There are certain authors who get the chance to have their literary creations adapted into a movie or TV show, and Adriana Trigiani is one of those authors.
Having been a writer of novels and non-fiction books for over two decades now, Trigiani’s career actually started by working in the world of television and films. Her name is associated with shows such as The Cosby Show, City Kids, The Italian Americans, and A Different World.
She is also the writer and director of the documentary titled Queens of the Big Time. In addition to the shows, she has been a part of movies such as Then Came You and Green Chimneys.
Of the numerous novels written by Trigiani, two of them have been adapted, namely Big Stone Gap and Very Valentine, based on books of the same name. While the former was made into a movie, the latter was released as a TV movie.
Big Stone Gap was released in 2014, and Very Valentine came out in 2019, and both these adaptations went on to do really well, carving a name for themselves, especially in the hearts of the fans of the author.
In this article, we will be diving deep into the summaries and reviews of the movies and TV adaptations based on Trigiani’s books.
Table of Contents
Summary of the Movies and TV Adaptations of Trigiani’s Books
Let’s take a look at the summaries of the adaptations of Trigiani’s novels.
Summary of Big Stone Gap
The movie is set in 1978 in the small town of Big Stone Gap, and the protagonist is Ave Maria Mulligan. She’s a 40-year-old, unmarried woman who works at the pharmacy that her dead father once owned.
We’re told that her father never treated her nicely. In fact, when her friend, Fleeta Mullins, finds her putting flowers on her father’s grave, she’s infuriated at her kind gesture due to how poorly he treated her when he was alive.
Ave is very happy with her simple life, where she’s deeply involved in helping her community, which includes delivering medicines to the residents and directing the production being put up by the town.
However, things take a drastic turn when Ave’s mother passes away, and she discovers the letters exchanged between her and a man who turns out to be Ave’s real father. This incident causes her to face the reality of her own love life, which is non-existent, as pointed out by her buddy, Iva Lou.
We learn about Jack, her former schoolmate who has had feelings for Ave for ages. While her friend, Theodore, is busy planning a town event that’s to be attended by the Hollywood star Elizabeth Taylor, Ave decides that she wants to meet her real father.
The movie ends with a family reunion and the wedding of Ave and Jack.
Cast Members of Big Stone Gap
The cast members of Big Stone Gap are:
- Ashley Judd (Ave Maria Mulligan)
- John Benjamin Hickey (Theodore Tipton)
- Patrick Wilson (Jack MacChesney)
- Jenna Elfman (Iva Lou Wade)
- Whoopi Goldberg (Fleeta Mullins)
Summary of Very Valentine
The protagonist of the movie is a young woman named Valentine Roncalli, whose family owns Angelini’s, a company that has been making customized wedding shoes since 1903. However, the company is still stuck in the previous era and is struggling to make a mark in the 21st century.
Valentine lives with her grandmother, Teodora Angelini, from whom she learned everything she needed to know about shoemaking. Her brother, Alfred Roncalli, is stubborn about convincing their grandmother to sell the company since it’s on the brink of financial ruin.
However, Valentine and Teodora are determined to save the business. Valentine gets the chance to design a pair of shoes for a major competition, knowing fully well that this could be the ticket to getting their company noticed positively.
Meanwhile, she begins to receive romantic attention from Roman Falcone, a chef who has been gaining popularity while working at an Italian restaurant. Although Valentine isn’t convinced of the relationship, Roman tells her that he visualizes a future with her.
One of the reasons that causes her to feel apprehensive is that Roman’s publicist happens to be his ex-girlfriend. In between all the chaos, Valentine and Teodora decide to take a trip to Italy for business.
The rest of the movie focuses on the many twists and turns their lives go through and the shocking revelations that change their respective futures forever.
Cast Members of Very Valentine
The following are some of the actors who are a part of the cast of Very Valentine:
- Kelen Coleman (Valentine Roncalli)
- Paolo Bernardini (Gianluca Vechiarelli)
- Jacqueline Bisset (Teodora Angelini)
- Fabio Testi (Domenico Vechiarelli)
- Liam McIntyre (Roman Falcone)
Review of the Movies and TV Adaptations
How about a review of the adaptations we just discussed? Let’s see what makes these movies special.
Review of Big Stone Gap
Big Stone Gap is a mixture of romance and comedy that is sure to delight the movie buffs who starve to see cheesy love being portrayed on the big screen.
The love story of Ave and Jack, the pace at which it develops, and the happy ending given by the creators will have you smiling and crying with an overload of emotions.
Ave is a protagonist who goes through a myriad of experiences throughout the movie. Right from losing her mother to finding out about her real father, we learn of the many ways in which her childhood was more troubled than others can realize.
Although she is given a weak love interest in the beginning, the fact that she finds happiness in the end makes you cheer out loud for her. The friendships shown in the movie are heartwarming and relatable.
Trigiani gives us a main character who is amiable, flawed, generous, and quite close to reality. One of the strongest factors about the movie is the fabulous cast, and the commendable energy poured into the depiction of each and every character.
Anyone who loves the feeling of small-town living will enjoy the ambiance crafted in this film with all its local productions, quaint shops, witty banter, and tight-knit groups.
Review of Very Valentine
Very Valentine gives the viewers plenty to focus on. Right from a messy family dynamic to spicy romantic plotlines, this movie will have you wanting more and keep you guessing until the end.
The heroine we get in the form of Valentine is someone who is endearingly close to her grandmother, determined to save the family legacy, and brave enough to cross all sorts of hurdles necessary to do the needful.
The overwhelming feeling she experiences while attempting to juggle her personal life and her professional responsibilities is something many people will be able to identify with. The bond she shares with her grandmother, in particular, is something that will make you nostalgic for familial relationships.
One of the sweetest things about the romantic angles depicted in this movie is that it not only focuses on young love but also reminds the audience that love and passion can exist across all age groups.
Each and every actor devotes all their energy into creating the respective personalities of their characters, helping us get attached to them because of their unique traits. Overall, it’s a movie you will want to explore because of the maze of themes and plot twists.
Conclusion
If you ever wonder which movie you can watch next, you should consider the adaptations based on Trigiani’s books.
Since the writer herself was majorly associated with making these adaptations, they turned out to be entertaining and remained extremely true to the original stories.
Readers often get disappointed when adaptations stray away from the novels, but fortunately, it wasn’t the case with these movies, thanks to the involvement of the author herself.
Both Big Stone Gap and Very Valentine are enjoyable movies filled with romance, humor, friendship, and family drama that will keep you engaged until the last minute.
By being the writer behind these visual creations, Trigiani proved that not only is she a master storyteller, but she’s also brilliant when it comes to developing book-to-movie adaptations.
