A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006)

The movie is a coming-of-age drama about a boy growing up in Astoria, New York during the 1980s. As his friends end up dead, on drugs, or in prison. He comes to believe he has been saved from their fates by various so-called saints.

Director:

Dito Montiel

Writers:

Dito Montiel (book), Dito Montiel

Stars:

Robert Downey Jr., Rosario Dawson, Shia LaBeouf

7 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dianne Wiest	...	Flori
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Dito
Shia LaBeouf	...	Young Dito
Melonie Diaz	...	Young Laurie
Laila Liliana Garro	...	Diane (as Julia Garro)
Eleonore Hendricks	...	Jenny
Adam Scarimbolo	...	Guiseppe
Peter Anthony Tambakis	...	Young Nerf (as Peter Tambakis)
Channing Tatum	...	Young Antonio
Anthony Tirado	...	Street Corner Puerto Rican (credit only)
Erick Rosado	...	Puerto Rican Van Driver
Steve Payne	...	Beach Chair Guy (as Steven Payne)
Chazz Palminteri	...	Monty
Tibor Feldman	...	Teacher
Martin Compston	...	Mike O'Shea

Storyline

Dito, a writer in L.A., goes home to Astoria, Queens, after a 15-year absence when his mother calls to say his father's ill. In a series of flashbacks we see the young Dito, his parents, his four closest friends, and his girl Laurie, as each tries to navigate family, race, loyalty, sex, coming of age, violence, and wanting out. A ball falls onto the subway tracks at a station, small things get out of hand. Can Dito go home again?

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Plot Keywords:

friend | coming of age | subway track | astoria queens | subway | 

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Taglines:

Queens, New York, 1986. Sometimes the only way forward, is back.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive language, some violence, sexuality, and drug use

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

13 October 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tus santos y tus demonios

Filming Locations:

Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$94,784, 1 October 2006, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$516,139, 19 November 2006

Company Credits

Production Co:

Belladonna Productions,Truly Original,Xingu Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Robert Downey, Jr. jokes that at one point, Trudie Styler locked him, Dito Montiel, and Alex Francis (who was head of development) into her apartment in New York City, and wouldn't let them out until they had "nailed the structure".

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Goofs

In the 1980s scenes the red hand/green walking person can be clearly seen at the street crossing, but in NYC at that time the older walk/don't walk signs were being used.

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Quotes

Dito: In the end - just like I said - I left everything, and everyone. But no one, no one has ever left me.

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Crazy Credits

A small scene is shown in the end credits while "New York Groove" is playing.

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Connections

References Asteroids (1979)

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Soundtracks

New York Groove
Written by Russ Ballard (as Russell Ballard)
Performed by KISS
Courtesy of The Island Def Jam Music Group
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

One of my favs of the year

First time director Dito Montiel's "A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints" is a harsh autobiographical look back at his youth on the mean streets of Astoria, Queens in the mid 1980's. From the film's opening moments, Montiel introduces us to an intimate world of family and friendship that totally blindsided me by its greatness. There are moments in "A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints" that roll along with such force and emotion, that Montiel feels like a natural born filmmaker, infusing his personal heartache into strong characters breathing within a vivid time and place. Montiel's handling of edits, sound, and music are also powerful, such as a scene in Dito's kitchen between his father and group of friends that explodes into stark images and quick cuts to black. Montiel also handles the return home of Downey Jr. with care and vulnerability, searching for small answers that come in revelatory conversations with his mother (Dianne Weist) and grown up girlfriend Dianne (played by Rosario Dawson). And while such personal material can be hard to translate without lapsing into melancholy, Montiel finds a way to craft a clear eyed version of his life, allowing strong acting and electric film-making to take over the balance of the experience. I love finding unheralded gems such as this. The name of Robert Downey Jr. brought me to the theater and I discovered a true talent in Dito Montiel who has crafted one of the finest directing debuts in several years