One of the most beautiful movies of all time, Angelica Bucci’s “The Hard Way” is an incredible film and part of the Disney/Pixar Renaissance. The movie is about an Italian American girl who falls in love with an Italian American ballplayer, part played by Leonardo DiCaprio. However, in the real life of Angelica, her ethnic accent and her Nationality keep them apart. But as they get acquainted, she realizes that she wants to marry an Italian. Bucci fails in his business, while Angelica pursues a relationship with another man of the same ethnicity, an American named Joseph, played by Matt Damon.
In the movie, Bucci tries many things to win the affections of the woman of his dreams, Angelica, who is played by Audrey Hepburn. Respected and gorgeous, Angelica is the type of woman one would only dream of marrying, but in the end, Bucci has to decide if he can make a difference in her life or not. The film is full of love, heartache and ultimately, it is a story of what it takes to be an authentic Italian American.
Angelica Bucci and Joseph are two peas of an Italian pie, but because of their different nationalities and statuses, they cannot live together. Eventually, when Bucci learns that the woman he loves is actually an American, it is too late, before it is too late for him to save himself. This is one example of Italian American characters overcoming obstacles, learning to overcome their nationalities and finally making a marriage work, even though it was never in the cards to begin with.