La kryptonite nella borsa (2011)

In Naples in 1973, Peppino Sansone, a sensitive, awkward, bespectacled nine-year-old boy, lives in a rather eccentric, over-the-top family. His mother, Rosaria, has fallen into depression and withdrawn into an anguished silence after discovering her merchant husband’s infidelities. His father tries to distract his son from the family troubles by giving him three chicks to raise as pets, but they meet a bad end. Peppino’s young hippie aunt and uncle, Salvatore and Titina, also try to keep him occupied, taking him along to disco parties and feminist demonstrations. But Peppino’s greatest friend is his cousin Gennaro, an odd fellow who believes he is Superman. When Gennaro suddenly dies after being hit by a bus, Peppino brings him back to life in his imagination, as a superhero and mentor. Thanks to his “advice,” Peppino faces the ups and downs of everyday life and draws closer to the complicated world of adults. Among other things, certain details suggest that Gennaro’s death may have been caused by his unexpressed homosexuality, and, near the end of the film, he teaches the boy to be himself and value his own differences.