Gianni is a middle-aged man living in Rome with his imposing and demanding elderly mother. His only outlet from her and the increasing debt into which they are sinking are his increasingly frequent escapes to the local tavern. On the eve of the mid-summer Italian holiday of Ferragosto, Gianni is approached by a building manager and blackmailed into looking after his mother and aunt for two nights in exchange for forgiving certain debts. Soon after, Gianni's doctor friend asks if he to can leave his mother. Together with his own mum Gianni would seem to be well and truly sunk, but instead this traumatic time provides an opportunity for the down trodden man to escape his shackles. 'Mid August Lunch' is a sweet, wry comedy drama, in turns witty, gentle and touching.