It's a lament that is all too familiar these days: Where are movies about people? Where are movies that have heart instead of giving you heartburn?

While they are certainly few and far between, they do eventually come around for the patient moviegoer.

And the latest is "Big Night," a small, character-driven drama, albeit liberally laced with comedy, that was a popular choice at the Sundance Film Festival in January (and won the screenwriting award).

Set in the late 1950s, "Big Night" is a big-hearted story of sparring brothers who are trying to make a go of a meager Italian restaurant in a small New Jersey town.

The brothers are Primo (Tony Shalhoub, of TV's "Wings") and Secondo (Stanley Tucci, the chief villain last year on "Murder One"), and while they love each other, they don't see eye to eye on their pursuit of the American dream.

Secondo is the practical-minded (and somewhat deceitful) businessman, more than willing to compromise if it will bring customers into their failing establishment, which is optimistically named Paradise.

But chef Primo is an artist, unwilling to bend when it comes to the preparation of his authentic Italian cuisine. (The opening scene sets up the dilemma as a customer whines that her perfectly prepared risotto doesn't come with a side order of spaghetti and meatballs! Secondo wants to placate her, but Primo is outraged by the diner's "philistine" attitude.)

Sadly, their business is on the skids, and they face eviction if they don't do something soon.

That "something" arrives when the brothers' chief competitor, Pascal (Ian Holm) — whose gaudy, loud Italian restaurant down the street packs people in — tries to lure them over to his place. Primo will have none of that, however, complaining that Pascal's specializes in "the rape of cuisine."

So, Pascal offers a proposition to help save their restaurant: He will get his good friend Louis Prima (a popular Italian-American musician of the period) to drop by and have a meal. Naturally, he will then want to promote the Paradise.

To make sure Prima is impressed, the brothers put all their money into throwing one "big night," during which Primo will produce a magnificent meal for the bandleader and his entourage.

While this is being set up, subplots have Secondo cheating on his loyal girlfriend (Minnie Driver) with Pascal's mistress (Isabella Rossellini), and later enlisting a goofy Cadillac dealer (Campbell Scott) to help with the evening. Meanwhile, shy Primo tries to connect with the florist he loves from afar (Alison Janey). (Another enjoyable character is the restaurant's nearly silent chef's assistant, played by Marc Anthony.)

"Big Night" is obviously a labor of love for all concerned, conceived by veteran character actor Tucci and his cousin Joseph Tropiano and co-directed by Tucci and Scott (who is the son of George C. Scott and Colleen Dewhurst). And it's obvious they were working on a very low budget.

And yet, it's not all that obvious, as the look of the film has a polished sheen, and the lavish food sequences are photographed quite beautifully. In addition, the characters are rich, and many are played by familiar performers. (But everyone here is perfectly cast.)

By the way, don't eat before you see this — and have a nice Italian restaurant in mind for dinner afterward.

"Big Night" is rated R for considerable profanity from Holm's character (an unfortunate and unnecessary excess). There is also some mild violence and brief nudity (Tucci's tush).