When I first saw this film many years ago I had no idea it was based on the true story of how Frank Pesce Jr. won the lottery, so it came as a bit of a surprise when I bought the DVD a couple of weeks ago and found out that it was. It's a lovely, funny, poignant film about the relationship between father(Aiello) and youngest offspring (LaPaglia). As a seasoned film actor Aiello puts in a solid performance. More interestingly LaPaglia who must have been approx 34 and hadn't yet made those many films up to this point is staggeringly good at portraying Frank Pesce from age 16 to mid twenties. This is definitely one of his classier performances. I particularly liked the running joke about the father's pizzas. Also of interest is that the real life Frank Pesce plays his own older brother!! All in all the film is a little miracle.

I just happened to catch this movie on cable last night and watched it all the way through (until 3AM) as it held my attention all the way. 29th street is entertaining and funny. Being Italian I could really relate as I saw many of my own family members portrayed quite accurately by the actors. Of course, Danny Aiello is the best as always and a joy to watch. He can knock on my door anytime! I wish we could see more movies starring this fine actor. The lottery ticket theme held this movie together quite nicely with a few twists and turns. We all share this dream...to win the lottery... which makes the viewer eager to see the outcome. I found myself wishing I were the one holding that ticket and living out that dream of being "the big winner". The love between the father and son created a beautiful ending to a charming movie.

Well here it is Christmas Day and I was just flipping through the channels. We don't have cable, so there wasn't much to choose from. I happened to stop on the end of a showing of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, and by chance I decided to see the next movie that was showing-29th STREET. This is a great movie, 10 out of 10. I have to say that first of all. I'm assuming this isn't the most well known of movies because it's not something I've ever heard of. I recommend it though. Despite some rough language (which was edited out of the tv viewing I got to see), it is a great family film. Did you like MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING? This film manages to capture that same ethnic family feeling, though in this film it is Italian, not Greek. The family, with Danny Aiello as the father, is charming in all it's quirkiness. I laughed a lot at the subtle humor that came out of the daily lives of the Pesce family.The acting in the film is terrific. The characters are well developed in the writing and the actors used this to the fullest in bringing them to life. I was amazed to see that Frank Pesce actually plays in the movie in a fairly large role as the brother Vito. He does a good job. Anthony LaPaglia is excellent too. You'd think he'd really grown up in NYC with that accent of his.If you happen to catch this on tv or see it at a movie rental place, don't pass it up. The story is simple-the world's luckiest man as he grows up. The ending runs high with emotion as you come to see the results of the decisions that this lucky man and his family makes. In the end though, it's a great holiday film, showing the true love that families have. It's great to see men (fathers) with lots of love and emotion for their families!Check this out :D

This is the story of the luckiest man alive. It's as interesting as it sounds. An undiscovered gem, with great acting and great actors, namely Danny Aiello and Anthony LaPaglia.Do yourself a favor and watch this movie. You won't regret it.10/10