True Love (1989)

Nancy Savoca's directorial debut, True Love, has all the trappings of one of the most overworked genres in movie history -- the ethnic-wedding comedy. In this case, two emotional Italians and their respective eccentric and extroverted families partake in all of the usual pre-wedding jitters and party planning familiar to anyone who has seen a film like this. But, as with her later films, Savoca shows she cares far too much for her characters and has a much better understanding of human behavior than the average person. Both the would-be husband (Ron Eldard) and bride-to-be (Annabella Sciorra) are equally likable and annoying. While the generic comedy would keep the couple lovable the entire time, both of these characters are flawed in real ways. Where he has not yet grown up, she is too afraid to believe she could marry outside her neighborhood. The final scene of the film in which neither bride nor groom can quite smile for a wedding photo because they are beginning to understand how difficult their life together might be even though they love each other offers a bittersweet ending that forces the viewer to rethink what they have just seen. Produced by Jonathan Demme, True Love showed that Nancy Savoca had a clear understanding of people. Many filmmakers have had greater acclaim with less skill than that. She would follow though on that early promise with her next two films Dogfight and Household Saints. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide