Italianamerican (1974)

Filmmaker Martin Scorsese interviews his mother and father about their life in New York and the family history back in Sicily. These are two people who have lived together for a long time ... See full summary »

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writers:

Lawrence D. Cohen, Mardik Martin

Stars:

Catherine Scorsese, Charles Scorsese, Martin Scorsese

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Catherine Scorsese	...	Herself
Charles Scorsese	...	Himself

Storyline

Filmmaker Martin Scorsese interviews his mother and father about their life in New York and the family history back in Sicily. These are two people who have lived together for a long time and know each other very well. They have retained individual identities and differing opinions, yet have found a way to live with each other. Both Catherine and Charles Scorsese are fascinating storytellers. There idiosyncrasies are endearing. As they talk, mom makes meatballs and we get the recipe as part of the end credits.

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Plot Keywords:

interview | family history | family relationships | new york city | ethnic identity | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

October 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

Italoamericani

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

National Communications Foundation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

49 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Crazy Credits

The Sauce: Singe an onion & a pinch of garlic in oil. Throw in a piece of veal, a piece of beef, some pork sausage & a lamb neck bone. Add a basil leaf. When the meat is brown, take it out, & put it on a plate. Put in a can of tomato paste & some water. Pass a can of packed whole tomatoes through a blender & pour it in. Let it boil. Add salt, pepper, & a pinch of sugar. Let it cook for awhile. Throw the meat back in. Cook for 1 hour. Now make the meatballs. Put a slice of bread without crust, 2 eggs, & a drop of milk, into a bowl of ground veal & beef. Add salt, pepper, some cheese & a few spoons of sauce. Mix it with your hands. Roll them up, throw them in. Let it cook for another hour.

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Connections

Referenced in Mardik: Baghdad to Hollywood (2008)

User Reviews

Fun Doc

Italianamerican (1974)

*** (out of 4)

Martin Scorsese short has him and a film crew talking with his parents about their history in America. The premise of this thing doesn't sound too interesting but Scorsese's parents are great storytellers and that keeps this 50-minute film moving quite well. Scorsese's father is very funny in his storytelling and his beliefs and without question he's the highlight.

Turner Classic Movies shows this every once in a while but you can also find it on a R2 disc but I'm not sure if that's official or not.