Monte with Joe Reisman and his Orchestra
- Cha Cha Cha Della Segretaria – Michelino E II Suo Complesso
- Vieni – Giancarlo Cavalieri and Vichezno Orru
- Mille Volte – Nilla Pizzi
- Old Country – Pete Caldera and Alexander McCabe
- A Roma Tutto e Bello – Miranda Martino
- E Ti Dico (Ti Amo) – Sacha Distel
- Funiculu Funicula – Raffaello Converso and Roberto De Simone
- Tu, Tu Si Tu – Fausto Cigliano
Other Songs Featured in Nonnas
- Too Late for Tears · Andrea Litkei and Ervin Litkei
- Jealous of You (Tango Della Gelosia) – Connie Francis
- Lady in Red – Chris de Burgh
- These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ – Eileen
- Angel Eyes – Henrik Wikstrom and Steve Martin
- Scenes from an Italian Restaurant – Billy Joel
Original Soundtrack for Nonnas
List courtesy of Film Music Reporter who first reported that the original soundtrack is composed by Marcelo Zarvos, best known for work on titles like May December for Netflix in addition to Ray Donovan and Good American Family.
The soundtrack also features an original song called Hyatt Street, written by film director Stephen Chbosky and produced with Thomas Lauderdale. It is performed by the classical band Pink Martini and their lead vocalist and American singer China Forbes, with arrangements by Sugaroo!
The remainder of the original soundtrack includes the following tracks:
- Nonnas Theme (2:14)
- Pitching the Idea (1:19)
- Joe’s New Restaurant (2:14)
- Teresa Prays for a Miracle (1:25)
- Olivia and Joe Talk (1:32)
- Standing Ovation (1:32)
- The Letter (4:55)
- Celebrating the Dishes (0:45)
- Fire Code Violation (1:09)
- Joe Cooking (1:13)
- What Is Capuzzelle (1:05)
- Roberta and Antonella (1:13)
- Nonnas Bond (1:41)
- Joe’s Appeal (1:18)
- Closed (2:30)
- Food Fight (1:13)
- Cleaning the Kitchen (2:09)
- Enoteca Maria (1:17)
- The Inspector (0:42)
- Joe Breaks the News (1:24)
- The Funeral (1:03)
- C of O Celebration (0:39)
- Nonnas Are Worried (2:28)
- Antipasto (2:45)
