Household Saints (1993)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Nancy Savoca

Writers:

Francine Prose (novel)
Richard Guay (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

15 September 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Unsettling drama about three generations of Italian-American women struggling to get by in post-World War II New York's Little Italy.

Plot Keywords:

Catholic | Italian American | Saint | Arranged Marriage | Pinochle Game

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Tracey Ullman	...	Catherine Falconetti
Vincent D'Onofrio	...	Joseph Santangelo
Lili Taylor	...	Teresa Carmela Santangelo
Judith Malina	...	Carmela Santangelo
Michael Rispoli	...	Nicky Falconetti
Victor Argo	...	Lino Falconetti
Michael Imperioli	...	Leonard Villanova
Rachael Bella	...	Young Teresa Santangelo
Illeana Douglas	...	Evelyn Santangelo
Joe Grifasi	...	Frank Manzone
Dale Carman	...	Father Matthias
John Di Benedetto	...	Augie Santangelo (as John Dibenedetto)
Marie DeCicco	...	Rita (as Marie Decicco)
Nancy Marie	...	Cindy Zagarella
Sam Josepher	...	Lorraine

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:14A (Ontario) | USA:R

Company:

Jones Entertainment

Quotes:

Teresa Carmela Santangelo: My whole life, I used to wonder, what would I do if I really had a vision? How would I act if I actually saw God's face? Would I fall on the floor and start foaming at the mouth like St. Paul? It worried me, it could happen anywhere. What if I was on the subway and started bleeding from my ankles and wrists? If Jesus came, would I have the sense to look for a soft place to fall?
Teresa Carmela Santangelo: But this is what it's like. You don't faint dead away. You don't worry about stigmata dripping blood on the carpet. You just feel nervous and shy. A little embarrassed.

Movie Connections:

References "Perry Mason" (1957)

Soundtrack:

Omnes Gentes

Lost Treasure

I fell upon this movie while searching for D'Onofrio's work. I quickly realized that this "little known" film is a gem of a movie. D'Onofrio, Ullman, Taylor and Malina all deliver a brilliant performance by making the characters alive and believable. It is the kind of move that draws you into their living room, making you part of the scene. You feel their joy and pain as the stories told.

It doesn't matter if your Greek, Jewish, Irish, or Italian, you begin to see your own families heritage and culture unfold. As a second generation Italian-American Catholic, it brought back a flood of memories of tradition, grandparents, family gatherings, superstition, and the struggle to assimilate in America.

Household Saints didn't get its share of publicity and the actors/actress didn't get the recognition they deserved for their brilliant performances.