Johnny Stecchino

Johnny Stecchino

Film cover
Directed by Roberto Benigni
Produced by Mario Cecchi Gori,
Vittorio Cecchi Gori
Written by Roberto Benigni,
Vincenzo Cerami
Starring Roberto Benigni,
Nicoletta Braschi
Music by Evan Lurie
Cinematography Giuseppe Lanci
Release dates
 Italy 24 October 1991
Canada 14 September 1992
United States 9 October 1992
Running time
 122 minutes
Country Italy
Language Italian

Johnny Stecchino (Johnny Toothpick) is a 1991 Italian comedy film directed by and starring Roberto Benigni. It tells the story of Dante, a not-so-bright school bus driver whose Sicilian vacation traps him in the middle of a Mafia plot involving a notorious mob informant, the titular Johnny Stecchino. The film also stars Nicoletta Braschi and Paolo Bonacelli.

Plot

Dante (Roberto Benigni) is a hapless man who drives a school bus for a special school, while earning money through engaging in insurance fraud by claiming an accident gave him an involuntary spasm. Although far from perfect, Dante does respect the children in the special school, and is friends with Lilo, one student whom he allows to use his apartment while he is away. One night, he accidentally meets Maria (Nicoletta Braschi), an attractive and wealthy woman from Palermo, Sicily with whom he immediately falls in love. Soon Dante is lured by Maria into unwittingly impersonating famous mobster Johnny Stecchino, Maria's husband, with whom he shares an uncanny resemblance. Meanwhile, the real Stecchino (also played by Benigni) is forced to hide in his home after having testified against several of the local Mafia leaders. Maria's plan is to have Dante mistaken for Johnny, publicly murdered by the Mafia, and buried in place of her husband, after which they can both escape to Argentina. However, Dante causes a turn of events both through mistaken identity and corrupt government officials endorsing his actions, as they believe he is Johnny. Meanwhile, Maria starts to doubt her plot, particularly when she sees Dante is nothing like Johnny, and when she is jeered at an opera and Dante shouts down all the hecklers to respect her. She also disagrees with Johnny's reason for turning state's evidence; he killed Cozzamara (the local don)'s wife in a drunk driving accident and is looking to escape the don's wrath, not out of repentance for his criminal career. On the day of the planned hit, Maria sends Dante to a barber shop owned by Cozzamara. Cozzamara's men see something is not right when they notice there is no facial mole, and when they ask "Johnny" about his mother, Dante replies "She is OK" (the real Johnny gets emotional about that; respecting his late mother more than his wife). The real Johnny, who is in the men's room of a nearby café, is poised for death and reluctantly accepts his doom, seeing it as a chance to end his miserable life. Meanwhile, the other mobsters are laughing uproariously at Dante's jokes and proceed to sing a song that had earlier been sung by the kids on Dante's school bus. The film ends with Maria returning Dante to his apartment, now referring to his proper name of Dante, and starting a relationship. Dante tells Lilo of his time in Palermo, considering the experience as wacky customs of the locals.

Cast

External links