When I was at my in-laws in Texas over the holidays, we watched a very good movie about the life of Padre Pio called “Padre Pio, Miracle Man”. It’s an Italian-language, English-subtitled movie, but that shouldn’t put you off. There’s something about the story that almost requires you hear the Italian, even if you don’t understand. In many ways, Pio is the quintessential Italian and you hear in how he speaks.
This is also not some saccharine hagiography that glosses over the unpleasantness. Pio’s self-doubts are there as are his horror at how others declare his sanctity and his infamous temper. When he received the stigmata, he is shown as pleading with the Lord to take it away because he didn’t want to have to live up to—or to be more accurate didn’t know if he could live up to—the standards of holiness that would be expected of him.
My favorite scenes: Hearing his father’s deathbed confession and his encounter with a young Karol Wojtyla.
This is a movie that shows Padre Pio as a very human saint. He is not an angel in human guise by any means. He is a true saint, a fully human sinner with a fallen nature and very real flaws who, through the grace of God and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, was able to live a life of sanctity. It’s no wonder that all of Italy—and beyond—have embraced him. This is definitely a movie I want to add to my collection.
Technorati Tags:Catholic, DVD, Italian, movies, Padre Pio, saints
Dom, is this appropriate for a CCD class of ninth graders?
Dom, I bought the film and have watched it twice. The second time with my wife whose family hails from Naples. It’s a fine, touching film without any saccharine added.
Padre Pio came into my own life way back in the early 1950s when I was a kid and the Church was yet without the massive dissension that soon struck it from within.
He’s been around with me ever since then, even during my twenty odd years wallowing in the sties of Leftist secularism and progressive Catholicism.
I now have to get my two grown children to be able to sit down and watch it. It comes with English dubbing, but I prefer the Italian language and English subtitles even though my Italian is bare bones. Itadds greatly to the authenticity.
CambCath: The scenes of him being tormented and tempted by the devil might be inappropriate for younger kids, but most 9th graders would be fine unless you have some exceptionally sensitive or sheltered ones. I’d watch it first anyway to judge for yourself.
John: The linked version above is the Italian-language, English-subtitled one.
I saw this movie over Christmas and it is solid, although it has one of the all-time worst English language dubs. Only put that on if you want a good laugh. It rivals some of the dubs of small parts in “Gospa” (see: the interrogation scene of Fr. Jozo).
Why is it seem so hard to do good language overdubs?
Thank you for this suggestion. I hope to replace the dubbed EWTN Padre Pio video I bought my 11 yr old son that was almost unwatchable because of the dubbing. (Yes, that was a horrible sentence.)
Dubbed movies are too difficult for my family to watch. There’s something about hearing one thing while watching lips mouth other words OR no words that is disturbing. I vote for subtitles, any day!