Tonight at Alice's (1990) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

Two friends lose their families and work while competing for Alice, whose own tragedy ultimately ends their entanglement.

Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases

A Friendship Under Strain

Saverio and Filippo manage a religious travel agency together. Filippo's affair with Alice is exposed, and Saverio persuades him to return to his family.

Key Events

• Agency Partnership — Saverio and Filippo jointly manage the religious travel agency owned by their wives. Characters: Saverio, Filippo Location: Religious travel agency in Rome
• Filippo's Affair Revealed — Filippo's wife discovers his affair with Alice. Characters: Filippo, Alice Location: Filippo's household
• Expelled From Home — Filippo is kicked out of his household after the affair is exposed. Characters: Filippo Location: Filippo's household
• Saverio Intervenes — Saverio persuades Filippo to abandon Alice and return to his family duties. Characters: Saverio, Filippo Location: Rome
• Saverio Meets Alice — After meeting Alice, Saverio falls deeply in love with her. Characters: Saverio, Alice Location: Rome

The Second Secret

Saverio meets Alice and falls in love with her. He begins a secret relationship while neglecting his family responsibilities and Filippo's trust.

Key Events

• Saverio Meets Alice — After meeting Alice, Saverio falls deeply in love with her. Characters: Saverio, Alice Location: Rome
• Secret Double Life — Saverio secretly continues seeing Alice behind his family and Filippo's back. Characters: Saverio, Alice Location: Rome
• Adopted Child Arrives — Saverio ignores his freshly adopted grown-up child arriving from a war zone. Characters: Saverio Location: Rome
• Filippo Misses Alice — Filippo continues to miss Alice after returning to his family. Characters: Filippo, Alice Location: Rome

Rivals For Alice

Filippo discovers Saverio's betrayal, and their friendship collapses into a public quarrel. They nevertheless agree to alternate their attempts to court Alice.

Key Events

• Betrayal Discovered — Filippo discovers Saverio's secret betrayal involving Alice. Characters: Saverio, Filippo, Alice Location: Rome
• Public Quarrel — The two men engage in a public quarrel over their betrayal and rivalry. Characters: Saverio, Filippo Location: A public place in Rome
• Courtship Rotation — Saverio and Filippo agree to take turns courting and trying to sleep with Alice. Characters: Saverio, Filippo, Alice Location: Rome
• Alice Exposes The Plan — Alice discovers the men's arrangement and offers a threesome. Characters: Saverio, Filippo, Alice Location: Alice's home

Mutual Ruin

Alice exposes the men's arrangement, while Filippo denounces Saverio and then himself. Both men lose their domestic position and their jobs.

Key Events

• The Offer Fails — Saverio and Filippo are unable to accept Alice's proposed threesome. Characters: Saverio, Filippo, Alice Location: Alice's home
• Saverio Denounced — Filippo denounces Saverio to Saverio's wife, causing Saverio to be thrown out. Characters: Saverio, Filippo Location: Saverio's household
• Filippo Denounces Himself — Filippo denounces himself so Saverio cannot pursue Alice without competition. Characters: Saverio, Filippo Location: Rome
• Jobs Lost — Saverio and Filippo are fired from their shared professional work. Characters: Saverio, Filippo Location: Religious travel agency in Rome

Alice Leaves Rome

Alice struggles with her sister's condition and her failed acting prospects before the sister's suicide. Alice disappears, leaving a recorded claim about an acting role abroad.

Key Events

• Alice's Struggle — Alice struggles to support her catatonic sister and find serious acting work. Characters: Alice Location: Alice's home and Rome
• Sister's Suicide — Alice's catatonic sister commits suicide, prompting Alice to leave everything behind. Characters: Alice Location: Alice's home
• Recorded Farewell — Alice vanishes and leaves a recording claiming she received a major acting role abroad. Characters: Alice, Saverio, Filippo Location: Alice's home
• Return To Normality — The two men consider returning to family life while preserving Alice's home in case she returns. Characters: Saverio, Filippo Location: Rome and Alice's home

Story Breakdown

• Agency Partnership — Saverio and Filippo begin as friends sharing responsibility for a religious travel agency.
  • Shared Management — The two men manage the agency together in Rome.
  • Domestic Foundations — The agency is owned by their wives, linking work and family life.
• Filippo's Exposure — Filippo's affair with Alice becomes known and destroys his immediate domestic stability.
  • Affair Revealed — Filippo's wife discovers his relationship with Alice.
  • Household Expulsion — Filippo is kicked out of his household.
• Saverio's Betrayal — Saverio first advises Filippo, then secretly repeats the same romantic betrayal with Alice.
  • Failed Reform — Saverio persuades Filippo to abandon Alice and return home.
  • Hidden Romance — Saverio falls for Alice and continues seeing her secretly.
• Male Rivalry — The friends become rivals after Filippo learns that Saverio has been pursuing Alice.
  • Public Quarrel — Their discovery of the double betrayal leads to a public fight.
  • Rotating Courtship — They agree to take turns courting and trying to sleep with Alice.
• Alice's Rejection — Alice discovers the men's competitive arrangement and refuses to remain controlled by it.
  • Threesome Proposal — Alice offers a threesome after learning about their plan.
  • Plan Collapses — The two men are unable to accept the proposed arrangement.
• Mutual Consequences — Filippo's retaliation and self-exposure cause both men to lose domestic and professional security.
  • Saverio Denounced — Filippo denounces Saverio to Saverio's wife, who throws him out.
  • Jobs Lost — Both men are fired from their shared agency work.
• Alice's Tragedy — Alice's responsibilities and failed career hopes culminate in her sister's suicide.
  • Acting Struggle — Alice searches for serious acting work while supporting her catatonic sister.
  • Sister's Suicide — The sister's suicide drives Alice to abandon her life in Rome.
• Vanishing And Return — Alice disappears after leaving a recording, while Saverio and Filippo cautiously consider normal family life.
  • Recorded Message — Alice claims she has received a major soap-opera role abroad.
  • Preserved Home — The men keep Alice's home as she left it in case she returns.

Directed by

Carlo Verdone

Key Cast

• Carlo Verdone — Saverio
• Ornella Muti — Alice
• Sergio Castellitto — Filippo
• Yvonne Sciò — Valentina
• Beatrice Palme — Caterina