Head of the Family (IL Padre de Famiglia) is a sparse seriocomic effort directed and co-written by Italian documentary filmmaker
Nanni Loy. When his wife
Leslie Caron announces she is pregnant,
Nino Manfredi is at first overjoyed. His delight dwindles into quiet desperation as his little family grows and grows. With so many precocious children scurrying about, the macho Manfredi feels that his position as head of the household is threatened. In a gentle, nonaggressive manner,
Head of the Family reveals several universal truths about family solidarity. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide