Original subtitles

You sure you don't want any sausage and peppers left over from last night? We

had lunch. Michael, come over here. You ate out? Where'd you go? I don't want

you riding by yourself, or I can't see you. Yeah, finish your coat.

You want some salad? Oh, Grandma, that smells really good. Sure it's good.

It's not like the old neighborhood.

You'll laugh. You don't taste sausage like that anymore.

You remember the sausage we used to get at St. Angelo?

Yeah, that was the best.

You don't remember because you were a maiden, but they used to call it a

sausage. Oh, Ma, please, don't start with that.

Wait, the sausage worked miracles.

Well, no, it was the butcher's daughter, Teresa. She made the miracles happen

because she was a saint.

And I heard about her. People used to pray to her. You know her story?

It's a beautiful story.

Oh, please.

I never believed that story.

I'll tell you her story. But we got to start with her parents, how they got

together.

Now I'm going back, what, 40? No.

Over 40 years, right?

It was in the heat wave of 49 during the San Gennaro feast.

And it was so hot, nobody showed.

So Joseph Sant 'Angelo closed up his sausage stand and decided to go play

instead with his buddies. Now, if you're going to tell this story, tell it

right. We used to tell it like this.

We used to say, and it happened by the grace of God.

That Joseph Sant 'Angelo won his wife in a pinnacle game.

All right, who's game?

Oh, yeah. I need them cards.

Christ, not.

Can't that fan go any faster? Fans like you. A little more shot.

You guys are real funny.

53 years, I never seen a heat wave like this.

You been out there tonight?

Dead out there.

I ain't never seen such few people at the feast.

You know, Friday was the first day of the fall.

Yeah, come Thanksgiving, we're going to be barbecuing.

This is what they call an Indian summer.

This ain't no Indian summer.

This is hell, and we don't know it. You know what they're saying?

It's because of the bomb.

What? It's because of the A -bomb?

That's ridiculous.

That was four years ago. Each year, it's been getting hotter.

You don't notice?

Ever since Hiroshima.

As my mother would say, this is what we get.

So I didn't drop the bomb. How come I got to pay?

Those vegetables are rotten.

I got to keep hiding them underneath the pile so the customers don't see them. I

tell you, this weather is killing me.

You? What about me? You think people eat meat when it's hot like this?

We didn't even bother with the stand tonight. I thought your mother was out

there tonight.

See? That's why he's got time to be here and take your money.

Try your luck at the Wheel of Fortune. Step right up, folks.

Only 25 cents.

Everybody's lucky.

What do I cut for? You don't need.

Oh, geez.

I can't even breathe.

Well, who needs to sell sauces when the Falconettis are still well on the plate?

But you're not calling.

Here.

To Angela.

And Marco for $10.

Oh, boy, it sounds like game's over.

Yeah, that's it. Come on. It's time to go home.

It's too damn hot to move.

Ain't going nowhere.

Okay,

last hand. 1 ,500 points.

Winner take off.

I'm putting up my whole next batch of wine.

Every drop.

I bet.

My only ticket to the Met.

Madam Butterfly.

Madam who? Get out of here with that.

All right.

That's my good conduct medal for the United States Army.

All right,

boys.

I'm betting the North Pole.

What's that?

Since when can you bet the North Pole?

Since right here.

Nice. Do that again.

Win it off of me.

You're on.

What are you going to put up?

My life savings.

Plus the shop.

Do me a favor. Keep the shop.

If I win.

You open that door and keep it open till I say quit.

I lose, you get my daughter, Catherine.

On second thought, I'll take the shop.

I'm kidding.

I'll take your daughter.

Let's see what we got here.

200. Yes.

1 ,500.

Hot as Trump.

Oh, holy cow.

Jesus, the perfect hand.

late this afternoon.

Need a radio to tell you that?

Bread and butter is the only thing I need a radio for.

Otherwise, I don't need nothing.

Actually, I do need something.

Wish the hell I knew what it was.

I hear with a dog that bit you, that's what you need.

The hell I do.

That's it.

Five o 'clock.

I need to eat. I'm starving.

Katerin. What?

Go to San Angelo's. Get some sausage for supper.

Who's next?

I admit you.

I heard.

Congratulations.

What's going on? Hey, I'm still a single man.

I see a nice -looking woman like you.

Do you think we come here every day to speak?

Sausage, or a rat like you?

Not just me.

Spend me the beauty advice and give me the sausage. Lino's hungry.

You have some pride, you know that?

I saw that. Wait again.

Wait for what?

That thumb.

Wait again without the thumb.

This thumb?

You know what I can do with this thumb?

No.

Now do you understand?

No.

I thought we were using my mistake.

Go ask Lino.

Go ask your father where Joseph Santangelo can put his thumb.

Oh, boy.

Oh, you just wait.

All right, all right.

You've been working? Let's go.

Let's go.

Big winner here tonight. Big winner.

We don't start till we sell out from last night.

Sell what?

What do you mean, what?

Don't remember?

Love me God, I don't remember.

Your daughter?

Catherine?

What about her?

You bet her last night for a blast of cold air from the meat locker.

That's crazy.

That must have been out of my mind. Let's go.

What a joker.

Come on, San Angelo. You don't want Catherine.

See, the sausage she cooked just backed up on me.

You shut your mouth. She bought that sausage in this shop.

Do you know what it is to be a man, Falconetti?

It means you pay up.

Come on. What kind of man bets his daughter in a pinochle game?

I see.

So you're not a man.

So you go play canasta with the woman.

Come on.

Go.

Huh?

I bet, Catherine.

Nicky, is this true?

Nicky, where were you?

It's right here.

Jesus Christ, I don't believe this is happening.

Come on, fucking Eddie.

It's not what you think.

My intentions are good.

I'm serious.

I'm talking about a church wedding.

Everything on the up and up.

Nobody will ever know.

The story will never leave this room.

Right?

Yeah.

If you ask me, I think you're nuts.

Yeah, I'm crazy.

Let's drink to it.

Come on.

Put them up.

Come on, put them up. Nicky, come on.

you and your mother come over to the house tomorrow for dinner we'll discuss

then tonight let's play pinochle please all right let's play

You're cooking tomorrow. We got company coming for supper.

Company? Who?

Joseph San Angelo and his mother.

Oh, God, him.

What's the matter? You don't like him? No.

Too bad.

He likes you.

Oh, yeah? What's that supposed to mean?

Means him and his mother coming here to eat.

Means you're cooking up a storm.

Means meat.

Tomorrow.

We show the San Angelos how a falconetti cooks a veal roast.

I want his meal to be so good,

a man would get married to eat like that every night.

Oh, yeah, well, I got news for you. Nobody gets married for the food.

Buona sera.

Buona sera.

Buona sera.

Buona sera.

Catara.

Signora, my daughter Catara.

I know your daughter.

Antipasto is delicious.

Thanks.

Not much you can do to ruin a cold antipasto.

So, uh,

how's your brother?

Augie? He's great.

He's doing real good.

As a matter of fact, we were out there last weekend, and he was telling me...

You know, business is good.

Oh, yeah?

How's Long Island?

It's good. They like it out there.

They got twins, right?

Bessie and Scott, good -looking kids.

Scott.

I asked my daughter -in -law if we could baptize the babies.

I said, who's going to protect them? They're faces, they're tops.

That kind of hot weather's over, huh?

Thank God it's right.

You couldn't cook a decent meal with the stuff they had in the stores.

When Enzo and I first came to this country, we were so poor I had to go and

shells out of the garbage by Umberto's Clam House.

And believe me, I made a delicious soup.

When?

When did you pick shells out of the garbage?

Huh?

Well, thank you, Don Falconetti, Catherine, Mickey.

Come on, Joseph.

Let's go home.

I got to make the sausages for tomorrow.

Thanks. The food was great.

It was a good sauce.

Please.

How can anyone talk, huh?

What

was

that for?

For putting crap like that on the table. Crap?

You heard your friend, St. Angelo. The food was great.

Great? Since when does love know about great food?

Love? What are you talking about, love?

Why do you think this was all about the good neighbor policy?

You're marrying the guy. It's settled.

I give him my word.

What?

Your word?

Who do you think this is, the old country?

This is America.

This is my house.

For something real, I don't ask for no miracles.

Only a simple explanation.

How about it, Vicenza?

How could a smart boy like our son want to marry a falconetti?

A falconetti.

Come on.

Talk to me, Vincenzo.

Why cat the wind falconetti?

Of all the girls in the neighborhood, Enzo, you had to go for this one?

What is it with that girl?

Man deals, and God stacks the deck.

Well, a little hot sausage, and we'll forget all about that rotten deal.

Better a little hot burn than hot eggs.

Captain Falcon, Matty.

to send us over. It's delicious.

Sure is.

It's a good thing you think so.

Because this is it, you know.

This is your life from now on.

What's your problem?

You know what my problem is?

Some guys, their lives are beautiful.

full Like opera Guys like us all we

got is sausage and pinochle.

What are you stupid?

What's wrong with sausage?

Could be worse. There are worse things in life than sausage and pinochle.

One

The Falconettis haven't got a pot to pee in.

Oh, the girl is no beauty that you can see for yourself.

And three, you don't win your wife at a pinnacle game.

What's number four?

Four is how can you bring children into this world with this lousy Falconetti

look?

Don't worry.

Kids will be half Sant 'Angelo.

Five.

Meal that girl cooked.

Raw meat.

Dirty escarole.

Hair and the tomatoes.

Every one of those things is a bad omen.

Here, have some more sausage.

Who is this girl anyway?

Can't even know her.

She comes in the store all the time.

She likes the sausage.

She's a special girl. Ma, I can't explain it.

You listen to me.

You marry that girl and the rest of your life is going to taste like that meal.

I don't know.

As I remember, the antipasto was delicious.

Remember how he got her? Are you kidding? Everybody knows. He won her in

game. I'm sure one way or another you win your husband in a card game, right?

Oh, madame, then I had some luck.

You need something.

Some place to change.

What, are you going to change into Batman?

Change my clothes.

Ah, go ahead.

I won't look, I promise.

Here? Well, there's always the bathroom.

Mother's in there right now.

Oh, yeah.

Too bad.

She'll probably be in there all night.

I guess here is okay.

Are you scared?

No.

Hey, remember that day at the shop?

That day I told you I'd show you where I could put my thumb?

Do you understand?

Santangelo. Santangelo.

Santangelo.

What's the matter?

Am I hurting you? The pet springs are creaking like crazy. Your mother's right

next to me.

You see what that girl is bringing into the house?

Garbage. That's right.

Yeah, garbage.

There's garbage growing in those pots.

Breathing our air and stealing the oxygen out of our mouths when we sleep

night.

Hey, come back tomorrow. I got some nice spinach for the baby, huh?

Thanks. Oh, there she is.

Catherine, how are you?

Congratulations. Yeah, good luck. I don't see nothing.

How far along are you?

I'm about three months.

Three months?

Are your gums bleeding? Because if your gums bleed, it's a girl.

Yeah, yeah. And if your fingers swell up, it's a boy. No, no, no, no. You know

how you tell a boy?

They don't show to the sick mother.

Then all of a sudden, they pop out like this.

Like a mushroom.

Right. Boys, you carry in the front. Girls, you carry in your ass.

I heard that.

True.

And if you've got a lot of agita, the kid's going to have a lot of hair.

Look, I have to get a few things. I'm going to see you for coffee later. Yeah,

I'll see you later.

Bye -bye.

Hey, where are you going?

I'm going to work.

You're going to work?

There's nothing but blood and dead meat in there.

You gonna let your baby see that?

Well, the baby can't see anything.

That's what you think.

You expose your baby to that and you're asking for trouble.

Excuse me.

A boy.

Baby angel.

Madam, are you squeamish?

Oh, no, I'm fine.

I told my cook that I wanted to come here myself to make sure it was freshly

killed.

Guaranteed fresh before your eyes.

Hey, what are you doing in here?

Oh, please, I'm okay, really.

Oh, my Lord.

No, you just got to know how to hold it.

You don't know what's coming.

Oh, dear.

Now you've done it.

You've marked that child for life.

What's going on?

I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to her.

I was upstairs minding my own business, and all of a sudden, Enzo comes to me.

Carmela, he says, it's an emergency.

That girl our son married is downstairs killing turkeys.

Hey, I was the one doing the killing.

You mocked that child for life.

You mocked my word.

You're going to give birth to a chicken.

Oh, my goodness.

What a frightful thing to say.

Hey, don't let it scare you.

It moved.

It feels like wings.

The movie?

The little chicken?

Don't say that.

Why not? It's the truth.

It's superstition. You don't know.

Oh, yeah?

You'd be surprised what I know.

You look terrible.

What are you doing sleeping on the couch?

You better learn to take care of yourself. You've got a baby inside you.

You've grown like nothing is different. Believe me, nothing now will ever be the

same. Now, come in.

Look.

That's Jimmy Liucci. Poor Jimmy Liucci. His father, rest in peace.

Crazy for music, colored people music.

So he drags his wife six months along with Jimmy up to this club in

Harlem to hear some blind colored piano player.

And when a blind man finishes playing, he turns around and looks straight at

Mrs. Liucci.

And that's how come poor Jimmy... Well, if that's how come poor Jimmy, then how

come you're calling me over here to look at him?

Your baby is already marked.

You can't do any more harm than you've already done.

Is there anything we can do?

Forgive me, but you understand we got a big problem here.

Go ahead.

Pray to her.

I don't know what to say.

Say what you gotta say.

Saint Anna, Holy Santana, Mother of our Blessed

Virgin.

Holy Saint Anna, Mother of our Blessed Virgin, please

keep me from giving birth to a chicken.

I'll make you some pastis.

Hallelujah. I do it again.

Look at this.

I haven't seen a picture caught all night.

I hate playing cutthroat.

What's with your kid anyway? Where is he lately? Who knows?

He goes out.

Probably looking for a Jap wife somewhere.

I swear one of these days he's going to show up with Madam Butterfly and a

couple of chink babies.

That kid, who needs him anyway?

Only thing God ever got from his son was the thrill of resurrecting him.

I ain't never going to get that from my son.

What have we here?

What have we here?

Let me guess. This is ridiculous.

I think someone's trying to tell me something.

All day long, I got this feeling that things weren't going to go my way.

You ever feel like that?

Hey, what's the matter, San Angelo? You getting psychic?

Yeah, on my mother's side.

I believe it.

See? Now,

did you give me anything good here?

Jesus.

You gotta go. What?

You gotta go.

Can I do anything?

Pray.

Once in our life, you can pray.

I want to see her. Can I go in?

See? What is it?

What do you think this is, the movies?

I told you to move.

Okay,

now there's too much blood here.

hold on hold on okay

okay it's coming okay

This is what Santana does for my family.

And this is what she deserves.

Catherine?

She's fine.

But the baby never had a chance.

I barely had time to baptize it. I put a little water on it and I prayed to God

to accept it.

Go.

Go and see your wife.

Go and see what you want in the pinnacle game.

Mom, will he go to heaven?

I don't know.

I don't know if the baptism took.

Otherwise, he goes to limbo.

All babies that aren't baptized are stuck there.

The baby died.

I know. It was the boy, too. I heard the old lady cursed her.

Oh, my God. How could you? That wasn't Carmela. That was the Falconetti lock.

No, that was the old lady. The old lady.

Hi, Ma.

I'm Captain.

Where else?

In bed.

For eight months now, she's been in bed.

She don't even water her plants anymore.

Look at this place.

Looks like the Sahara Desert.

What are you doing?

We got company coming?

Yeah. I asked Lino and Nikki to come over tonight.

Oh, no.

I don't know.

Maybe the fucking Eddie's going to figure out how to handle one of their

God knows I can.

At my age, who's got teeth for crust?

Ma, you got some of the teapot left over from last night?

Maybe the Falconettes would like some.

See? Or would we dodge?

Well, why not?

You know, in Japan, they live on this stuff and noodles.

That's all they eat.

What kind of country is that where women can't cook anything but people and

pasta? I didn't say can.

I just meant that that's all they can get since the war. You know, they can't

get ordinary ingredients. No sugar, no meat.

Ingredients? What kind of ingredients?

When I first came to this country, Vicenzo and me, we were so poor.

that I had to pick clamshells out of the garbage.

Believe me, I made a delicious soup.

If a woman can't cook with what God gives her, then she can't cook.

You're a great one to talk.

At least my son married an Italian girl instead of chasing after the Japanese.

Yeah, right, an Italian girl he won in a pinochle game.

That's my wife you're talking about.

Pinochle game.

What Pinochle game?

You know.

I don't know.

I don't remember.

Oh, my God. What a shame.

You just can't buy there no more. That's the way it goes.

One day you're cooking for the king. The next day, the pigs will eat your table.

If you're filming, you better come quick.

If you wait too long, I ain't gonna recognize you.

Thank you.

Joseph, there's been a miracle.

The plants, they're alive all over the apartment.

Of course they are.

I've been watering them for weeks.

You?

Yeah, me. What do you think?

I don't want to water a plant. No, wait a minute. Water or no water, those

plants were dead when we went to bed last night.

They were fine last night.

Same as they are now.

You've just been at it for so long, you didn't pay attention.

I'm not so out of it that I don't know that you can't bring dead things back to

life.

What kind of thing is that for a Catholic girl to say?

Especially on Easter Sunday.

Joseph, I'm serious.

All right.

The ones that didn't make it, I threw out and I bought new ones.

You cheated.

And I thought it was a miracle.

Try some of this.

The next thing you'll be saying is I'm a saint.

Christ, don't tell me she burned another teapot.

Oh, my God.

Oh,

Christ.

This isn't the miracle you were thinking of.

Oh, God, no, I didn't know.

Un po' di peppe non è male.

Yeah, you.

Yes, I am.

I found out a few weeks ago, and I am.

I don't know. I guess I wanted to make sure everything was all right before I

told you, you know? So, I'm sorry. I should have told you. I feel so stupid.

Yeesh. Que esquifo. Looks like a shrimp.

Yeah, but it's not a shrimp, Joseph. This is a human being, see?

And this one here has got a section called Old Wife's Tale.

Listen.

It is not true that a baby will strangle on its court if you raise your arms

above your head.

Nor will this happen if you sew, knit, spin yarn, or walk under a clothesline.

It is not true that your baby will be born prematurely if you look at yourself

in the mirror or if you weigh yourself.

It is not true that you will lose a tooth for each child.

It is not true that a child born in the seventh month has greater chances of

survival than one born in the eighth month.

It is not true that you can make your child musical by listening to music, nor

can you mark it by exposing it to bad influences.

and my daughter.

I watch her like a hawk.

About that

pinnacle

game. What pinnacle game?

You know, that night we had dinner and Nikki started talking.

have married you anyway.

You know, even if I didn't win you.

Did you cheat?

Sure I cheated.

They were sucking in cold air and I was palming extra hearts from the deck.

Isn't that always the way you win your husband in a card game?

Look at what I want in that card game.

An angel.

You're here.

Tell us what you'd have us do.

Jesus wishes to use you and make me known and loved.

He wishes to establish throughout the world devotion to me.

So you must learn to read and write in order that you may convey his message.

Do you hear a lady's voice?

I hear a buzzer. During one of her visits, the children make me several

predictions for Marlene.

She predicted a second world war, the insidious growth of international

communism.

The insidious growth of international communism.

And after much suffering in the martyrdom of many Christians, the

conversion of Russia.

At the end, she told him one last prediction, more important than any of

others.

Wow,

that's next week.

How about that?

Dear God, please make the news for my lady's letter be good.

And I will sit here for five minutes without moving.

I promise.

You checking the Daily Doubles at Belmont?

Daddy.

That's last night's.

What are you looking for?

News about the letter.

What letter?

The letter with the secret from Our Lady of Fatima.

The Pope was supposed to open it yesterday.

Did you check there, Abby?

Sweetheart, I bet the Pope won't tell.

He'll keep it a secret for about six months or so. And then when everybody

forgets about it, he'll announce it like he thought it up himself.

That's what he does.

You know?

Honey, go get your book. We're going to be late as it is.

I can't believe this.

When was the conversion of Constantine?

Very

good.

Now, take down the following dates. These will all be included on your test

Friday.

325 B .C.

Constantine convened the first ecumenical council.

Someone had better tell me what's going on in this classroom.

There are a lot of very jittery people here who are making it difficult for

those of us who are trying to learn.

Excuse me, Sister, but this whole thing is about us being confused about the

letter of Fatima.

You see, the Pope should have opened it three days ago, and he didn't say

nothing about it.

Well, if that's what the Pope's decided... He knows best.

No matter, sweetheart.

You know...

When I was little, the nuns told me a beautiful story about the virgin and the

angel Gabriel.

You know the Annunciation, right?

When Gabriel visits Mary and he tells her that she's going to give birth to

Son of God?

Well, right after he did this, he's just about ready to fly off.

But Mary grabs him by the tip of his wing and holds him back like this.

And she says, Excuse me, but this thing that is happening to me, is it a

miracle?

Oh, yes, says Gabriel.

And he's just about ready to fly off again. And again, she grabs him and

him back.

And this baby that I'm going to give birth to, will that be a miracle too?

Oh, yes, he says.

That's always a miracle.

But this birth will be the greatest one of all.

And he goes to her, you know, Madonna, miracles are all around us, but

life is too short to sit around and wait for them.

We are the ones who must seek them out.

I don't get it.

Honey, the point is, who knows?

Maybe the story of the letter was made up by the guy who sells souvenirs at

Fatima. Or maybe the virgin is trying to teach us what Gabriel taught her.

That life is too short to sit around and wait for a miracle.

Dear Jesus, why are you punishing us like this?

Why can't we know the secret? Why?

Are you mad at somebody?

At me?

I know I did something wrong.

change.

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended thee, and I detest all my sins

because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all

because they offend thee, my God, who art all good and deserving of all my

I firmly resolve with the help of thy grace to confess my sins, to do penance,

and to amend my life. Amen.

Hey, I'd like to bet two minutes, yeah.

Hey,

you.

Hey, you.

Come here.

Come here.

What's the matter? You want to stay alone with your uncle no more?

Where's your mother been?

I don't see her no more.

What, she forgets she's got a brother?

She forgets she's a fucking Eddie.

Yeah, you too.

Don't ever forget that.

Jenny, I don't care.

I accept my fate.

Whatever happens, happens.

It's your father.

He's always twisting things to his way.

That's not fair.

No, it's cheating.

You play Pinochle?

No, I didn't think so.

But, uh...

Yeah, you don't know.

You don't know the half of it.

Here.

Go and take it, go.

Come on, buy yourself some candy, go.

Go, buy yourself some candy.

I want to help Uncle Mickey.

I'm afraid that if he dies, he'll go straight to hell.

I want to offer up my first communion for him.

For

Uncle

Mickey, for my parents, all my family, and for the good of all the world.

Want me to be worthy of you.

And now I'm very happy to announce the first prize winner of the St. Boniface

High School Essay Contest for her very eloquent essay on why communism is the

Antichrist. First prize is awarded to freshman Teresa Carmela Sant 'Angelo.

Grace, I present to you with a very special edition of The Story of the

It's the autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux, The Little Flower.

She was a young girl, not unlike yourself, who achieved great things in

ordinary ways.

May she be an inspiration to you. Congratulations.

I feel that my mission is about to begin, my mission to make God loved as I

him, to teach souls my little way.

November 15th, 1966.

To ecstasy, I prefer the monotony of daily toil.

Saint Therese of Lisieux.

Saint Therese, I vow today to follow you in your little way.

This will be my spiritual notebook.

in which I will write of my struggles to be worthy of Jesus' love for me.

I dedicate myself to our blessed Savior and to you, St. Therese.

I will devote myself to doing all the little things that go unnoticed,

unacknowledged, and unappreciated.

I do not seek greatness, just love.

What are you doing?

I'm looking for papers.

A project for school?

No. I'm re -lining the silverware drawers. They're a mess.

You get scared into beads too much, but the house, what?

There's always a cleaner.

Nothing like the cleaner.

Oh, you know how he is.

The monotony of daily toil.

Therese, your little way is deceptively simple.

I think it would be easier to cure the sick and revive the dead than to spend

each day agonizing, wondering what more service I can offer, not for my glory,

but for the glory of God.

How are you today?

That's what happens when you think it's too good for your own kind. I hear he

goes to Chinatown every day looking for an oriental girl.

It's a sin.

Oh,

look,

we got a card from Saint Boniface.

They want us to meet with a college counselor.

College? We should talk about it, Joseph. It might not be such a bad idea

Teresa. I'm not going to college.

I'm joining the Carmelites.

What of my dead body?

You see me buried before a daughter of mine works like a dog 24 hours a day to

line the Pope's pocket.

It's not for the Pope.

It's for God.

For God.

You show me where God says that some poor old lady's got to freeze her ass

in a vegetable at Macy's. Shaking a tray of coins at everybody.

Joseph, please.

Teresa.

You work as a butcher nearly 30 years.

Get to know women.

Get to know what makes them beautiful.

What makes you love them.

You know what that is?

Desire. They all want something.

Maybe they want the sausage.

Maybe they want a compliment on the new dress.

The thing with nuns is, they don't want anything.

They come in the shop, they ask for veal, you don't have it, they don't

They don't miss a beat.

And you know, inside, they're saying, it's God's will.

I guess I'll have the chicken.

They do want something.

God.

Teresa, listen.

If they want him so badly, maybe they already got him.

They should leave it alone and get married.

Teresa!

Nuns are sick women.

And my daughter isn't sick.

My beloved Jesus, the desperation I feel brings me to you.

Let the Lord make me your bride.

Deliver me from this life sentence.

I

want to be

free to devote myself to my true love.

And that is you.

If you really want me for a bride, please.

Please help me get past my father.

Aren't you going to read?

No, I'm not hungry.

Sweetie, you haven't been eating much lately. What did you have for lunch

Nothing. I wasn't hungry.

Are you sick?

No, I'm fine.

Then come and eat something. Come on, a slice of bread.

Come on.

Teresa, I would like you to eat something.

When you let me join the Carmelites, that's when I'll eat.

Then you stop.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, sweet Moses.

I have not touched food for a week and I feel like an angel is fluttering inside

my head.

Each day gets easier because each untouched plate of food brings me one

closer to my wedding day.

Now I know this in my heart. I know this will happen.

Please stop me, Jesus.

Stop me from doing the wrong thing.

Sausage on an empty stomach?

Sweetheart, start with something a little easier to digest.

A glass of milk, a peach.

Why have you abandoned me?

I want you so much. I want to be a saint for you like no other before me.

So that is my sin.

To want too much.

And this is my punishment.

To be nothing.

Something wrong with the set?

Look for it on the dive.

This is my music.

Italian opera.

He

says

that's Chinese opera.

You fix it, I'll look at it tomorrow.

See, send her to college, and then that way, even if she doesn't meet a nice

boy, she can end up with a teaching certificate. You know, it's something to

until she gets married.

I feel for Nicky.

He is now exiled to the special section of hell reserved for suicides.

And I feel like I, too, am in exile.

September 20th, 1970.

Since I have not been able to fulfill my dream of joining the Carmelites, I can

only assume that you have other plans for me.

If I can't be a captain in your army, I'll settle for being a common foot

soldier.

I believe that with your help, dear Lord, and the help of the little flower,

am finally succeeding in bending myself to God's will.

Television and the future of Catholic education.

I want to thank the guests on our panel.

Now we're going to break up into our smaller discussion groups where we'll

upon the various topics that were brought up this morning.

I'm Leonard Villanova.

I'm a second -year law student at St. John's. My interests in particular lie

television law, and I'm very excited by what I see as the endless opportunities

that the television medium offers us.

For example, in 1950, which is around the time television first became

to the public, there were about 4 million sets in this country.

Today, at the end of 1970, there are 88 .3 million sets, which means that 95 %

of all homes have at least one.

And this in only two decades.

Now, the people who own these sets, how much are they watching them? Well, in

1960, the average amount of time spent watching television per day, per person,

was five hours and three minutes.

whereas today that number has increased to 5 hours 59 minutes.

So in the short span of 10 years, we've witnessed an increase of about an hour

in viewing time.

Television now accounts for about 31 % of our leisure time, making it by far

nation's number one leisure activity.

Excuse me.

Hi, I'm Leonard Villanova.

And you are?

Teresa Santangelo.

Teresa, I was thinking of getting myself a cup of coffee, and I was

wondering if you'd like to join me.

Sure.

Those kids really crack me

up. What a bunch of idiots, huh?

Hi.

Thank you. You're welcome.

Do you need sugar?

We won't need this. Oh, thanks.

I mean, you look at them, and you can tell they don't have a clue.

They deserve to spend the rest of their lives teaching Catholic school. You

know, there's no drive.

There's no ambition there.

I mean, I'm a firm believer in a conscious life plan in order to get what

want out of this life.

Me, I got what I call the Villanova life plan.

Want to hear it?

Sure.

All right.

First... I get the St. John's Law degree.

Then I want a Lincoln Continental.

I want a family.

I want a townhouse on the Upper East Side. And I want membership in all those

clubs, like the New York Athletic Club and the Century Club that always turned

up their noses to the Italians.

And, of course, I achieve all this with my brilliant, and it will be brilliant,

career in the wide -open, exciting, amazing field of television law.

You mean like Perry Mason?

That's funny. That's good. No, not quite what I had in mind.

I'd be strictly behind the scenes.

And you?

No doubt you have plans of your own.

No, not me.

Oh, come on now.

It's my business to read human nature.

The minute I saw you at that discussion group, I said... Now there's a girl who

knows what she wants, and I get it.

I wish I did.

I'm sure you do.

Come on.

I guess what I want, what I really wanted was to join the convent.

I just wanted to serve God the best way I could.

Ever since then.

a red thing to rest.

Aha.

A little flower.

So you're one of those.

One of what?

The little flowers.

Half the girls in my neighborhood wanted to grow up to be the little flower.

Is that true?

Sure.

Well, you can't see why.

Everything she did, she did for God.

And she didn't do anything, really.

She didn't live out in the desert.

She didn't get shot full of arrows. She just... She washed the floors and the

dishes and prayed.

But, Teresa, why shut yourself off from life?

Didn't it ever occur to you that a woman can serve God and her family at the

same time?

All these things you mentioned, the floors, the dishes, they can be done in

home of your own for a family of your own, and God will be just as pleased.

In fact, I think devotion to one's family is even more pleasing.

in the eyes of God, because it's about opening yourself to life, about

connecting with your fellow human beings.

You don't sit around waiting for miracles, because then you come to

big announcement to let you know that a miracle is on its way.

You miss the point.

Life's miracles sneak up on you.

They can come from nowhere, from the simplest things.

And today, I had a miraculous revelation.

God is everywhere.

I know, I know.

It sounds so obvious.

But today I feel like I really understand this in my soul.

It feels like I've been given light.

Like I can see light coming from everyone.

Everywhere it's so clear to me that God is over there with those lovers by the

car.

Helping those women cross the street.

And I can look at Leonard Villanova and I know that God has sent him to me.

God has sent him.

I had a really great time.

Thank you.

Goodbye. Bye.

I just wanted to say...

It's a real night.

Goodbye.

Thank you.

I've come to think of Leonard as a brother.

A friend.

Sometimes he has kissed me and asked me to hold him.

I understand that boys like these things.

I have not felt anything impure.

After all, I'm not here of my own free will.

That was amazing.

I mean, the device of giving the characters initials instead of names was

brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

It really created a universal and timeless feeling. Great.

Oh, I wanted to ask a favor.

It's these curtains.

My mother sent them to me for my room, and the past few days I'm trying to

figure out... Being a male, I'm not exactly an expert.

Sure, I'd be glad to... them up for you very nice of you

They're in the bedroom.

Just the place.

Teresa, take off your clothes.

The sense of freedom was so overwhelming.

The saint spoke of floating out of your body.

Get me through this and I promise I'll never do it again.

Now I understand what that is.

I feel that I'm following someone else's orders.

But whose?

It can't be the devil.

I never felt his presence.

It must be God.

God has led me to Leonard's bed.

Jesus, what time is it?

Nine o 'clock.

Won't your folks be worried?

No.

I'm going to hell.

I wanted to become a nun, but I didn't.

I wanted to go to heaven, but I'm going to hell.

Forget about that. It's nothing.

I guess it's my period.

Don't worry about it. I'll wash it. I'll wash it.

Leave it. I'll wash it. I'll wash it.

I'm sick with worry.

What if this is all the devil's work?

Or worse?

What if it's only real life, plain and simple?

After all, who am I kidding?

Maybe God doesn't have a grand plan for me.

I'll probably just become a teacher, maybe get married and have kids.

And what's wrong with that?

What on earth am I trying to do here anyway?

This could all be a mistake.

How many others like me will come to Judgment Day saying to him, My Lord, I

it all for you.

Only they'll have him answer.

For me, well, you were mistaken.

I'm leaving.

Okay.

Okay. I know it's lousy outside today, but I don't want you cooped up here all

day. I want you to go out, go see a movie or something like that.

Don't worry about me.

I'll be...

Okay.

My whole life I used to wonder, what would I do if I really had a vision?

How would I act if I actually saw God's face?

Would I fall on the floor and start booming at the mouth like St. Paul?

It worried me. It could happen anywhere.

What if I was on the subway and started bleeding from my ankles and wrists?

If Jesus came, would I have the sense to look for a soft place to fall?

But this is what it's like.

You don't faint that away.

You don't worry about stigmata dripping blood on the carpet.

You just feel nervous and shy.

A little embarrassed.

Go ahead.

I don't want to disturb you.

Then why did you come?

I came to keep you company.

Thanks.

Thank you.

For what?

For grooming one of my lambs.

If only they were someone to do as much for me.

I was buried in this.

I thought they had your shroud at turn.

How could it be?

I've been wearing this without respite for 2 ,000 years.

Can you imagine what that's like?

No, I can't.

What about your crown, your golden raiment?

That's what I wear in the paintings, in the artists' minds.

But this is what I wear on God's right hand.

But he's your father.

Why would he want you wearing that?

For the angels' sake.

Just as men need to see me on the cross to be reminded of my suffering for their

salvation, so do angels need to see me in my shroud.

It reminds them of the wear and tear of death, the strain of resurrection.

I guess it keeps them from getting sentimental for their lives on Earth.

Lord,

let me wash it.

There's plenty of time.

I know Leonard wouldn't mind.

I could wash and iron it in two seconds flat, and I would take good care of it.

I could leave the room, and you could put on one of Leonard's robes.

You were eyeing that shirt when I left this morning. No, it's not the same one.

Teresa?

Teresa, I only have one red and white checkered shirt. Yes, you did this

morning, but now you have hundreds. Come, come, look.

Look, Leonard.

Oh, Leonard, this is how it must have looked.

The loaves and the fishes, the wine for the wedding at Cana, Leonard, look.

Teresa, do you want to sit with me? Yes.

Okay. Leonard, you won't believe what happened. What happened? I was ironing,

and you left.

Mrs. Santangelo, this is Leonard Villanova.

I'm a friend of Teresa's.

And then he smiled, and a beautiful light appeared, and all over there was

and white checkered shirts.

Then where is he now? He left.

Where did he go?

Leonard, I don't know.

He could be anywhere.

You tell him exactly what you just told me, all right?

Okay?

And when I turned around, there were all these red and white checkered shirts.

I mean, there were hundreds of them, and I... I tried to count them, but I

couldn't. I only have one.

Honey. He only has one written white shirt. That's the only one I have. I

It appears to me like some sort of psychotic break.

I've been doing some reading on the subject.

All right, the meter's running. Let's go.

Come on, honey, let's go.

Come on.

I'm sorry.

I understand.

No, you don't.

I'll get her stuff.

Is she going to be okay in there?

I don't want Jesus to tell her to fly out the freaking window.

Jesus won't tell her to do that.

Listen, she's got the radio on.

We were wrong.

We should have let her join the convent.

If she had to do all that, she could be doing it for God like she wanted.

You know what Jesus came to tell her today?

Thank you.

That's all she wanted, Joseph.

Thank you.

She's not so different from anybody else.

A two -year -old kid can say thank you. People say it all the time.

She's got to hear it from Jesus.

The visit from my beloved fills me with happiness.

How I wish my parents could understand what is happening to me now.

How can I explain this except to say that it is like falling in love?

But my love can walk the walls.

He can arrive at any moment unannounced by the doorbell or phone.

So I must always be ready for him.

I won't go out because I fear missing his visit.

Although I know that he can find me anywhere.

I won't eat.

unless I can share it with him.

I can't sleep unless to dream of him.

Oh, my sweet Jesus.

When will we see each other again?

Mr. and Mrs.

Santangelo, let me explain what is happening with your daughter.

Briefly, Teresa's case has been diagnosed as one of acute hallucinatory

psychosis brought on by a particularly... Difficult and prolonged

psychosexual adjustment.

No doubt aggravated by a somewhat obsessional religious nature.

What that means is Teresa has temporarily lost touch with what we call

Temporarily? Often these states are temporary. It's quite common, especially

among young people.

Finish cleaning and it'll only get dirty again, honey, believe me.

That's okay.

This is my work.

Good morning, Mr. and Mrs.

Santangelo. Good morning.

Teresa is in her room.

She's resting.

There's something wrong. Oh, no, no, no, dear. It's just a touch of the flu.

Thank you.

I could tell you saw you had to work tomorrow.

Papa, I need some advice.

About what?

Pinochle.

Pinochle? Is that what you do here with my money? You play Pinochle?

We don't play for money. Jet points.

Well, that's a relief.

Who are you playing with?

God the Father, Jesus, and St. Therese.

You mean there's people here that think that they're God and Jesus and the other

one? No.

I mean God and Jesus and St. Therese.

This is crazy.

I don't know.

It's the craziest thing I've ever heard.

You play partners?

Girls against boys.

You should have known.

We got slaughtered, Papa.

We didn't have a chance.

Please don't tell anyone I said so.

But the little flower isn't much of a pinochle player.

She talked so low, you couldn't hear what she bit.

God had to make her repeat everything 20 times.

It's like she passed them every card they needed.

Like she didn't want to win.

That's a saint for you.

I guess.

I guess I'll never be a saint.

I wanted to win.

I played hard.

But even if I'd been an expert, it wouldn't have mattered.

Because God and Jesus are nothing but high guards.

Well, honey, if it was God you were playing against, wouldn't you expect him

win? I never expected to be playing pinochle with God.

I know what you mean.

And if I had, I would have expected him to play fair.

If it hadn't been God, I would have sworn he was cheating.

He probably was.

Well, I found out later that he was.

After the game was over, he asked the others to leave first.

And on his way out, he stopped and he whispered real low so that the others

couldn't hear him.

And he said, Teresa...

I'm cheating at P -Knuckle.

That's what he said.

Can you believe it?

I can believe it.

Listen, how much did she know about that pinnacle game?

Maybe she knew, maybe not. I didn't tell her. I mean, people talk. What

difference does it make?

I never told anyone this.

I didn't cheat that night.

I actually pulled a handful of hearts from the deck.

Think you know how the game is going.

But you never really do.

Anytime, God can deal you a wild card.

Like now.

Delta's the daughter that sees Jesus at the ironing board.

Hello? Mr.

Santangelo, this is Sister Cupertino.

I'm sorry to call you so early, but I have some bad news.

Mr. Santangelo, your daughter has gone to God.

Gone where?

To heaven.

I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say.

No. Just what? What happened? Tell me.

Hey, look at this place. Jesus.

It's not natural.

These flowers weren't here yesterday.

What is it?

Even the weather's on.

My God, it's hard to believe.

Dear God, please let Teresa's soul go straight to heaven.

All she ever wanted was to be with you.

It's roses.

It's enough to knock you over.

You don't smell it?

Joseph.

Don't Joseph me.

There's no roses in this room. You see any roses in this room?

What's up?

Maybe it's some kind of help they use.

It's not natural for a healthy young girl.

To die in the night without warning.

Why?

I guess God took her like the lady said.

Isn't this what's supposed to happen when a saint dies?

Everything starts smelling like flowers.

Joseph.

Teresa was a beautiful girl. A good girl.

I'll never love anybody like I loved her.

But she was crazy, Joseph.

She went crazy ironing shirts in her boyfriend's apartment.

Maybe she scratched herself.

Joseph, you're upset.

You're letting this get to you. Joseph, listen to me.

There have been no miracles here.

Nothing has happened to us that couldn't happen to anybody else.

The garden was greener yesterday. You just didn't notice it.

She was dying.

We didn't even see it.

It's real. I know you look great.

And everybody in the neighborhood showed up at the funeral parlor.

And the day she was buried, all the patients at the institution were cured.

And all those people who asked favors of her at the funeral, she granted them.

From then on, the sausage at St. Angelo's became famous for curing

like cancer, heart disease, you name it.

And all this because of Teresa, because she was a saint. You know, Ma,

I can name a list of women as long as my arm who went crazy cooking and cleaning

and trying to please everybody.

So she saw Jesus at the ironing board.

She saw God in her work. How many of us can say that, huh? Not me, that's for

sure. It's no big deal.

Don't worry about it.