What was the Deal with the Groom's Father?
I have a feeling this is something that Altman intended to kind of leave in question, but what was the deal with the Groom's father at the end? What was his secret?
shareLuigi's secret was revealed in bits and pieces throughout the film. Although everyone assumed that he was connected with the Mafia, it turns out that he was just a busboy in a restaurant in Rome when he met Regina. This is why he looks slightly troubled when Snooks asks him if he was in the restaurant business back in Italy. It seems that Regina and Luigi fell for each other and that Nettie paid Luigi's way to America and allowed him to marry her daughter provided that none of Luigi's family ever come to live with them. I can only assume that this was because she thought that Luigi's family would live off her money.
He leaves with his brother at the end of the film because he is disgusted with the people who are now his family: his wife is a zonked-out junkie and no one seems concerned about the two who died in the car crash. Now that he has taken care of Regina and his son is married, he feels no need to remain.
Wow, what an explanation! Thanks!
Thnaks...I too was left wondering what the secret was....this clears it up!
shareI thought that Regina was pregnant and had to marry someone, and Nettie is the one that found Luigi. I love this film!
... I admire a person that's willing to do whatever is necessary.
I assumed Luigi was the father of the twins. He said he romanced her at the restaurant. Then at some point Regina babbles that the babies came first before their marriage, and then she corrects herself. Maybe she was becoming confused between what really happened and what her mother wanted the cover story to be
From the dialogue, it seems like high society never really accepted Luigi, so I'm assuming that Regina's mother would have agreed to their marriage only if it was a face-saving necessity. That's why she struck her "bargain".
I got the impression that Luigi married Regina because she loved him and wanted him. The arrangement was that if he married her, no family would visit and it was all done when the mother in-law died.
The restaurant basement, implied to me that he agreed in hopes of opening his own place once he was done. A bit of Italy in his private moments.
DjNanci70
Perfect, just what I was looking for!
shareThat seems about right, except I think he was a waiter and not a busboy, judging from the gesture towards Lilian Gish in the end.
shareHe claims the grotto is replica of his restaurant, and he does hold the linen over his arm, so I'd agree that he was a waiter.
Why ain't you at the garden party you heathen?
The actor was Wonderful! So many good performances but I truly thought he stole the show in the final scenes.
shareBut when Luigi says to his wife "...because that was a very strange thing to do," it seems to be be one more secret never explained by any of the above explanations, or by anything in the movie at all.