kathleen hendriks

Wish I could give this 6 stars! One of the best movies of the decade, so sensationally written, and inspiringly acted by Cristiana Dell’Anna, who perfectly embodied the zest, tenacity, love and indelible determination to be a missionary to her fellow immigrants of New York and America. Artfully told with tremendously good cinematography, script, acting, editing and score. The scenes of turn-of-the-century New York, (and even of the Vatican), transported you back to a time when immigrants were hated and discriminated against, children were easily orphaned by death and disaster, and there was little if any help or dignity for these urchins of America. But Mother Cabrini is a triumph by the way she stubbornly works to see that they are given dignity, clothes, food and a place to sleep away from the sewers and rats. The storyline moves intentionally on to show the obstacles, hardship, and distain through which Cabrini surmounts, sometimes with help of a good-hearted doctor or the archbishop who slowly accepts and yields to the power of this sister's faith and that of her order. I like that they included a storyline on an Opera singer, well played by Rolando Villazon, who is drawn into Cabrini's web of supporters by interesting means. I could go on and on but all this to say that this movie is remarkable, and it's always inspiring to see what one person can do and believe in the power of God to help us love our neighbor, no matter who that may be.