Using one dysfunctional family as a device for exploring structured religiousness — specifically Catholicism, though it is probably meant to represent religion at large — "Household Saints" is a bold and risky attempt to adapt a complex novel to the screen. It also boasts three very strong female roles, rare enough in Hollywood these days, and is directed and co-written by a woman, Nancy Savoca ("Dogfight," "True Love").
So, it is all the more unfortunate to have to report that "Household Saints" is muddled and aimless, unable to establish a satisfactory tone, and in the end, rather pointless.
Divided, more or less, into two parts, the first half of the film is set in postwar Little Italy, where butcher Joseph Santangelo (Vincent D'Onofrio) wins Catherine Falconetti (Tracey Ullman) in a pinochle game.
Catherine doesn't know about the card game and is a bit more independent, serious — and plain — than most of the young women in the neighborhood. But Joseph really does love her and, in his own way, courts her, ultimately leading to a church wedding.
Their tenuous start gradually evolves into a loving relationship, which becomes threatened by Joseph's mother, Carmela (Judith Malina), who lives with them. She's a shrew of the first order whose life is built around her own unique view of Old World Catholicism, and she takes every opportunity to criticize Catherine, using her spiritual beliefs as a weapon.
The second half of the film kicks in after Carmela's death, as Catherine and Joseph become parents, naming their daughter Teresa, after St. Therese, the saint of flowers and labor.
But it would seem that the fanatical spirit of Carmela has invaded Teresa (played as an adult by Lili Taylor), who, as she grows older, becomes more and more pious. After high school, she wants to join a convent, but her father forbids it. And little by little, her obsession with all things religious drives her batty. (There is also a bizarre subplot about Catherine's brother going crazy over his obsession with Asians and opera — is insanity supposed to run in the family?)
On the surface, this seems like intriguing stuff, and the performers are all right on the mark. It's especially interesting to see Catherine become more attractive as she grows older and more confident in herself, and on a technical level, the aging of both Ullman and D'Onofrio is much more believable than in many films that span several decades. Taylor and Malina are also excellent in their roles, to some degree playing flip sides of the same coin.
And director Savoca's sense of visual imagery compliments the proceedings very well, including some occasional wry, subtle commentary on the story as it progresses.
But the story itself gets lost, lacking a narrative center to hold it together. A little mysticism can go a long way, and unless it is properly nurtured — as it was in "Like Water for Chocolate," for example — it can easily become muddled and confusing.
Unfortunately, despite its potential, "Household Saints" falls into the latter camp.
The film is rated R profanity, though there is also some sexual material and brief nudity and some violence.