The Great Pumpkin (Italian: Il grande cocomero) is a 1993 Italian drama film directed by Francesca Archibugi. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival, and selected as the Italian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 66th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee. The film focuses on Valentina, a young girl, sent to a psychiatric clinic.
A literal translation of the title would substitute "watermelon" for "pumpkin"; however, the phrase has pop culture cachet from being an intentional mistranslation of "The Great Pumpkin" from the comic strip, Peanuts.
Contents
Plot
Valentina, nicknamed Pippi, is the daughter of two rich spouses. After having had an attack of epilepsy she is admitted to the department of child neuropsychiatry. The doctor who takes care of her is Arturo, who is immediately convinced that the child has these attacks due to psychological and not psychiatric problems and her family is involved.
Cast
Sergio Castellitto as Arturo
Anna Galiena as Cinzia Diotallevi, Pippi's mother
Armando De Razza as Marcello Diotallevi, Pippi's father
Alessia Fugardi as Valentina 'Pippi' Diotallevi
Silvio Vannucci as Gianni
Alessandra Panelli as Fiorella
Victor Cavallo as Don Annibale
Laura Betti as Aida
Maria Consagra as a sick child's mother
Lidia Broccolino as Laura
Raffaele Vannoli
Giacomo Ciarrapico as Giacomo
Lara Pranzoni
Tiziana Bianchi
Andrea Di Giacomo
Marco Coda
Giuseppe Giordani
Gigi Reder as Prof. Turcati