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City Island Movie Review Summary

Actors: Andy Garcia, Julianna Margulies, Steven Strait, Emily Mortimer

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of City Island


This is the story of a dysfunctional family and how the father reunites with an illegitimate son. There is a section in Bronx, New York called "City Island." Andy Garcia, who plays the lead character named Vince Rizzo, lives there with his crazy family. Vince works as a guard in a prison. He finds out his illegitimate son, Tony Nardella (played by Steven Strait) is one of the inmates in the place where he works. Without telling this secret to anyone, Vince helps Tony when he gets out of jail by giving him a job working to take care of the family. Vince has been also secretly sneaking off to take lessons in acting and has a crush on one of the women named Molly (played by Emily Mortimer) in his acting class.
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Everyone in this crazy family has some kind of secret. Vince's daughter, Vivian (played by Dominik Garcia-Lorido) got into trouble at university, had her scholarship canceled, went to work as an exotic dancer to pay her school bills and had breast augmentation surgery to get better tips at work. Vince's youngest son, Vinnie (played Ezra Miller) is a chubby-chaser that likes fat women, fantasizing how he would feed them. Vinnie spies on the obese woman that lives next door. When Tony enters their lives, Joyce (played by Julianna Margulies) hits on him trying to figure out if she is still sexually attractive to men since Vince does not pay her enough attention. She doesn't guess that Tony is her step-son and of course does not tell her husband she is attracted to the 24 year-old.

Vince gets cast for a Scorsese film which makes him elated. Meanwhile Tony and his wife start flirting with each other in order to have an affair. Little Vinnie tries to hook-up with the fat woman that lives next door. She helps him instead to go after a fat girl his own age that he likes from school.

Tony cannot take anymore of the craziness. He takes the Rizzo car and runs off, ending up at the strip club where he sees Vivian working as an exotic dancer. Everything is about to explode when Vince decides to tell the family that Tony is really his son. This causes all the rest of the family to confess their problems to each other, which has a kind of healing effect. Everyone agrees to stay together to try to work things out as a family.
Best part of story, including ending: It is fun to see how many weird secrets the family members are keepng from each other.

Best scene in story: I like the scene when Tony sees Vivian in the men's club dancing because it is fun to see his reaction.

Opinion about the main character: In the end, when Vince comes clean, it opens up a new way for all the family members to relate based on honesty. This is good because it helps them deal with the problems.

The review of this Movie prepared by Willi Vision a Level 31 Creepy Stalker Barn Owl scholar

This is the story of a father in a dysfunctional family. He has learned information regarding his illegitimate son, who is in prison. He also created a relationship with an aspiring actress. He has also told his real-life daughter that she was suspended from college. After this, he participates in a film.

Vince Rizzo (Andy Garcia) is a father of a dysfunctional family. While he tries to help his illegitimate son out of prison, all else goes a mess in his family. In the end when his family is about to fall apart, Vince knows he has to tell the truth about his family. He wants to work everything out in his family.
Best part of story, including ending: I really liked this story because dysfunctional families are known all over the world. Every family is dysfunctional in their own way so everyone can relate to this movie.

Best scene in story: My favorite scene was when Vince Rizzo confronts his family and tells the truth. This is my favorite because it portrays in him how much family really means no matter what the cost may be.

Opinion about the main character: I really like that the character ends up putting family before anything else. He is dedicated to making things work for his family in the end no matter what they have all gone through.

The review of this Movie prepared by Cara Gilmore a Level 2 American Robin scholar

Script Analysis of City Island

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Plot & Themes

Comedy, primarily    -   Yes Time/era of movie:    -   2000's+ (present) Family, struggling with    -   Yes Struggle with:    -   Son Comedy or Parody about    -   dysfunctional family How much humor v. drama    -   Nearly all humor

Main Character

Identity:    -   Male Profession/status:    -   blue collar    -   govt employee Age:    -   40's-50's Ethnicity/Nationality    -   White American

Setting

United States    -   Yes The US:    -   Northeast City?    -   Yes City:    -   New York Misc setting    -   prison

Writing Style

Accounts of torture and death?    -   no torture/death Sex/nudity in movie?    -   Yes What kind of sex:    -   vague references only    -   kissing    -   seeing breasts Any profanity?    -   Occasional swearing    -   Some foul language

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