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Household Saints

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Household Saints
Theatrical release poster
Directed byNancy Savoca
Written byNancy Savoca
Richard Guay
Based onHousehold Saints
by Francine Prose
Produced byPeter Newman
Richard Guay
StarringTracey Ullman
Vincent D'Onofrio
Lili Taylor
Judith Malina
CinematographyBobby Bukowski
Edited byElizabeth Kling
Music byStephen Endelman
Production
companies
Jones Entertainment
Peter Newman Productions
Distributed byFine Line Features
Release date
  • September 15, 1993 (1993-09-15)
(limited)[1]
Running time
124 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$712,418[1]

Household Saints is a 1993 film starring Tracey Ullman, Vincent D'Onofrio and Lili Taylor. It is based on the novel by Francine Prose and directed by Nancy Savoca.[2] The film explores the lives of three generations of Italian-American women over the course of the latter half of the 20th century. The film's executive producer is Jonathan Demme, a long-time friend of Savoca's, and her first real employer in the world of film.[3] In 2023, the film received a 4K restoration from Milestone Films, who later gave the film a theatrical release.

Plot

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The film follows the courtship and marriage of Catherine Falconetti to local butcher Joseph Santangelo, as well as Catherine's relationship with her overbearing Old World mother-in-law, Carmela.

The film also focuses on Catherine and Joseph's daughter Teresa, a devout Catholic more similar to her superstitious grandmother than her modernized and secularized parents. As a child and young adult, Teresa puts herself through a series of trials so that she might one day be canonized as a saint. Teresa's teenage fantasy to become a nun is strained after starting a relationship with a marriage-minded young man.

The film explores both family dynamics over the course of time as well as, on a larger level, the relationship between religious faith in miracles and modernity.

Cast

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Production

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Nancy Savoca cast many favorite New York City actors for the film which was shot in DeLaurentis/Carolco (now EUE Screen Gems) Studios in Wilmington, North Carolina.[4] The film reunited Lili Taylor with Savoca, with whom she'd previously worked on Dogfight, and Vincent D'Onofrio, with whom she'd appeared in 1988's Mystic Pizza.

Tracey Ullman and Vincent D'Onofrio, as Lili Taylor's screen parents, are only eight years older than she is.

Release

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Although the film was met with critical success on release, it had only been released on VHS and remained out of print for years.[5]

In 2023, it was announced that Milestone Films had acquired distribution rights to the film, and that a new restoration would have its world premiere at that year's New York Film Festival, preceded by Savoca's 1982 student short Renata.[6] The 4K restoration began a limited theatrical run in January 2024.[7][8][9]

Finally, in April 2024, Kino Lorber released this 4K restoration on both DVD and Blu-ray.[10]

Reception

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Critical reception

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On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Household Saints has an approval rating of 68% based on 19 reviews.[11] Roger Ebert gave the film four out of four stars and called it a "warm-hearted jewel of a movie" with many scenes that rang true to his Catholic upbringing.[12] He added Savoca "wants to show how, in only three generations, an Italian family that is comfortable with the mystical turns into an American family that is threatened by it. And she wants to explore the possibilities of sainthood in these secular days. That she sees great humor in her subject is perfect; it is always easier to find the truth through laughter."[12]

Accolades

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The film made The New York Times' Best Films of 1993 list.[13] It was nominated for a Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay by Nancy Savoca and Richard Guay. Lili Taylor won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female.[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Household Saints". Box Office Mojo.
  2. ^ Wilmington, Michael (October 1, 1993). "'Household' Elevates the Ordinary Through the Mundane". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on December 26, 2018. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
  3. ^ Beale, Lewis (July 12, 2012). "Nancy Savoca talks about 'Union Square'". Newsday. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
  4. ^ "What are the top 10 movies ever made in Wilmington?". Star-News. January 26, 2006. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
  5. ^ Liebenson, Donald (July 11, 2022). "Cinematic Treasures Are Disappearing. That's Where Missing Movies Comes In". Vanity Fair.
  6. ^ "Household Saints". New York Film Festival. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  7. ^ Hoberman, J. (January 11, 2024). "'Household Saints': Miracles on Mulberry Street". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  8. ^ "Saved from obscurity, Nancy Savoca's 1993 film 'Household Saints' is back on the big screen". www.wbur.org. January 3, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  9. ^ Crump, Andy (January 10, 2024). "Household Saints: Restoration and New Recognition After 30 Years". Paste Magazine. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  10. ^ "Household Saints". Milestone Films. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  11. ^ "Household Saints". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Ebert, Roger (October 1, 1993). "Household Saints". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  13. ^ Maslin, Janet (December 26, 1993). "THE YEAR IN THE ARTS: Film/1993; Good Men, Good Women And a Presence of 'Malice'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  14. ^ Fox, David J. (March 21, 1994). "Spirit Awards--a Hollywood Maverick Gets Tamed". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
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