At a farmhouse, a large family cooks mountains of food for the next day's engagement party for Silvia and her city fiancé, Angelo. Her parents feud about infidelity; an aging salesman who rents a cottage from them arrives with a young French woman; in Bologna, Angelo's mother frets that her son is marrying beneath him; his sisters are less critical. Early the next morning, the four of them go by train to the farmhouse, joined by Angelo's married, unpregnant sister. The day-long dinner is riotous, couples display affection and impatience, children chase angels. Angelo's family stays the night, and his sister Linda has a visitor. A silver elephant makes the perfect gift.
Domenico
Silvia
Giulio, padre di Silvia
Maria
Angelo
Olimpia
Taddeo
Linda, zia di Angelo
Gina
Amelia, madre di Angelo
Baldo
Valeria
Antonia, sorella di Angelo
Lele
Paola
Loretta
Donatella
Agusto
Dolores
Don Luciano
Renata
Marco
Nando
Alberto
Elsa