Everybody Wants to Be Italian 2008

In the vibrant North End of Boston, Massachusetts, Jake Bianski has dedicated the last eight years of his life to running a fish market, his daily routine harmonizing with the rhythms of the ocean. However, beneath this seemingly peaceful exterior lies a heart burdened by nostalgia, as Jake remains emotionally bound to Isabella, his former love who has moved on to build a life with another man. Despite Isabella’s happy family life, which includes three little ones, Jake’s feelings have not waned; instead, they fester like an unhealed wound, keeping the flicker of hope alive in his heart.

In an attempt to liberate their friend from this relentless obsession, Jake’s pals, Steve Bottino and Gianluca Tempesti, decide to take matters into their own hands by staging an intervention. They persuade Jake to accompany them to a singles’ dance at a local Italian club. It is here that fate introduces him to Marisa Costa, a compassionate veterinarian whose warm smile instantly calms Jake’s troubled heart. During their first interactions, Jake divulges that he’s still entangled in the past, suggesting that perhaps they should focus on friendship rather than flirtation.

Yet, unexpected twists await Jake. Just when he begins to see a future beyond his past, Isabella leaves her husband and moves into the small apartment right above his fish market, bringing her children along. This unexpected cohabitation drags Jake deeper into an emotional dilemma as he faces the truth about his unreciprocated feelings for Isabella. As the tension peaks, Jake, burdened and heartbroken, follows Marisa to Italy, only to find that she, too, has moved on and found love. Undeterred, Jake’s stubborn heart refuses to accept defeat, and he resolves to chase after Marisa, determined to prove that even in a land far from home, winning her heart is still within reach.

Jake’s journey is a poignant reflection on love, longing, and the lengths we go to in pursuit of happiness, revealing that sometimes the heart clings to the past even when it’s time to embrace new possibilities.