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The Religion Hour (My Mother's Smile)

Play trailer Poster for The Religion Hour (My Mother's Smile) 2005 1h 43m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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83% Tomatometer 24 Reviews 80% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Years after his mother's death, artist Ernesto (Sergio Castellitto) learns of his family's initiative to get her canonized when he's invited for an interview with a cardinal (Maurizio Donadoni). The impending appointment stirs up complex feelings toward religion -- his mentally ill brother killed their mother because of her extreme pious ways. Slowly, he uncovers his family's self-serving motivations for beatification, while his son, Leonardo (Alberto Mondini), explores Roman Catholicism.
The Religion Hour (My Mother's Smile)

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Castellitto's performance is the strong center of this surreal, fascinating film about a man's questioning of his religious beliefs and his relation to his mother.

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Critics Reviews

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Jonathan Curiel San Francisco Chronicle 09/09/2005
3/4
An artful look at religious hypocrisy, interfamily dynamics and the way people wrestle with personal history long after the original events are over. Go to Full Review Ty Burr Boston Globe 08/05/2005
3/4
It's a bit of a mess but strong stuff nevertheless. Go to Full Review Tom Keogh Seattle Times 07/22/2005
3/4
Exceptionally handsome, somber film. Go to Full Review Kent Turner Film-Forward.com 05/17/2006
3/5
Bellocchio famously took on the Catholic Church and the Italian family in his frenetic first film ... Now 40 years later, Bellocchio's attack on the same institutions is calmer and more temperate. Go to Full Review Marta Barber Miami Herald 05/12/2006
3/4
Enigmatic and mesmerizing. Go to Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 03/03/2006
B
Never as engaging as the mystery surrounding it. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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04/25/2013 (*** 1/2): [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] Strange, fascinating, and well-acted. See more 11/16/2012 Un interessante trattato sull'invadenza e l'ipocrisia della religione sulla nostra società. L'opera di Bellocchio mostra una personalità da vero autore e si divide tra regia minimalista e a tratti surrealista. See more 11/25/2011 Excellent Italian film about family, the church, ethics and the eternal conflict between good and bad. It is slow and it commands sympathy to see it through. But i found it rewarding. See more 01/20/2011 Conjures up images from Fellini's surrealist era, all the while pushing its plot forward with a more urgent sense of eeriness. See more 05/07/2009 Un interessante trattato sull'invadenza e l'ipocrisia della religione sulla nostra società. L'opera di Bellocchio mostra una personalità da vero autore e si divide tra regia minimalista e a tratti surrealista. See more 04/11/2009 Uno dei film...che ha fatto incazzare di brutto il papa e i cattolici.... See more Read all reviews
The Religion Hour (My Mother's Smile)

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Cast & Crew

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Marco Bellocchio

Director

Sergio Castellitto

Ernesto

Jacqueline Lustig

Irene Picciafuoco

Chiara Conti

Diana Sereni

Alberto Mondini

Leonardo

Gianni Schicchi

Filippo Argenti

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The Religion Hour (My Mother's Smile)

The Religion Hour (My Mother's Smile) (2002) A scene from the film "My Mother's Smile." A scene from the film "My Mother's Smile." A scene from the film "My Mother's Smile." A scene from the film "My Mother's Smile." A scene from the film "My Mother's Smile." View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Years after his mother's death, artist Ernesto (Sergio Castellitto) learns of his family's initiative to get her canonized when he's invited for an interview with a cardinal (Maurizio Donadoni). The impending appointment stirs up complex feelings toward religion -- his mentally ill brother killed their mother because of her extreme pious ways. Slowly, he uncovers his family's self-serving motivations for beatification, while his son, Leonardo (Alberto Mondini), explores Roman Catholicism.
Director
Marco Bellocchio
Producer
Sergio Pelone
Screenwriter
Marco Bellocchio
Distributor
New Yorker Films
Production Co
RAI Cinema, Filmalbatros S.r.l.
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Italian
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 11, 2005, Wide
Box Office (Gross USA)
$40.2K
Runtime
1h 43m
Sound Mix
Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, DTS, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.66:1)