Nonnas‘ ending wraps up Joe’s story as he opens up a new restaurant for a heartfelt finale. Directed by Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower), Nonnas follows Vince Vaughn’s protagonist, Joe, as he attempts to come to terms with his mother’s death by opening a restaurant that only employs real-life grandmothers in the kitchen. Nonnas was inspired by Vaughn’s own experience eating at the restaurant its story is based upon, creating a very sweet and entertaining film that touches on themes of loss, family, and community in its hilarious screenplay.

The majority of the film revolves around Joe’s struggles to turn his restaurant into a success. There are several professional and personal obstacles for Joe to overcome as he opens Enoteca Maria, leading to what is meant to be the final night of the restaurant’s existence before the fortunes of Vaughn’s character and his pᴀssion change. The narrative stakes are fairly low, but the end of Nonnas overcomes its predictable story with a more touching, bittersweet narrative about family, loss, and grief in an effortless way.

Why Durant Finally Reviews Joe’s Restaurant

The Food Critic Was Touched By Joe’s Story

At the end of Nonnas, Joe makes a desperate attempt to get an acclaimed food critic named Edward Durant to eat at Enoteca Maria and convince his audience that the restaurant is worth a sH๏τ. Although Durant is initially hesitant and tells Joe that he’s fully booked until January, he secretly sends one of his employees to the closing-down party. This decision seems out of character for the stern critic at first, but he was clearly won over by Joe’s emotional speech.

In the TV studio, Joe reminds Durant of why people go out for dinner in the first place: it’s not just about the food, but about the shared experience of eating alongside people you love and letting the food create a memory. Durant, as somebody whose life revolves around the food business, clearly values Joe’s honesty and decides to give him a sH๏τ. It doesn’t hurt that Joe tried to bribe him with bucket-loads of homemade desserts, but that isn’t why Durant did the review. Durant chose to support Joe, and luckily, he liked what Enoteca Maria had to offer.

What Olivia Signals To Joe In The Final Scene

Olivia Finally Realizes That It’s Time To Move On

The dynamic between Joe and Olivia takes a backseat for the majority of Nonnas, as Olivia is grieving the recent loss of her husband and Joe doesn’t want to intervene. However, after a helpful piece of advice from Antonella, he decides to restage their high school prom in an attempt to win her over. Joe is always careful not to step over the line, encouraging Olivia to make the first move whenever she’s ready.

This context is important to understanding why Joe finally kisses Olivia in the final scene of the movie – he’s not breaking their unspoken agreement, but rather responding to Olivia’s decision to move her wedding ring to the other hand, subtly conveying that she’s ready to move on from her previous marriage and give Joe another chance. It’s a small detail that’s very easy to miss, but the behind-the-scenes chemistry of the Nonnas cast makes all these minor interactions feel so much more real.

Why Joe Sees His Mother At The Closing Meal

Joe Remembers Why He’s Opening The Restaurant In The First Place

During what’s supposed to be the final night at Joe’s restaurant, the protagonist brings his new family out from the kitchen and encourages all his customers to clap for them. It’s a very touching moment that cements the film’s themes of found family and community, but it also houses one of Nonnas’ most surprising scenes; during this applause, Joe looks upon the grandmothers and sees a vision of his mother.

Although Joe’s mother isn’t really there, the fact that he thinks of her now proves that everything he’s done has been in her memory. He spends much of Nonnas worried that he’s not upholding his mother’s memory, or that she wouldn’t be proud of his decisions. This moment allows him to finally accept that she would have loved the restaurant and the friends he made along the way.

Why The Locals Avoid Joe’s Restaurant (And Why They Change Their Mind)

The Local Italians Don’t Want To See Their Culture Erased

Throughout Nonnas, one of the biggest problems that Joe faces is the lack of customers in his restaurant. He uses several inventive methods to try to attract clientele, such as handing out leaflets on the street and inviting his friends to be his first tasters, but nothing seems to work. Eventually, it becomes clear that the Italian population of Staten Island is boycotting his restaurant because they believe he’s using their culture as a gimmick to seem creative.

There’s also the fact that Joe’s new restaurant is in the same building as a popular Italian restaurant whose owner, a beloved member of the community, has recently pᴀssed away. This is why so many locals are hesitant to eat at Enoteca Maria, and it seriously damages Joe’s prospects for the majority of the film.

Ultimately, it’s Nonnas’ message of love and community that convinces the locals to give Joe’s restaurant a sH๏τ. They realize that he genuinely cares about this culture, not just because it reminds him of his mother, but also because of how pᴀssionately he feels about food being a gateway to sharing memories and remembering those we’ve lost throughout life. It’s a very powerful message that the Italians of Staten Island learn alongside the audience as the movie progresses, and it’s a huge reason why Nonnas is getting strong reviews.

Will Joe’s Restaurant Be A Success?

The Future For Enoteca Maria Is Uncertain

Although Nonnas ends without any real clarification on whether Joe’s restaurant will be successful or not, it’s not too hard to see that things are clearly looking up for the film’s protagonist. The review from Edward Durant has given his business the boost that it needed, and the locals have finally realized that his restaurant is more than a financial pursuit – it’s an expression of love for the community that reminds him of his late mother.

Throughout Nonnas, Joe is tasked with making people realize just how much this business means to him. By the time Durant’s review comes out, he’s made an impression on enough people to convince them to visit, and subsequently secure the restaurant’s future – despite the financial troubles that are undoubtedly around the corner. Vince Vaughn delivers one of his best performances in Nonnas, and it’s clear from his tenacity and heart that Joe isn’t going to let this dream slip again.

The Real Meaning Of Nonnas’ Ending

Nonnas Is A Story About Honoring Those We’ve Lost

Ultimately, Nonnas is a story about how love and friendship are cultivated in moments of shared experience, and cooking is a perfect way of achieving that. From the family recipes that are pᴀssed down generations, to the way these opinionated grandmothers overcome their conflicts in the kitchen and learn to share their cultures instead, the whole film is a mᴀssive celebration of the power of food. Nonnas’ ending really leans into this idea; Joe doesn’t manage to open his restaurant with money and ambition alone – but once he’s learned important lessons about family and culture, success comes his way.