Come diventare grandi nonostante i genitori

## How to Grow Up Despite Your Parents

Dubbed in English, European Spanish, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, German, French, Romanian, Bulgarian, Polish, Hungarian, Czech and Greek

## Production

### Production Company

The Walt Disney Company Italy
3Zero2

### Distribuited by

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Italy

### Picture Format

1080p (digital platforms)
576p (DVD)

### Audio Format

Stereo 2.0
Surround 5.1

### Original Release

November 24, 2016 (cinema)
March 15, 2017 (DVD and digital platforms)

***Come diventare grandi nonostante i genitori*** (*How to Grow Up Despite Your Parents*) is a Disney movie related to Alex & Co.

It premiered on November 24, 2016 in Italian cinemas. It premiered in the United States at the Los Angeles Italia Film Festival on February 21, 2017. The movie was released on DVD and digital platforms (such as iTunes) on March 15, 2017 in Italy. The DVD has Italian audio and English subtitles.

In the United Kingdom, the film was shown on March 5, 2018 on Disney Channel.

## Plot

More often than not, parents are in open contrast with their children’s teachers: They always question their judgment and see conspiracies everywhere, failing to realize that by doing so they severely impair the growth of their kids. The parents always say “We know our child better than everyone, and we know exactly what he has to learn”. That’s exactly what happens to the young cast of “*How to Grow Up Despite Your Parents*”. When the new high school principal, who doesn’t approve recreational activities, decides not to allow the participation of her students to the national battle of the bands, boys and girls suffer a mortal blow: They live to make music. But when the parents start to protest the decision, the principal decides to double the daily homework. After the first bad grades, the parents decide to stop the protest and submit to the principal’s decision. However, fueled by their pride, the kids sign up for the battle of the bands despite their parents’ decision. Facing impossible odds, boys and girls will learn to grow up in surprising ways.

## Summary

The decision of the principal not to join the national school competition for music groups will be a fatal blow for the boys because of their unbridled passion for music. Initially the parents take up the defense of their children, but then the principal will decide to double their homework. Against parents and the principal, the boys decide to enroll in the music competition. The challenge seems impossible but instead it will take the kids to grow up in a surprising way between all kinds of obstacles to overcome.

## Cast and Characters

### Main characters

* Leonardo Cecchi as Alex Leoni
* Eleonora Gaggero as Nicole De Ponte
* Saul Nanni as Christian Alessi
* Federico Russo as Sam Costa
* Beatrice Vendramin as Emma Ferrari
* Emanuele Misuraca as Davide Aiello
* Chiara Primavesi as Evelyn Riley

### Other characters

* Margherita Buy as Silvia Rufini
* Giovanna Mezzogiorno as Mary
* Matthew Modine as Bob Riley
* Roberto Citran as Augusto Ferrari
* Sergio Albelli as Diego Leoni
* Elena Lietti as Elena Leoni
* Paolo Pierobon as Rick De Ponte
* Sara D'Amario as Sara De Ponte
* Francesca De Martini as Monica Alessi
* Ninni Bruschetta as Igor Alessi
* Gabriella Franchini as Wilma, Sam's Grandmother
* Giovanni Calcagno as Giovanni Aiello, Davide's father
* Aglaia Mora as Paola, Davide's mother
* Paolo Calabresi as Michele
* Toby Sebastian as Pat Riley
* Federico Russo as the DJ and host

### Supporting characters

* Nicola Stravalaci as Professor Strozzi (credited as philosophy teacher)
* Michele Cesari as Giovanni Belli (credited as music teacher)
* Alessandro Benzi, Matteo Filippo Galvani, Guglielmo Lami and Gianluca Marangon as Mad&Bros (written in the movie as Mad&Bross)
* Other minor characters

## Songs

* The Strawberry Place (new)
* I Can See the Stars (new)
* The Clearest Day of Spring (new, unreleased)
* *Weekend Syndrome*, *Cinicittà* and *Word World* (by Mad&Bros)
* *Follow The Sun* (by Xavier Rudd)

Series songs:

* All the While (*a cappella* version by Nicole)
* Welcome to Your Show (arranged version)
* Music Speaks
* We Are One
* Truth or Dare

## Production

On December 2, 2015, Disney Channel Italy announced they were preparing a movie based on the series, planned for September 2016. On March 31, 2016 it was announced the release date of the movie, November 24, 2016. On October 21, 2016 title and cast were revealed.

The movie includes the main cast of Alex & Co. but it also features famous actors such as Matthew Modine, Margherita Buy and Giovanna Mezzogiorno.

Four days before the movie release, a 22-minute promotional "behind the scenes" was broadcast on Disney Channel Italy. It is included in the DVD extras and available on YouTube (in Italian).

## Trivia

* This movie continues the events of Alex & Co since the end of season 2, when Nicole left Alex. However, Sam's girlfriend is not Rebecca, who does not exist in this universe.
* This movie can be placed in a parallel universe compared to the Alex & Co. one, because the characters have common points, but they have different love stories and some of the parents who appeared in seasons 1 and 2 are portrayed by different actors.
* Filming for the movie began on July 8, 2016 and finished in late September 2016.
* The movie was shot after Season 3 Part 1 and premiered in that same order in most countries. The only exceptions are France, Greece, Middle East, South Africa and Benelux, where it was shown after ending the whole Season 3, and Germany, Latin America, Brazil and the UK, where it aired just after Season 2.
* The original italian title *Come diventare grandi nonostante i genitori* has a double meaning. "Diventare Grandi" means in fact, both "To Grow Up" and "To Become Great".
* For timing reasons, all songs have been really shortened in comparison with full versions.
* Unlike the series, songs didn't have subtitles originally. Despite that, in Germany, France and French Belgium, Latin America and Brazil subtitles were added.
* The *Mad&Bros* band exists in real life.
	+ Inside the movie they are named *Mad&Bross*.
	+ Their songs contain explicit lyrics that were changed for the movie to be suitable for all audiences.
	+ Their songs are the only ones fully sung in Italian in all the Alex & Co. world.
* Gennaro Nunziante, the screenwriter of the movie, made a brief appearance as the priest of the church where Davide plays the piano.
* The movie premiered in the United States at the Los Angeles Italia Film Festival 2017, presented by Eleonora Gaggero and her sister. It was also shown the next year, introduced by Leonardo Cecchi. On both occasions, it was shown in Italian with English subtitles.
* In this alternative universe, Nicole wrote All the While.
* In this alternative universe, Sam dates Evelyn.
* Song from the series are played in the background or are used such as: Truth or dare, Welcome to your show, We are one, All the While and Music Speaks.
* There are new songs featured in the movie and that only exist in the movie universe which are I can see the stars and Strawberry Place.

## Goofs

* Just before showing the video of Welcome to Your Show, we can see the DJ's screen. On the right, there is a video called I Can See the Stars, but at that moment the song hadn't been recorded by Alex & Co. yet.

## Quotes

**Alex:** The music room is our right!
**Silvia Rufini:** Only the great people understand the importance of certain words.
**Rick De Ponte:** Where did I go wrong? Where?
**Bob Riley:** It's so for the songs, just get in a listening position with the world and hear that the wind carries the notes and the words you need to live.
**Emma:** You're too kind, dad.
**Christian:** Forgive me.

**Emma:** Forgive me too.
**Emma:** I love you.

**Christian:** Me too!
**Davide Aiello:** A girl takes away so much time. How can I study piano then?
**Christian:** I want to play music because that's what makes me happy.
**Mary:** Evelyn talked to me a lot about Sam for so long, she is in love!

## Links

* Official website (archived version)
* Official Facebook page
* Trailer and teasers (in Italian with English and Spanish subtitles)
* Movie promos (in Italian with English and Spanish subtitles)

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Los Angeles Italia Film Festival invitation
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Post on the movie's official Facebook page about the digital release
3. ↑ First TV airing of the movie on Sky Cinema
4. ↑ Alex & Co. movie on Netflix
5. ↑ Alex & Friends movie
6. ↑ Title screen in Spain
7. ↑ Post on the movie's official Facebook page about the movie being shown on Canada
8. ↑ Page of the movie on the Film Festival website
9. ↑ Romanian Trailer
10. ↑ Bulgarian Trailer
11. ↑ Disney Channel Poland July 22, 2017 Schedule
12. ↑ Polish Trailer
13. ↑ Disney Channel Hungary July 2017 Schedule
14. ↑ Hungarian Trailer
15. ↑ Disney Channel Czech Republic July 2017 Schedule
16. ↑ Czech Trailer
17. ↑ Alex & Co. – Der Film
18. ↑ Title screen in German
19. ↑ French Trailer
20. ↑ Title screen in French
21. ↑ Disney Channel Greece January premieres
22. ↑ English Trailer for Middle East and South Africa
23. ↑ Latin American Trailer
24. ↑ Brazilian Trailer
25. ↑ Belgian Dutch Trailer
26. ↑ Belgian French Trailer
27. ↑ The Italian actress Eleonora Gaggero presented "How to Grow up Despite Your Parents" at Los Angeles
28. ↑ L.A. Italia 2018 - Program