Household Saints (1993)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

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:

Italian American | Catholic | Saint | Stillborn Child | Fatima

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:

Featured in Hollywood vs. Religion (1994) (V)

Soundtrack:

Tantum Ergo

A Nice Surprise

I first saw this movie in a small "art theater" with a friend. I found it deeper than expected, funnier than expected and an all around enjoyable movie.

It was a nice surprise to find a small film that spoke so largely about life and what it (life) means to us individually. One need not be catholic or Christian, Italian or ethnic to appreciate the layers of understanding and perspective that the characters birth on-screen.

For myself, and my friend, it opened a dialog. We related to the characters in different ways. As we shared what we experienced, we learned that we wanted to see the film again. I wanted to see what she had seen, and she wanted to see what I had seen. We did agree on one thing: We both found the film to be a jewel.