By Tiziano Thomas Dossena
“Cabrini” is beyond doubt a movie that will touch the heart of any viewer, but it’s so much more. It’s a powerful depiction of a woman who stood against all forces to do good on her terms and never gave up. If you consider the times in which she operated, it’s not only amazing but almost unbelievable. Mother Cabrini founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (a Catholic religious Order now present in 15 countries on 6 continents) when she was turned down by three religious orders on the premises that she was considered too frail for that kind of life… A feat unto itself…
She founded orphanages and hospitals starting among the Italian immigrants of Manhattan, expanding over time to offer a place for immigrants to find a way to get educated, healed, fed, and housed if needed.
She did that in a world that was run exclusively by men; at the beginning, even her own Catholic Church in the USA was not cooperating with her efforts. She did what no one before her could or cared to do: she fought for the civil rights of immigrants, and in particular Italian immigrants, and for that, she is considered the Saint protector of immigrants.
Well, if you decide to go and see this marvelous historical movie, don’t expect the usual, sentimental, religious movie, because “Cabrini” is almost like a Western, with plot twists, action, violence, and a lot of surprises. Still, most of all is a movie to be seen…
CAST
- Cristiana Dell’Anna as Francesca Cabrini
- David Morse as Archbishop Corrigan
- Romana Maggiora Vergano as Vittoria
- Federico Ielapi as Paolo
- Virginia Bocelli as Aria
- Rolando Villazón as DiSalvo
- Giancarlo Giannini as Pope Leo XIII
- John Lithgow as Mayor Gould
- Federico Castelluccio as Senator Bodio
- Patch Darragh as Dr. Murphy
- Jeremy Bobb as New York Times reporter Theodore Calloway
- Eugenia Forteza as Sister Umilia
The film was directed by Alejandro Gómez Monteverde and written by Rod Barr, based on a story by both.
