The First Beautiful Thing

In 1971, at a popular beach establishment near the Tuscan port of Livorno, yummy-mummy Anna (Micaela Ramazzotti) is roped into a beauty contest which she easily wins. Her jealous husband, Mario (Sergio Albelli), is enraged by the attention from assorted wolf-whistlers, while 8-year-old son Bruno (Giacomo Bibbiani), is horrified by the spectacle of it all. His younger sister, Valeria (Giulia Burgalassi), is the only one enjoying the scene. Jump to the present, when Bruno (Valerio Mastandrea) gets an urgent visit from Valeria (Claudia Pandolfi) telling him their mother (Stefania Sandrelli) is sick. Bruno tries to wriggle out of going back to Livorno but finally agrees, the trip triggering bittersweet memories.