The Price of Family (2022) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The film is set primarily in a quiet Italian town where Carlo and Anna maintain their family home. The story contrasts this humble rural setting with urban city life where their children have moved. Additional scenes take place in Paris, where characters seek medical treatment, and in the United States for private care, highlighting how wealth and health intersect with family dynamics across borders.

• italian town
• setting
• family home
• paris
• united states
• locations

The story unfolds in a contemporary, present-day setting in the early 21st century. Modern technology like video calls plays a key role in staging the family's deception and coordinating plans across international borders, grounding the narrative in current times.

• contemporary
• present day
• time period
• modern era

The Delle Fave family is tightly knit but fractured by distance and pride. The parents' plan to reclaim their children through deceit reveals both affection and fragility in their relationships. True reconciliation arrives only after honesty, reflection, and the influence of the grandmother Giuliana.

• family bonds
• family theme
• reconciliation
• distance
• relationships

A supposed six-million-euro inheritance serves as the catalyst that prompts the children to reconnect with their parents. The lie about Carlo's illness and its later revelation expose moral compromises and the costs of keeping up appearances. The turning point comes when the truth surfaces and reshapes trust within the family.

• deception
• truth
• inheritance
• lie
• trust
• morality

The near-rupture becomes a catalyst for personal and familial growth. Giuliana's guidance helps the younger generation reassess their selfish attitudes. The discovery of hidden wealth adds irony to the idea of true value, and the ending suggests reconciliation is possible when honesty and care replace pride.

• reconciliation
• growth
• personal growth
• family healing
• honesty
• pride

Carlo Delle Fave is the patriarch of the Delle Fave family, portrayed by Christian De Sica. He feels the strain of his children's growing distance and, desperate to bring them back, fabricates a six-million euro inheritance scheme with his wife Anna. His willingness to go to extreme lengths reveals both his desire to protect the family image and his underlying vulnerability and stubborn pride.

• carlo delle fave
• patriarch
• father
• family head
• deception

Anna Delle Fave is the mother of the family, played by Angela Finocchiaro. She participates in the ruse to bring her children back home, showing both pragmatism and longing for family closeness. She orchestrates the deception about Carlo's supposed illness and later shares the truth when pressed, revealing a mix of devotion and moral compromise as she seeks reconciliation.

• anna delle fave
• mother
• parent
• deception
• family

Alessandra and Emilio are Carlo and Anna's children who moved to the city for independence. Alessandra pursues her own business and embodies a modern entrepreneurial spirit while still craving family support. Emilio is emotionally guarded but shows willingness to support the family during hardship, illustrating restrained reconciliation and loyalty beneath their initial distance.

• alessandra
• emilio
• children
• daughter
• son
• city life
• independence

Giuliana is the family grandmother and a steady guiding force throughout the film. She helps the younger generation reflect on their selfish attitudes and reveals she had inherited a large sum of money, adding irony to the theme that true value lies beyond wealth. Her emotional grounding facilitates the eventual family reconciliation.

• giuliana
• grandmother
• elder
• guidance
• wisdom
• reconciliation

The film contrasts a humble Italian small-town family home with cosmopolitan urban environments where the children have relocated. Paris represents medical treatment and health concerns, while the United States symbolizes private care and wealth. This international scope highlights tensions between roots and mobility, traditional family life and the lure of urban success.

• setting contrast
• urban
• rural
• city
• town
• international travel
• locations