Friends for Life 1955

Mario Geronimo Meynier is a self-confident fourteen-year-old in Rome, an eighth-grader who meets a new pupil named Franco Andrea Scir when the teacher places him at Mario’s desk. At first, Mario treats the newcomer with hostility, but Franco quickly proves himself to be intelligent and soon earns the respect and admiration of both classmates and teachers. Over time, the two boys begin to meet and form a real friendship, built on shared moments and a growing sense of trust.

Il padre di Mario Luigi Tosi is a ceramics entrepreneur, while Il padre di Franco Carlo Tamberlani is a diplomat who lives in a hotel and drinks tomato juice for an aperitif. This contrast in their family backgrounds sets the stage for the boys’ evolving dynamic, as Mario’s bold confidence in approaching girls contrasts with Franco’s more hesitant nature. Yet Franco gradually opens up; he reveals that he loves someone and shares where she lives—in a villa on the Via Appia—but insists that he never sees her because she never leaves the house. He describes her as Ingrid Bergman with black hair.

Intrigued by the quiet mystery, Mario decides to skip a day of school and goes to the villa to uncover the girl. He discovers that the villa is Franco’s old house, where his mother had died. After returning to talk with his friend, Franco initially reacts with anger, but the two eventually reconnect, return to the old house together, and share a liberating cry that marks a turning point in their bond. Their friendship grows so strong that Franco moves to live with Mario’s family, seeking a more stable life.

Later, the boys enter the national cross-country championships and face each other in the final. Franco wins the race, prompting Mario to react with anger and to reveal Franco’s mother to their companions—a secret Mario had sworn to keep. Franco pretends to be physically ill to mask his deep disappointment and, choosing another path, leaves with his father, never to return.