HOUSEHOLD SAINTS
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1994 James Berardinelli
Rating (Linear 0 to 10): 5.2
Date Released: varies Running Length: 2:04 Rated: R (Language, brief nudity, sex, violence)
Starring: Tracey Ullman, Vincent D'Onofrio, Lili Taylor, Judith Malina, Michael Rispoli, Victor Argo Director: Nancy Savoca Producers: Richard Guay and Peter Newman Screenplay: Nancy Savoca and Richard Guay based on the novel by Francine Prose Released by Fine Line Features
HOUSEHOLD SAINTS, based on the complex novel by Francine Prose, is really two distinct, albeit interrelated, stories. While the first claims an easygoing, amiable tone and a few interesting characters, the second, although imaginatively-realized, is poorly-paced and saddled with a bland protagonist.
Set just after World War II in New York's Little Italy, HOUSEHOLD SAINTS opens in the midst of a brutal heat wave. A group of local men are gathered for their regular game of pinochle in the back room of the butcher's shop. When Lino Falconetti (Victor Argo) runs out of money, he agrees to wager the hand of his daughter Catherine (Tracey Ullman) against unlimited blasts of chilly air from the freezer of his host, Joseph Santangelo (Vincent D'Onofrio). Joseph wins, and sets about smoothing over the differences between himself and Catherine so that he can claim his prize.
Years later, Catherine and Joseph's daughter Teresa (Lili Taylor) is growing into maturity, and has decided to follow the calling of God and join the Carmelite order. Her father, of the opinion that nuns are sick in the head, forbids this. Although bitter and hurt at first, Teresa eventually decides to follow her mother's advice and be useful as the Lord's servant in everyday matters. So it happens that, one day while ironing her boyfriend's shirt, Teresa has a vision of Jesus.
HOUSEHOLD SAINTS begins with a promising sequence featuring the fateful pinochle game in which Joseph wins the right to marry Catherine. Unfortunately, with the except of a few notable scenes during the courtship of the pair, nothing else in the movie comes close to matching the simple magic of the opening. While most of the Catherine/Joseph story is passably entertaining--if somewhat unoriginal--the film strikes a dissonant chord when shifting its focus to Teresa.
In addition to dragging on for too long, Teresa's spiritual struggles are uninteresting, as director Nancy Savoca proves unable to create a compelling drama out of Teresa's relationship with God. Expressions of Catholic mysticism comes across as hokey, and the character as pathetic rather than sympathetic. By the end of the movie, it's difficult to care what happens to this confused girl.
One of the faults of HOUSEHOLD SAINTS lies in the casting of Tracey Ullman. Lifeless and flat in her performance, Ullman fails to imbue Catherine with more than the occasional, fleeting emotion. >From her first appearance, trying to look much younger than she actually is, it's apparent that the actress is wrong for the part.
Vincent D'Onofrio, however, does an excellent job in his three-phase role as randy bachelor, loving husband, and concerned father. His strengths help offset Ullman's weaknesses. The supporting cast is also solid, especially Judith Malina as the superstitious mother who hates her son's choice for a bride.
HOUSEHOLD SAINTS' decision to change viewpoint around the midway point proves to be an unfortunate choice. After laying the groundwork for a story whose potential is never fully explored, the film inexplicably metamorphoses from a simple drama about an Italian family to an exploration of religious fanaticism. The result is that something which starts as an enjoyable narrative becomes disjointed and uncomfortable, with a lighthearted tone at odds with its serious theme. HOUSEHOLD SAINTS is an admittedly ambitious project for Nancy Savoca and her cast, but sometimes ambition isn't quite enough.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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