After witnessing disease and poverty in the slums of New York, Italian immigrant Francesca Cabrini embarks on a daring journey to persuade the hostile mayor to provide housing and healthcare... Read allAfter witnessing disease and poverty in the slums of New York, Italian immigrant Francesca Cabrini embarks on a daring journey to persuade the hostile mayor to provide housing and healthcare for hundreds of orphaned children.After witnessing disease and poverty in the slums of New York, Italian immigrant Francesca Cabrini embarks on a daring journey to persuade the hostile mayor to provide housing and healthcare for hundreds of orphaned children.
- Dr. Murphy
- (as Patrick 'Patch' Darragh)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe line, "The world is too small for what I intend to do," is a direct quote from the actual Frances Cabrini.
- GoofsWhen Cabrini is talking to the mayor, the letters on the flag are backwards, indicating that the film has been flipped.
- Quotes
Mayor Gould: It's a shame that you're a woman, mother. You would have made an excellent man.
Cabrini: Oh no, Mr. Mayor, men could never do what we do.
- SoundtracksDare To Be
Performed by Andrea Bocelli and Virginia Bocelli
The realism and the goodness of the characters helps make the two films memorable for putting us directly in the action (in Cabrini 1899 New York City) and only subtly sanctifying the heroes. The elements of first-rate filming are in Cabrini: original music by Gene Back that captures spirituality while exalting humanity, Alisha Silverstein's spot-on period costumes, and an equally-impressive Carlos-Lagunas production design. Over them all is a lean and effective story by Monteverde and Rod Barr aided immensely by the creative editing of Brian Scofield.
As always, the acting makes the difference: Besides Dell'Anna's award-worthy interpretation of the diminutive "entrepreneur," David Morse's archbishop is imperious and difficult, matched growl for growl by John Lithgow's intractable mayor. Senior to them is the impressive Giancarlo Giannini as Pope Leo XIII, who assigns the NYC slums to Cabrini's future as the eventual patron saint of immigrants.
Mother Cabrini, despite her failing health and being a woman in a paternalistic society, is a superlative example of the feminist Gloria Steinem could imagine: kind and ambitious, tough and savvy, in love with children who need her love. It would be next to impossible not to shed a tear watching her build an orphanage and then hospitals in the spirit of her selfless mission to help the disadvantaged.
But then that is what this film does as it portrays the uncomfortable world of early 20th-century poverty while encouraging us to clap for the heroism of Cabrini and her soldiers, including a Mary-Magdalene-type prostitute, Vittoria ( Romana Maggiora Vergano). The comparison to Christ's journey is never emphasized, all the better to realize the everyday heroism of our fellow humans.
I am impressed once again by the ability of director Monteverde and the Angel Studios to craft a biopic that reeks of reality while it spiritually transports to the worlds of authentic heroes. Cabrini is, like the current Oppenheimer, a true, albeit "inspired by," biopic with heart and grit.
- JohnDeSando
- Mar 7, 2024
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Untitled Cabrini Film
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $34,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $19,507,165
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $7,168,520
- Mar 10, 2024
- Gross worldwide
- $20,401,166
- Runtime2 hours 22 minutes
- Color