In the 1950s, the New Jersey restaurant of two Italian brothers, Primo and Secondo, is failing badly. This—part of the premise of the 1996 movie “Big Night”—is sad, but also evident is that Secondo (Stanley Tucci) is failing badly morally. For one thing, he cheats on his girlfriend Phyllis (Minnie Driver). Secondo is an undeserving immigrant and businessman; not so Primo. Does it matter if he fails? On the other hand, his Italian-American competitor, Pascal (a perfect Ian Holm), is also undeserving, but successful.

The cast of “Big Night” is sapid and endearing. This includes Campbell Scott, who co-directed the film with Tucci. It is a very good food flick, like “Eat Drink Man Woman”—good because artistic, and not without the Right Music on its soundtrack: “Buona Sera” and “Oh Marie” by Louis Prima, “Tic Ti, Tic Ta” by Claudio Villa, “Don’t Take Your Love Away” by Keely Smith, etc. Delicious.