''Parenti serpenti'' (also known as ''Dearest Relatives, Poisonous Relations'') is a 1992 Italian

black comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the olde ...

written and directed by

Mario Monicelli Mario Alberto Ettore Monicelli (; 16 May 1915 – 29 November 2010) was an Italian film director and screenwriter and one of the masters of the ''Commedia all'Italiana'' (Comedy Italian style). He was nominated six times for an Oscar, and was awa ...

. It won the Italian film critics

Silver Ribbon The Nastro d'Argento, also known by its translated name Silver Ribbon, is an Italian film award awarded each year since 1946 by the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists (Italian: ''Sindacato Nazionale Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani ...

for Best Costumes. Writer Carmine Amoroso, who conceived of the story for the film, later adapted the film into a

stage play A play is a work of drama, usually consisting mostly of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and intended for theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Reading (process), reading. The writer of a play is called a playwright. Pla ...

that ran in Italy and Spain.

Plot

An old couple invite all their children and grandchildren to their home in

Sulmona Sulmona ( nap, label= Abruzzese, Sulmóne; la, Sulmo; grc, Σουλμῶν, Soulmôn) is a city and ''comune'' of the province of L'Aquila in Abruzzo, Italy. It is located in the Valle Peligna, a plain once occupied by a lake that disappeared in ...

, in

Abruzzo Abruzzo (, , ; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Abruzzese Neapolitan, Abbrùzze , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; nap, label=Sabino dialect, Aquilano, Abbrùzzu; #History, historically Abruzzi) is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy wi ...

, to celebrate the

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

holidays. After a day spent at church and playing bingo at home, the grandmother asks her two daughters and two sons to decide amongst themselves which of them will take her and her husband to live with them, now that they are getting old. Their children are initially pleased to hear that their parents want to see more of them, but no one wants to take on the responsibility of having them move into their home.

Cast

Marina Confalone Marina Confalone (born 2 June 1951) is an Italian actress born in Naples. She has appeared in numerous films including ''Così parlò Bellavista'', ''The Second Time'', ''Notes of Love'', '' The Vice of Hope'' for which she won four David di Dona ...

as Lina *

Alessandro Haber Alessandro Haber (born 19 January 1947) is an italian people, Italian actor, film director and singer. Haber was born in Bologna in a Italian Jews, Jewish family of mixed ancestry (his father was a Romanian Jew and his mother Italian) and spent ...

as Alfredo * Tommaso Bianco as Michele *

Cinzia Leone Cinzia Leone (born 4 March 1959) is an Italian actress and comedian. Life and career Born in Rome, Leone began working in the theater since 1981, but became popular thanks to the participation to several variety shows of good success broadcast ...

as Gina * Eugenio Masciari as Alessandro *

Renato Cecchetto Renato Cecchetto (28 October 1951 – 23 January 2022) was an Italian actor who specialized in dubbing. Life and career In the 1970s, Cecchetto attended the Silvio d'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Arts and began his career working with f ...

as Filippo *

Pia Velsi Pia Velsi (stage name of Elpidia Sorbo; born 31 March 1924) is an Italian actress and singer. Biography Born in L'Aquila, she grew up in Naples, where she began her career as a singer, performing live in the 1940s. After moving to Rome, she ma ...

as Grandmother Trieste *

Paolo Panelli Paolo Panelli (15 July 1925 – 18 May 1997) was an Italian comedian and film actor. He appeared in 55 films between 1948 and 1996. He was married to Bice Valori. Selected filmography * '' Guarany'' (1948) * ''Arrivederci, papà!'' (1948) ...

as Grandfather Saverio *

Monica Scattini Monica Scattini (1 February 1956 – 4 February 2015) was an Italian actress. Films Scattini appeared in include ''Maniaci sentimentali'', for which she won a David di Donatello for Best Supporting Actress, and '' Lontano da dove'', for ...

as Milena * Nicoletta Orsomando

References

External links

* 1992 films 1992 black comedy films 1992 comedy films Commedia all'italiana Films directed by Mario Monicelli Italian black comedy films Films about families Films shot in Abruzzo Films with screenplays by Suso Cecchi d'Amico Films adapted into plays 1990s Italian films 1990s Italian-language films {{1990s-Italy-comedy-film-stub

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links