A Wake in Providence (1999)

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!!!!!

Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn would roll over in their graves if they knew this Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Rip Off was actually in theaters. Along with Sidney Poitier and Katherine Houghton these four brilliant actors made a great cultural statement with Director Stanley Kramer's 1967 master piece. This present day rip off is a joke. So a white guy from an overly stereotyped Italian family in Rhode Island brings his African American girlfriend home (Insert GASP here) to his grand father's funeral. His family members reactions were of course....predictable. This movie was so painfully telegraphed from start to finish my girlfriend actually started fake snoring to signal to me that she wanted to leave. Do yourself a favor and rent the original. Take a pass on Wake.

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.