The First Beautiful Thing

The First Beautiful Thing (La prima cosa bella) is a 2010 Italian comedy-drama directed by Paolo Virzì. The story opens in the summer of 1971 in Livorno, where the beautiful, lively and free-spirited Anna is unexpectedly crowned "most beautiful mother" at a seaside resort pageant, an event that upends the Michelucci household. Faced with her husband's jealousy and mistreatment, Anna leaves home with her two small children, Bruno and Valeria, determined to build a new life on her own. Her bold, turbulent journey marks her children's lives forever, especially that of her eldest son Bruno.

Spanning some four decades, the film follows the family against the backdrop of Italy's social changes from the 1970s onward. The cast features Micaela Ramazzotti, Valerio Mastandrea, Claudia Pandolfi and Stefania Sandrelli. The picture won three David di Donatello awards, including best screenplay, best actress and best actor, and was chosen as Italy's entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, though it was not nominated.