Two Family House

R

Released Oct 6, 2000

1 hr. 47 min.

Drama

List

89%

35 Reviews

Tomatometer

82%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Story of a lovable loser in pursuit of an elusive dream. Buddy, a frustrated singer with genuine talent, once had a shot at the big time. Discouraged from aiming too high by his pragmatic wife, Buddy's modest dreams of greatness have been reduced to an endless series of failed moneymaking schemes. But this time, Buddy is certain he has come up with a plan that will work. He wants to buy a two family house for him and his wife and convert the ground floor into a bar where Buddy can perform.

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Audience Member

Well acted and well worth your time. The cast provides depth to their characters and the story, though slow, is engaging.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

Frances H

Love Kelly MacDonald! And she's terrific in this charming little flick set in 1950s Staten Island. It's not just a vintage American slice of life, but also a gentle morality tale about the search for the American Dream and the nature of prejudice.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/12/13

Full Review

Audience Member

Well-acted but slow-moving and obvious.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Absolutely delightful in every way! I will definitely watch it again. Masterful performances. Unique and charming story, well told.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A Staten Island tough buys a house that he wants to turn into a bar, but first he must contend with the Irish immigrant residents. This film begins slowly. For at least the first act and a good portion of the second act, Buddy is a cliche; he's a New Yorker with an assortment of meathead friends and a vocabulary that doesn't extend beyond what one might hear during fifth grade recess. He has the usual catalog of get-rich-quick schemes, and if you've seen Matt Dillon's character in Mr. Wonderful, you've heard all this before. But midway through the second act, it becomes clear that writer/director Raymond DeFelitta means to have Buddy stand in for the American Dream. The film's metaphors become clear: the racism against the Irish immigrant family, the racism against Mary's half-black child, the enormous financial hardship with which the families must contend are all facets of American history and the struggle of everyday American families. And by the end, the good people maintain peace and form a connection. It's sweet and maybe a little maudlin, but I think it works. The performance by Michael Rispoli snuck up on me, just as the complexities of Buddy's character; I thought he was fair, but he mined Buddy for depth by the end of the film. The same goes for Kelly McDonald. Overall, there is a lot to like about this film if you don't give up on it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Moves along at a slow pace so you can enjoy every minute of it.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

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Raymond De Felitta

Director

Michael Rispoli

Buddy Visalo

Kelly Macdonald

Mary O'Neary

Kathrine Narducci

Estelle Visalo

Kevin Conway

Jim O'Neary

Matt Servitto

Chipmunk

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Lisa Schwarzbaum

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: A-

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Globe and Mail

Rated: 3/4

Apr 25, 2003

Full Review

Kimberley Jones

Austin Chronicle

Rated: 4/5

Mar 10, 2003

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Raymond De Felitta's Sundance Film Festival Audience Winner Two Family House (2000) is a sweet little romantic drama set in the insular Italian and Irish neighborhoods of 1956 Staten Island.

Feb 4, 2018

Full Review

Nick Davis

Nick's Flick Picks

Unfortunately, the look, pace, and structure of the film stop feeling elegantly restrained and pass into something like boilerplate mediocrity.

Rated: C

Jul 22, 2009

Full Review

Jim Lane

Sacramento News & Review

Rated: 4/5

Aug 7, 2008

Full Review

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Synopsis

Story of a lovable loser in pursuit of an elusive dream. Buddy, a frustrated singer with genuine talent, once had a shot at the big time. Discouraged from aiming too high by his pragmatic wife, Buddy's modest dreams of greatness have been reduced to an endless series of failed moneymaking schemes. But this time, Buddy is certain he has come up with a plan that will work. He wants to buy a two family house for him and his wife and convert the ground floor into a bar where Buddy can perform.

Director: Raymond De Felitta
Executive Producer: Adam Brightman, Jim Kohlberg
Screenwriter: Raymond De Felitta
Distributor: Lionsgate Films
Production Co: Filbert Steps
Rating: R (Language|Brief Sexuality)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 6, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 23, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.0M
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.66:1)