Household Saints

An Italian neighbourhood in New York, after the war. Joseph is a butcher; one night playing cards he makes a bet and wins his neighbour's sister. Catherine is married that way. The marriage goes better than expected, but her mother-in-law is in the house and interferes with everything. They have a daughter: Teresa. Teresa grows up devout, in a way unlike the traditional piety of the family and far more serious. She wants to be a nun, her parents will not allow it, and she finds her own way: she begins doing household tasks as a holy duty. Nancy Savoca directs. Tracey Ullman, Vincent D'Onofrio and Lili Taylor are in the cast. The source is Francine Prose's novel. The narrative follows three generations and each has a different relation to belief; it makes none of them ridiculous. What is most striking is the register; miracle and everyday event are shown on the same plane and the narrative does not say which is real. Savoca is among the directors working in American independent cinema and her films were built on class and belief. Neighbourhood life is reconstructed in detail; the butcher's shop, the kitchen and the church are its three main settings. Teresa as played by Lili Taylor carries the second half and the character is nowhere explained. It drew little interest on release and was reassessed in later years. Who it is for: viewers who like American independent drama and narratives built on belief. Who it is not for: the pace is slow, the shifts in register uncertain, and the ending contested.