HOUSEHOLD SAINTS
A film review by Mark R. Leeper
Copyright 1993 Mark R. Leeper
Capsule review: This tale of Magical Realism in post-
WWII Little Italy tells the story of how a modern saint came
to be born and how she lived. That plot could have been
saccharine but tales of neighborhood life and different
people's reactions to Teresa actually make this film a very
watchable fantasy. Rating: +2 (-4 to +4)
If a miracle happened today, would we believe it? Would we explain it away? How would people react? That is the theme of Nancy Savoca's HOUSEHOLD SAINTS. The story is about two generations of a family and takes place over twenty-one years or so. To aid in the suspension of disbelief the story is told in flashback as a neighborhood legend by an old Italian couple. The inner story starts around 1949, taking place in New York's Little Italy. Joseph Santangelo (played by Vincent D'Onofrio) wins Catherine Falconetti (Tracey Ullman) in a game of pinochle. But winning turns out to be one thing and collecting something else. It seems unlikely that these people would be married this way, but it seems the hand of some sort of fate is pushing them onward. The story dwells on their problems of home life: Joseph's superstitious mother (Judith Malina) hates her daughter-in-law; Catherine's brother is bewitched and obsessed by Puccini's MADAME BUTTERFLY and devotes his life to getting a wife who Japanese or Chinese--a distinction of which he in unaware. Yet all of this seems directed toward getting Teresa Santangelo born or forming her saintly character. As a young girl (Rachael Bella; older she is played by homely but angelic Lili Taylor) she sees John Brahm's THE MIRACLE OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA and decides to devote her life to being like the saint in that film. The film then follows the first eighteen years of the life of the woman who may or may not be a saint.
This is a slow and atmospheric film that takes a long time to develop its story, but getting to the main story is as interesting as being there. There are details of life in Little Italy told with a sort of magical realism. In humorous contrast to films that focus in on the details of sumptuous meals, here we see the meal that an inexperienced Catherine makes under protest. In spite of the best intentions inexperience dominates and for once an Italian meal on screen looks less than totally appetizing.
Perhaps central to the story is the examination of three kinds of faith represented by three generations of Santangelo women. For Teresa's grandmother faith seems entwined with the dark superstitions of the old country. Catherine found faith later in life, frightened into it by her mother-in-law, and her faith is thin. Teresa's faith is innocent and pure and it is spurred by mystical visions perhaps from neurosis induced by her upbringing, or perhaps they are genuine miraculous events. And each woman responds to life differently--each somewhat strangely--based on her own brand of faith.
While I am personally skeptical about the existence of true saints, I found that if I went with the flow and thought of this as a fantasy film, there was more than enough to keep me interested here both in an exploration into a religious viewpoint and as a window onto the community in Little Italy. My rating would be a +2 on the -4 to +4 scale.
Mark R. Leeper
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