Luca has to be one of the hallmarks of the film industry in 2021. It is no surprise that the computer-animated fantasy was the most-watched streaming movie at the time, with more than 100 billion minutes of watch time.
One thing that stands out in the feature film is that we never get to see Alberto’s family, despite his claims of having a laid-back dad who lets him do whatever he wants.
Given the emotional ending, it is natural to wonder just what happened to Alberto’s dad in Luca?
Well, the answer might surprise you. Read on for details on the whereabouts of Alberto’s dad.
What Is The Meaning Behind the Movie Luca?
Luca Paguro (Jacob Tremblay) is a curious, titular sea monster wanting to explore land despite his parents’ warnings. When he finally meets Alberto Scorfano, a fellow know-it-all sea monster, Luca gets the ultimate chance to visit the land he has coveted for so long.
When the sea monsters leave their watery natural habitat and come to explore the land, they turn into human forms. Alberto claims to spend a large part of his time on the surface; he tells Luca that he has mastered the human race and is eager to teach Luca what he knows.
Luca’s parents are upset about him creeping to the surface and threaten him, saying they will send him to live in the deep sea with his weird Uncle Ugo. It is then that Luca makes the difficult choice to run away with Alberto to the coastal town of Portorosso.
While in Portorosso, Alberto and Luca come across a beautiful girl called Giulia Marcovaldo (Emma Berman). Luca and Guilia’s bond grows strong, leaving Alberto feeling jealous. Alberto had become fond of Luca, and the two boys had even made plans to buy a Vespa and travel anywhere they wanted.
Upon befriending Giulia, Luca Paguro and Alberto Scorfano entered a competition, the Portorosso Cup, with the goal of using the prize money to get themselves a Vespa. In one incident, they crashed a bike over a cliff, and Alberto plunged into the sea. Alberto’s interaction with the water revealed to Guilia that he is a sea monster form.
Even after Giulia Marcovaldo finds out about Alberto’s true identity, Luca doesn’t reveal his own identity and keeps up the facade that he is a human and not a monster boy. This annoys Alberto and intensifies his jealousy, causing him to run away from Portorosso to his little island, where he lives alone.
Luca finds Alberto to apologize to him but discovers his friend is not the fearless boy he used to be. Still, even though Alberto exaggerated his knowledge of the world, Luca looked to him as a brave pal.
The first half of the movie, Luca, conveys powerful themes of friendship, belonging, jealousy, and reconciliation.
What Happened to Alberto’s Dad?
When Luca went looking for Alberto Scorfano, he found that his friend had torn down a poster of the two of them on a Vespa. This revealed a huge cache of tally marks, which surprised Luca.
In their early days of meeting, Luca had asked Alberto about his family. Alberto explained that his dad (whose name we’d later know is Bruno Scorfano) was laid-back and allowed him to do whatever he wanted. This fascinated Luca, given that his parents were extremely strict. He was jealous of Alberto’s carefree life, which entailed spending time out in the sun and extensive experience traveling to wherever he wanted.
But, as the film progresses, the truth about Alberto Scorfano’s family becomes complicated. The large cache of tally marks indicates what happened to Alberto’s dad.
Alberto had told Luca a made-up story about how he and his father spent much of their time on the land. For years, they had been doing human things that sea monsters don’t get a chance to do, such as falling, walking, climbing trees, and watching the night sky.
All this excited Luca, and the two boys made plans to get a Vespa and travel the world together. Luca was so fascinated by Alberto Scorfano’s story that he ran away, leaving his parents behind.
Upon seeing the tally marks, Luca persistently asks his fellow sea monster friend about this. Although reluctant to reveal the truth, Alberto finally tells Luca what really happened to his dad.
Alberto explained that he used the tally marks to keep track of the days his dad had been gone. His father abandoned him, claiming that Alberto was old enough to care for himself, and he knew he would likely never return.
This explains why Alberto quickly formed a strong bond with Luca. Despite making himself look brave and independent, Alberto needed a friend and a place to belong. He felt lonely and abandoned and blamed himself for his dad leaving him.
When Alberto crashed his bike at Portorosso, this incident made him feel worse about himself. Somehow, the crash and eventual revelation of his true identity as a sea monster seemed to (mistakenly) confirm that he ruins everything everywhere he goes.
His father’s rejection of him causes Alberto to feel extremely jealous when Luca starts to gravitate toward Giulia Marcovaldo. This made him feel abandoned a second time, which was extremely traumatic. Alberto even insists on wallowing after Luca apologizes and tries to make amends.
Is Massimo Alberto’s Dad?
Massimo is not Alberto’s dad, but as revealed in the film, he would later become a surrogate father figure in his life.
Through Alberto & Luca’s friendship with Giulia Marcovaldo, they meet Guilia’s friendly and gregarious dad, Massimo (Marco Barricelli). Massimo grows fond of the boys and eventually allows Alberto to live with him permanently.
Through the kind-hearted Massimo, Alberto finds a caring father figure who lets him enjoy the childhood he never had.
When he accepts Luca’s apologies, Alberto returns from his little island and helps his two best friends win the Portorosso Cup. He also did a good job of ending people’s fear of sea monsters.
In a show of true friendship, Alberto Scorfano gives up his Vespa, allowing Luca and Guilia to go to school. In return, he gets to live with Massimo and finally receives the belonging, affirmation, acceptance, and friendship he has always wanted since parting ways with his estranged father.
Alberto, Massimo, and Giulia Marcovaldo also become friends with the Paguro family. The Paguros show off their monster identity, visit the surface, and hang out with the humans on the dry land. Sometimes, Massimo and Alberto visit the Paguros in the deep sea. They all become one big, loving family, and the hatred between humans and sea monsters in Portorosso disappears.
