An Almost Ordinary Summer

Patriarch Carlo, [Fabrizio Bentivoglio], his son Sandro, [Filippo Scicchitano], and Diego, along with Sandro’s young family, arrive for a coastal vacation at a rented guesthouse on the Italian coast. Carlo is a widower who has kept quiet about an important upcoming change: he plans to marry Toni, the liberal and bohemian owner of the secluded villa and guesthouse. What none of the families know is that these two men share a deep, intimate connection that goes beyond friendship. After an incident in the men’s restroom at a local restaurant, the adult children discover that their fathers are in love, and the news hits hardest with Carlo’s oldest son Sandro and his sister-in-law Penny, whose reactions set the tone for what follows. The revelation unsettles the household and threatens to fracture the fragile balance of their holiday dynamic.

The tension soon widens into a full-blown family trial. [Sandro], [Filippo Scicchitano], the more conservative son, refuses to speak to his father and contemplates leaving the next morning. Penny, Toni’s sharp-tongued daughter, is determined to derail the marriage, convinced that Toni’s relationship with Carlo will upend their family’s status and inheritance. She enlists her own mother, Giulietta, [Anna Galiena], whose calculating instincts are sharpened by concern that Toni’s daughters could lose their inheritance if Toni’s union is allowed to proceed. Giulietta uses every sharp remark and strategic nudge to convince Carlo that this is just another temporary dalliance in a long line of Toni’s entanglements, sowing doubt and unease. Carlo, though shaken, remains torn between the undeniable bond with Toni and the fear of destabilizing the life he’s built with his sons and their families.

As meals are shared and days unfold by the pool, the two families begin to blend in an uneasy but undeniable way. The lovers’ previous certainty softens under the pressure of scrutiny, and Carlo learns that Diego, his adolescent son, has come to terms with the wedding plan, while Sandro’s resistance slowly softens. Giulietta senses that she may have won a skirmish in this larger war, but Penny’s stubborn independence remains a stubborn obstacle. Giulietta counsels Penny to accept Carlo’s free-spirited nature, even as she plots in the background to secure the family’s future against any threat to the estate.

A quiet, late-night exchange between Sandro and Penny becomes a turning point. In a heartfelt talk, Penny confesses she doesn’t know what to do next, and Sandro’s vulnerability touches her, though she misreads it as a strategic angle. The moment turns awkward when Penny, in a moment of poor judgment, kisses Sandro. It’s followed by the serious interruption of Sandro’s pregnant wife, who walks in on them and triggers a dramatic confrontation that pulls the adult couple into the center of the escalating conflict. The storm breaks as a torrential rainstorm erupts, and Carlo steers Penny into a car, driving away to regain control of the situation. Penny’s fury explodes in anger, blaming Carlo for stealing the attention she craved from her often-absent father, just as she is learning to navigate new loyalties and resentments.

dawn arrives with a surprising calm. Penny and Carlo have spent the night talking and sharing a moment of empathy, and the pair return to the villa to find that Sandro and his family have left with Diego. Toni remains in the other room, dozing on a sofa, and Carlo confronts Penny again, asking for an apology to Penny from Toni’s side. Toni stands silent, which marks a crack in their immediate future but also a choice to move forward in a cautious, reflective way. The trio—Carlo, Toni, and Penny—return to Rome, each with new perspectives and a willingness to negotiate a path forward.

Back in the city, Toni and Penny reconcile, and Penny persuades him to seek Carlo out and continue the conversation they began in the villa. The two heads of the household eventually track down Sandro, who has stayed behind at the family business, and together they go to a quiet, windswept sandbar where Carlo once sought solace after the death of his wife. Toni’s heartfelt apology makes its impact clear: he hasn’t abandoned the wedding plans, but he does ask Carlo to marry him. With that confession, the couple finds a renewed sense of purpose and a path toward healing with the people who matter most. The wedding is finally held at the villa, bringing the families together in a ceremony that celebrates trust, tenderness, and the strength of chosen bonds.

As the credits roll, the film closes on scenes of the newly joined family sharing life near the coast, underscoring themes of acceptance, resilience, and the evolution of love across generations. The holiday that began with tension and secrecy ends as a testament to connection, persistence, and the belief that a family can be rebuilt around two people who are deeply committed to one another.

Last Updated: November 22, 2025 at 16:00