Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco wanted to make a movie for and about his father. Salvo Maniscalco had immigrated from Sicily to America in 1960 when he was 15. At 18, he became a hairdresser and raised and supported a family in Chicago. As a man from a different generation and culture, he could be aggressive and embarrassing at times 鈥� especially in situations involving different cultures and tax brackets as with Maniscalco鈥檚 in-laws 鈥� and the set-up seemed ripe for a big screen comedy.
Like anyone dream casting a comedy about an Italian American man of a certain age, one name topped the list: Robert De Niro. Not that Maniscalco thought they stood a chance landing the two-time Oscar winner, but it couldn鈥檛 hurt to try.
Maniscalco had worked on a film with De Niro before, on Martin Scorsese鈥檚 鈥淭he Irishman,鈥� but it was brief and didn鈥檛 exactly establish anything like a friendship where he could, say, call him up. Then one day he got word that De Niro had the script, through producer Paul Weitz, and wanted to do a table read with some actors in New York. It鈥檚 something he likes to do if he鈥檚 taking something seriously, he said.
鈥淚t sort of lifts it off the page a little bit,鈥� De Niro said. Between the Sebastian/Salvo relationship and director Laura Terruso鈥檚 background as an Italian American with Sicilian roots, he said, 鈥淚 knew I鈥檇 be in good hands on both sides. So we decided to do it.鈥�
The setup for 鈥淎bout My Father,鈥� opening nationwide on May 26, is a meet-the-parents situation. Sebastian brings Salvo to his girlfriend鈥檚 family home for the Fourth of July weekend. Ellie鈥檚 (Leslie Bibb) family is WASPy and wealthy 鈥� Kim Cattrall plays her mother, Tigger, and David Rasche is her father, Bill. Her brothers are played by Anders Holm and Brett Dier. And the culture clashes ensue.
鈥淢y rep called me and said, I鈥檝e just been given a script, it stars Robert De Niro and he鈥檚 playing a hairdresser,鈥� Cattrall said. 鈥淚 just thought: I鈥檓 in.鈥�
But before they could start filming, De Niro had a little homework to do. He invited the elder Maniscalco to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he was filming Scorsese鈥檚 鈥淜illers of the Flower Moon鈥� so he could pick his brain about everything from being a hairdresser to Sicilian dialect.
鈥淭he relationship that he has with Sebastian is great. They鈥檙e friends and they talk a lot,鈥� De Niro said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 wonderful for any parent and their child to have a relationship, especially as they get older and have their own life.鈥�
De Niro even arranged for Salvo Maniscalco to meet Scorsese during the three-day sojourn.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not every day that you send off your father to sit down with Robert De Niro and talk about a script, especially when my father doesn鈥檛 really know anything about moviemaking and script analysis and what have you,鈥� Maniscalco said. 鈥淏ut, from what he was telling me, he really helped him with the Italian... He never taught me Sicilian. But he taught Robert De Niro.鈥�
Later, he would call him for refreshers which Maniscalco was happy to oblige 鈥� though one time he told De Niro he鈥檇 have to call him back. He鈥檇 interrupted a pizza dinner. De Niro understood. And, at least according to some Sicilians who turned out for the Chicago premiere of the film, De Niro nailed it. Someone even told Maniscalco that his Italian was better than it was in 鈥淭he Godfather Part II.鈥�
鈥淗e鈥檚 wondering why he wasn鈥檛 paid as a dialect coach,鈥� Maniscalco said, gesturing to his father sitting next to him.
鈥淚鈥檓 waiting for a paycheck,鈥� Salvo Maniscalco, who did get a creative consultant credit, responded.
The Alabama set was fun too, which everyone knows is never a given with comedies. Holm said that often the more fun a set is, the worse the movie is. But all are pretty sure that they got the best of both worlds.
鈥淭he funniest guy in the whole cast was De Niro,鈥� Rasche said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 just absolutely so charming and so funny and so whimsical and original. And it just breaks your heart.鈥�
De Niro always made time to rehearse. Bibb said there鈥檚 often pressure to just do a take and figure something out on camera to save time but with De Niro around, no one was rushing.
鈥淚 like being cradled under that Bob De Niro umbrella,鈥� Bibb said.
Cattrall also liked when he would laugh at something happening on camera.
鈥淚 think one of the most gratifying things is if you鈥檙e doing a scene which he鈥檚 part of and the camera鈥檚 not on him, it鈥檚 on you and you see him after the take and he鈥檚 smiling or he鈥檚 chuckling. You think, 鈥楬ey, it must have been OK!鈥欌�� Cattrall said.
Maniscalco, who left Chicago for Los Angeles in 1998 to pursue a career in stand-up comedy, brought Hollywood back to his hometown for the world premiere of the film recently. It was a bit of a full circle moment for him to be surrounded by relatives, friends and in-laws.
鈥淲hen we left the theater last night, a lot of people came up and said to me, 鈥楳an, it made me want to call my father,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a sense of nostalgia it brings back for people with their families.鈥�
He hopes that it鈥檚 a film that brings audiences to the theater with their families and inspires a renewed closeness.
鈥淚 grew up in a family where we used to sit down, we used to eat together,鈥� Maniscalco said. 鈥淎nd I know things are different. I know the two parents are now working in the house and maybe it鈥檚 not possible. Or technology has taken people in different ways. But, I mean, for us as a family, sitting around the table, eating dinner, joking around, really bonded us forever.鈥�
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Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr.
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
