Fresh and Exciting

A waste of 90 minutes of my life

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

As a Rhode Islander of ONLY 22 years, I try to see films about or made in RI. This film captured a segment of Rhode Island life that was very authentic. Anthony (now an actor in LA), who comes from a very proud and ethnocentric Italian family, returns home to Rhode Island for his grandfather's funeral before he's had a chance to tell his family that his fiancé is black. Watching his family handle the "shock" of meeting her, how Anthony deals with them, and their private conflict over everything is a heart-warming and honest depiction of family. The characters were genuine and extremely well acted, and the story was both funny and sad and very human. If you like ethnic movies and watching people learn and grow with each other, this is worth watching. And if you like watching scenes of Providence, it's great.

OK, I was born and raised in East Providence in a mostly Portugese Catholic family so all this was very familiar to me. I recognized most of the locations in the exterior shots (Federal Hill, AKA Goombatown) and I know these characters so for me this movie was almost like a trip home. Granted, the characters are a bit stereotypical but, there actually are people like that in Rhode Island and I know a lot of them. The neighborhood bar actually looked like my Uncle Angelo's basement, complete with the tacky lighting and fake wood paneling on the walls! Yes, the story is reminiscent of the old Hepburn-Tracy classic but with this family and setting, it takes on a fresh feel. I recommend it to anyone who needs a good laugh...

One of those movies that makes me wonder who is at the helm on in Hollywood. Why hasn't this hit Major theaters??? 90% of the comedies promoted out of Hollywood and onto the "Big" screen since 1999 do not come close to the hilarity of this film. Kudos to the director and actors! Demerit to the producers and promoters. Someone that is close to this film needs to get a move on hiring people capable of moving it into the mainstream. It would be a shame if more people with a taste for true comedic talent were not exposed to this film. Give me the job! Give a child the job! Do something! For those of you who haven't been given the chance to see this movie here is a quick review.."A Wake in Providence" has been sitting around since 1999, giving it a whiff of failure it doesn't deserve. Held from distribution for years by a legal battle, it turns out to be a pretty decent comedy of manners.The story of an Italian American (Vincent Pagano) who surprises his family by bringing an African American girlfriend (Victoria Rowell) to his grandfather's wake, this picture tackles race relations more honestly than the sanitized "Guess Who." Here, relatives of the young man, Anthony, are shocked by his girlfriend, Alissa, and they say so.Anthony's grandmother (Kaye Kingston, shot by director Rosario Roveto Jr. with a fishbowl lens that makes her look fearsome) tells Alissa that she's not Italian and therefore not welcome. Another relative asks that everyone at the dinner table vote on whether to accept Alissa - with Alissa sitting there.Yet "A Wake in Providence," within its broad depiction of Italian Americans, dispels trite notions about this family and families in general. For instance, everyone fears the reaction of Anthony's stereotypically overbearing Italian mother (Lisa Raggio), who pulls her two grown sons by their ears by way of greeting. But she's not worried about Alissa's race, pointing out that Africa is just across the water from Sicily.Rowell brings a hint of grit to a character who at first seems too perfect to be believed, a la Sidney Poitier's character in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner." Alissa accuses Anthony of being ashamed of their relationship. She's more upset that he didn't tell his relatives about her than she is about their reactions.Pagano, who co-wrote the script with his brother, Mike, along with Billy Van Zandt and Jane Milmore, allows his character to be less than heroic and even a bit of a bubblehead about matters of diversity. But he's never quite as appealing as his brother, who also appears in the film.Playing Anthony's green-grocer brother, Mike Pagano is an exciting, emotionally accessible presence, crafting a character who is more complicated than he seems. You almost wish the brothers' roles had been reversed.The lighting is warm and inviting, especially when it's Adrienne Barbeau being lit. As Anthony's liberal-minded aunt, Barbeau combines good-humored wisdom with well-seasoned beauty.The film offers amusing cultural critics outside the family in the characters of a cabbie and his wife (Mark DeCarlo and co-screenwriter Milmore) who give Anthony rides and advice. The taxi driver recalls defending his non-Italian wife to his Italian mother: "Yes, she's done time in the pen ... yes, she has a sewer mouth ... but she loves me."By Carla Meyer -- The Sacramento BeeFind me Carla Meyer so I can marry her!!!!!

One of the best movies I have seen. It is a throw back to character driven movies of the 30's and 40's and the acting is superb. It is a shame that this hasn't been released on video, as it is truly a family feel good picture.