sentences:  The opening credits of the film, in fact, paid tribute to the author with the words "a film by Pietro Germi" which is followed only later by "directed by Mario Monicelli".The film, which made it to number one on the Italian box-office in front of Steven Spielberg's "Jaws", was followed by two sequels, "Amici miei Atto II" (1982, also by Monicelli), "Amici miei Atto III" (1985), directed by Nanni Loy.Like in many other Monicelli movies, the main theme of "Amici miei" is friendship, seen from a rather bitter point of view.