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The Religion Hour (My Mother's Smile)

Play trailer Poster for The Religion Hour (My Mother's Smile) Released Feb 11, 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)

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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 An artful look at religious hypocrisy, interfamily dynamics and the way people wrestle with personal history long after the original events are over. Rated: 3/4 Sep 9, 2005 Full Review Ty Burr Boston Globe It's a bit of a mess but strong stuff nevertheless. Rated: 3/4 Aug 5, 2005 Full Review Tom Keogh Seattle Times Exceptionally handsome, somber film. Rated: 3/4 Jul 22, 2005 Full Review Kent Turner Film-Forward.com 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. Rated: 3/5 May 17, 2006 Full Review Marta Barber Miami Herald Enigmatic and mesmerizing. Rated: 3/4 May 12, 2006 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Never as engaging as the mystery surrounding it. Rated: B Mar 3, 2006 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (23) audience reviews
Audience Member (*** 1/2): [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] Strange, fascinating, and well-acted. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Audience Member 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. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member 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. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Conjures up images from Fellini's surrealist era, all the while pushing its plot forward with a more urgent sense of eeriness. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review Audience Member 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. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member Uno dei film...che ha fatto incazzare di brutto il papa e i cattolici.... Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review 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) The Religion Hour (My Mother's Smile) (2002) The Religion Hour (My Mother's Smile) (2002) 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." 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)