Household Saints

Based on the novel by Francine Prose, Nancy Savoca’s wonderfully warm chronicle of a spirited Italian American New York family gracefully balances humor, tragedy, and pathos. Vincent D’Onofrio’s Joseph Santangelo is a butcher with a wicked sense of humor who “wins” his wife Catherine (Tracey Ullman) in a pinochle game. Over the protests of his mother (Judith Malina) who talks to ghosts and makes deals with saints, Joseph marries Catherine. When the old lady dies, her spirit is channeled into her granddaughter Teresa, who overtakes the film with her yearning to serve God. A luminous Lili Taylor imbues Teresa with a mix of idiosyncratic charm and touching innocence.