Other reasons compelling him to stay are a lack of success in his New York business, and his cousin, Greg, being expected to inherit the family's apple orchard.

Interspersed throughout the film, black and white flashbacks show the Tredici curse which supposedly affects the family, causing misfortune to befall them.

[1] Dave Kehr of The New York Times gave the film a positive review, stating, "At its best, A Piece of Eden finds a delicate balance between urban and rural values, progress and tradition, between experience and innocence".

[4] Roger Ebert gave the film 1 1/2 stars and wrote, "A Piece of Eden is a good-hearted film with many virtues, although riveting entertainment value is not one of them", concluding with "the story line runs out of steam about four-fifths of the way through, and the closing scenes lack dramatic interest, dissolving in a haze of landscapes and blue skies and happily-ever-after music".

[1] Marc Savlov of The Austin Chronicle gave the film 2 stars and said, "The homilies being taught here are so broad in their scope, and so obvious, that they come less as surprises than simple speed bumps on the road to “The End".