Toni is a refined art director from downtown Rome.

Both men have spent decades living heterosexual lives, raising families within specific social expectations.

The film questions whether personal happiness (the "delight" or delizia ) can ever fully exist without the "cross" ( croce ) of familial responsibility and social judgment. Croce e delizia (2019) - Pop Culture Pundit - WordPress.com

A major theme in the film is the collision of two disparate Italian social worlds. This juxtaposition provides a commentary on how class shapes one's worldview and capacity for acceptance:

Carlo leads a traditional fishing family from the coastal town of Nettuno.

The "ordinary summer" becomes an extraordinary period of friction and eventual adaptation.