A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints
Encyclopedia
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints is a 2006
American
drama film
based on a 2001 memoir
of the same name by author and musician Dito Montiel
, which describes his youth in Astoria, New York during the 1980s.
Montiel wrote and directed the film adaptation, which was released in the United States in September and October 2006 and in Europe in March 2007. The film stars Robert Downey, Jr. as Montiel with Shia LaBeouf
as a younger Montiel.
The film's narrative jumps frequently between 2006 and flashbacks from 1986 (filmed largely with shaky camera
with short shots
) with characters occasionally addressing the viewer.
(Robert Downey Jr.
) is a successful writer in Los Angeles
. One day, after being urged by his mother, Flori (Dianne Wiest
), and his friend, Nerf (Scott Campbell), Dito visits his childhood home, Astoria, New York, because his father has suddenly become very ill. The film switches back and forth between the present and flashbacks with Dito's memories in the summer of 1986.
Dito meets Nerf, and talks with him in a parked car, where they can talk undisturbed, which would not have been possible at Nerf's house. Dito then visits Laurie (Rosario Dawson
), his childhood sweetheart, who is now a mother. They only talk through the open window; she does not let him in. Dito finally visits his father, Monty (Chazz Palminteri
). Monty used to ignore Dito's feelings, and he didn't want Dito to travel. He is angry at Dito for leaving, and for not returning sooner to visit; he then sends Dito away. Laurie urges him to be a man and come to terms with his father, who was heartbroken when he left. Dito does leave, but returns later, to insist that he takes his father to the hospital.
Antonio (Channing Tatum
), an over-confident, volatile boy with an abusive
father, eventually kills someone: the Puerto Rican
gangmember Reaper (Michael Rivera), as payback for an attack on Dito.
Dito remembers Antonio's younger brother, Giuseppe (Adam Scarimbolo) - reckless, destructive, and possibly insane. In the 1980s, Giuseppe lay on a subway track; in spite of urgent warnings from his brother Antonio and Nerf, that a train was coming, he failed to get back on the platform and was killed
Mike O'Shea (Martin Compston
), another friend of Dito's, was a Scottish boy who dreamed of becoming a musician. Mike and Dito had planned to go to California on a bus. They worked for a gay
man, Frank (Anthony de Sando
), with a dog-walking business. They went to his house to collect the wages he was slow in paying. At first he did not listen to them, but then he gave them all the money he kept in the refrigerator, more than he owed them and told them to leave town. Shortly after, Mike was murdered by a member of a Puerto Rican gang in retaliation for the murder of Reaper, after which Dito travelled alone to California.
Dito visits the adult Antonio (Eric Roberts
) in prison and sees him as a changed man of wisdom. The film concludes with the two of them sitting down in conversation.
Initially, Montiel refused to see LaBeouf for the part, having only seen him as the "Disney guy." Once he got to audition for the role, he "fucked his office up," putting a "hole through the wall" and went as "crazy" as he could in order to change the image Montiel had of him to land the part.
states that all the characters in the film are a combination of at least three people and sometimes six or seven, although some characters are given the names of people from real life. Listed below are some of the main differences between four characters and their real-life counterparts.
has the crime he committed blanked out.
, England.
.
Gijón International Film Festival
Independent Spirit Awards
of the film was released on February 20, 2007 in the United States.
2006 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006...
American
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
based on a 2001 memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
of the same name by author and musician Dito Montiel
Dito Montiel
Dito Montiel, born as Orlandito Montiel, is an American author, screenwriter, director and musician.Born in New York City, he came into the public eye after the breakup of his hardcore punk band Major Conflict...
, which describes his youth in Astoria, New York during the 1980s.
Montiel wrote and directed the film adaptation, which was released in the United States in September and October 2006 and in Europe in March 2007. The film stars Robert Downey, Jr. as Montiel with Shia LaBeouf
Shia LaBeouf
Shia Saide LaBeouf is an American actor who became known among younger audiences for his part in the Disney Channel series Even Stevens and made his film debut in Holes . In 2007, he starred as the leads in Disturbia and Transformers...
as a younger Montiel.
The film's narrative jumps frequently between 2006 and flashbacks from 1986 (filmed largely with shaky camera
Shaky camera
Shaky camera, shaky cam, hand-held camera or free camera is a cinematographic technique where stable-image techniques are purposely dispensed with. The camera is held in the hand, or given the appearance of being hand-held, and in many cases shots are limited to what one photographer could have...
with short shots
Shot (film)
In film, a shot is a continuous strip of motion picture film, created of a series of frames, that runs for an uninterrupted period of time. Shots are generally filmed with a single camera and can be of any duration. A shot in production, defined by the beginning and end of a capturing process, is...
) with characters occasionally addressing the viewer.
Plot
DitoDito Montiel
Dito Montiel, born as Orlandito Montiel, is an American author, screenwriter, director and musician.Born in New York City, he came into the public eye after the breakup of his hardcore punk band Major Conflict...
(Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr.
Robert John Downey, Jr. is an American actor. Downey made his screen debut in 1970 at the age of five when he appeared in his father's film Pound, and has worked consistently in film and television ever since. During the 1980s he had roles in a series of coming of age films associated with the...
) is a successful writer in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. One day, after being urged by his mother, Flori (Dianne Wiest
Dianne Wiest
Dianne Wiest is an American actress. She has had a successful career on stage, television, and film, and has won two Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. Wiest has also been nominated for a BAFTA Award.-Early life:...
), and his friend, Nerf (Scott Campbell), Dito visits his childhood home, Astoria, New York, because his father has suddenly become very ill. The film switches back and forth between the present and flashbacks with Dito's memories in the summer of 1986.
Dito meets Nerf, and talks with him in a parked car, where they can talk undisturbed, which would not have been possible at Nerf's house. Dito then visits Laurie (Rosario Dawson
Rosario Dawson
Rosario Isabel Dawson is an American actress, singer, and writer. She has appeared in films such as Kids, Men in Black II, 25th Hour, Sin City, Clerks II, Rent, Death Proof, The Rundown, Eagle Eye, Alexander, Seven Pounds, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Unstoppable.-Early...
), his childhood sweetheart, who is now a mother. They only talk through the open window; she does not let him in. Dito finally visits his father, Monty (Chazz Palminteri
Chazz Palminteri
Calogero Lorenzo "Chazz" Palminteri is an American actor and writer, best known for his performances in The Usual Suspects, A Bronx Tale, and his Academy Award nominated role for Best Supporting Actor in Bullets Over Broadway....
). Monty used to ignore Dito's feelings, and he didn't want Dito to travel. He is angry at Dito for leaving, and for not returning sooner to visit; he then sends Dito away. Laurie urges him to be a man and come to terms with his father, who was heartbroken when he left. Dito does leave, but returns later, to insist that he takes his father to the hospital.
Antonio (Channing Tatum
Channing Tatum
Channing Matthew Tatum is an American actor and film producer. He began his career as a fashion model and appearing in television commercials for Pepsi and Mountain Dew before turning to film roles...
), an over-confident, volatile boy with an abusive
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
father, eventually kills someone: the Puerto Rican
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
gangmember Reaper (Michael Rivera), as payback for an attack on Dito.
Dito remembers Antonio's younger brother, Giuseppe (Adam Scarimbolo) - reckless, destructive, and possibly insane. In the 1980s, Giuseppe lay on a subway track; in spite of urgent warnings from his brother Antonio and Nerf, that a train was coming, he failed to get back on the platform and was killed
Mike O'Shea (Martin Compston
Martin Compston
Martin Compston is a Scottish actor and former professional footballer. He is perhaps most notable for his role as Liam in Sweet Sixteen, and for his role as Ewan Brodie in Monarch of the Glen.- Biography :...
), another friend of Dito's, was a Scottish boy who dreamed of becoming a musician. Mike and Dito had planned to go to California on a bus. They worked for a gay
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
man, Frank (Anthony de Sando
Anthony DeSando
Anthony De Sando , also known as Anthony Joseph De Santis, is an American actor. He is of Italian descent, his grandparents were immigrants from the southern Italian regions, they emigrated due to better work opportunities to the United States...
), with a dog-walking business. They went to his house to collect the wages he was slow in paying. At first he did not listen to them, but then he gave them all the money he kept in the refrigerator, more than he owed them and told them to leave town. Shortly after, Mike was murdered by a member of a Puerto Rican gang in retaliation for the murder of Reaper, after which Dito travelled alone to California.
Dito visits the adult Antonio (Eric Roberts
Eric Roberts
Eric Anthony Roberts is an American actor. His career began with King of the Gypsies , earning a Golden Globe nomination for best actor debut. He starred as the protagonist in the 1980 dramatisation of Willa Cather's 1905 short story, Paul's Case...
) in prison and sees him as a changed man of wisdom. The film concludes with the two of them sitting down in conversation.
Cast
- Robert Downey Jr.Robert Downey Jr.Robert John Downey, Jr. is an American actor. Downey made his screen debut in 1970 at the age of five when he appeared in his father's film Pound, and has worked consistently in film and television ever since. During the 1980s he had roles in a series of coming of age films associated with the...
as Dito MontielDito MontielDito Montiel, born as Orlandito Montiel, is an American author, screenwriter, director and musician.Born in New York City, he came into the public eye after the breakup of his hardcore punk band Major Conflict...
- Shia LaBeoufShia LaBeoufShia Saide LaBeouf is an American actor who became known among younger audiences for his part in the Disney Channel series Even Stevens and made his film debut in Holes . In 2007, he starred as the leads in Disturbia and Transformers...
as young Dito
- Shia LaBeouf
- Rosario DawsonRosario DawsonRosario Isabel Dawson is an American actress, singer, and writer. She has appeared in films such as Kids, Men in Black II, 25th Hour, Sin City, Clerks II, Rent, Death Proof, The Rundown, Eagle Eye, Alexander, Seven Pounds, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Unstoppable.-Early...
as Laurie- Melonie DiazMelonie DiazMelonie Diaz is an American actress who has been appeared in many independent films, including four shown at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.-Biography:...
as young Laurie
- Melonie Diaz
- Eric RobertsEric RobertsEric Anthony Roberts is an American actor. His career began with King of the Gypsies , earning a Golden Globe nomination for best actor debut. He starred as the protagonist in the 1980 dramatisation of Willa Cather's 1905 short story, Paul's Case...
as Antonio- Channing TatumChanning TatumChanning Matthew Tatum is an American actor and film producer. He began his career as a fashion model and appearing in television commercials for Pepsi and Mountain Dew before turning to film roles...
as young Antonio
- Channing Tatum
- Chazz PalminteriChazz PalminteriCalogero Lorenzo "Chazz" Palminteri is an American actor and writer, best known for his performances in The Usual Suspects, A Bronx Tale, and his Academy Award nominated role for Best Supporting Actor in Bullets Over Broadway....
as Monty Montiel - Dianne WiestDianne WiestDianne Wiest is an American actress. She has had a successful career on stage, television, and film, and has won two Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. Wiest has also been nominated for a BAFTA Award.-Early life:...
as Flori Montiel - Scott Campbell as Nerf
- Peter Tambakis as young Nerf
- Federico CastelluccioFederico CastelluccioFederico Castelluccio is an Italian-American actor and professional visual artist, who is best known for his role as Furio Giunta on the HBO TV series, The Sopranos.-Early life:...
as Antonio / Giuseppe's father - Adam Scarimbolo as Giuseppe
- Martin CompstonMartin CompstonMartin Compston is a Scottish actor and former professional footballer. He is perhaps most notable for his role as Liam in Sweet Sixteen, and for his role as Ewan Brodie in Monarch of the Glen.- Biography :...
as Mike O'Shea - Anthony de SandoAnthony DeSandoAnthony De Sando , also known as Anthony Joseph De Santis, is an American actor. He is of Italian descent, his grandparents were immigrants from the southern Italian regions, they emigrated due to better work opportunities to the United States...
as Frank the dog walker - Michael Rivera as Reaper
- Eleonore Hendricks as Jenny
- Julia Garro as Diane
Production
This film was Montiel's directorial debut.Initially, Montiel refused to see LaBeouf for the part, having only seen him as the "Disney guy." Once he got to audition for the role, he "fucked his office up," putting a "hole through the wall" and went as "crazy" as he could in order to change the image Montiel had of him to land the part.
Characters
Dito MontielDito Montiel
Dito Montiel, born as Orlandito Montiel, is an American author, screenwriter, director and musician.Born in New York City, he came into the public eye after the breakup of his hardcore punk band Major Conflict...
states that all the characters in the film are a combination of at least three people and sometimes six or seven, although some characters are given the names of people from real life. Listed below are some of the main differences between four characters and their real-life counterparts.
Laurie
Montiel said that he made the film because “I wanted to walk down those streets again and fall in love with Laurie again, it would have been nice to have had that moment at the end of the film where Dito met Laurie, reconnecting as adults." The real-life Laurie died two years earlier from AIDS.Antonio
Montiel states that Antonio is a composite of three people. The book mentions a kid named Antonio Ruggeria who was sent to prison for manslaughter, escaped, and was later sent to prison again for things "that are even beyond putting in a movie that people might find redeemable." In the book, a copy of a newspaper article describing Antonio's escape from Rikers IslandRikers Island
Rikers Island is New York City's main jail complex, as well as the name of the island on which it sits, in the East River between Queens and the mainland Bronx, adjacent to the runways of LaGuardia Airport. The island itself is part of the borough of the Bronx, though it is included as part of...
has the crime he committed blanked out.
Giuseppe
The film shows Giuseppe getting killed on a subway track. The inspiration for the scene was a kid named Billy who was "riding" trains when he was killed. The real Giuseppe Ruggeria is a career criminal who was deported to Milan. Montiel describes the real Giuseppe as being like a cat. "The train would come and two seconds later he would pop up."Mike
The Scottish character Mike is a composite of a man named Mike O'Shea; a kid named Ray, who used to go to the city with Dito, sniff amyl nitrite and smoke hashish; and Angelo Ruggeria (a younger brother of Antonio) who was later murdered. The real Mike O'Shea is Irish, alive, married, and living in EssexEssex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England.
Reception
The film only made $2,035,468 worldwide. It currently holds a 75% "Certified Fresh" rating on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
.
Awards and nominations
Sundance Film FestivalSundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
| Year | Group | Award | Won? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Director's Award | Dramatic, for Dito Montiel | Yes | |
| Special Jury Prize | Dramatic, for the ensemble cast | Yes | Shared between Robert Downey Jr., Shia LaBeouf, Rosario Dawson, Chazz Palminteri, Dianne Wiest, and Channing Tatum | |
| Grand Jury Prize | Dramatic, for Dito Montiel | No |
Gijón International Film Festival
Gijón International Film Festival
Gijón International Film Festival was created in 1963. It was born as an initiative of the local authority and it was sponsored mainly by Gijón City Council and the then Caja de Ahorros de Asturias ; both institutions are still the main organisers of the festival, along with funding from the...
| Year | Group | Award | Won? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Best Actor | Dramatic, for Adam Scarimbolo | Yes |
Independent Spirit Awards
Independent Spirit Awards
The Independent Spirit Awards , founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glass pyramids containing suspended shoestrings representing the paltry budgets of independent films. In 1986, the event was renamed the Independent Spirit...
| Year | Group | Award | Won? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Best First Screenplay | for Dito Montiel | No | Lost to "Little Miss Sunshine Little Miss Sunshine Little Miss Sunshine is a 2006 American comedy-drama film. The road movie's plot follows a family's trip to a children's beauty pageant.Little Miss Sunshine was the directorial film debut of the husband-wife team of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. The screenplay was written by first-time writer... " |
| Best Supporting Male | for Channing Tatum | No | Lost to Alan Arkin Alan Arkin Alan Wolf Arkin is an American actor, director, musician and singer. He is known for starring in such films as Wait Until Dark, The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Catch-22, The In-Laws, Edward Scissorhands, Glengarry Glen Ross, Marley & Me, and... for "Little Miss Sunshine" |
|
| Best Supporting Female | for Melonie Diaz | No | Lost to Frances McDormand Frances McDormand Frances Louise McDormand is an American film and stage actress. She has starred in a number of films, including her Academy Award-winning performance as Marge Gunderson in Fargo, in 1996... for "Friends With Money Friends with Money Friends with Money is a 2006 film written and directed by Nicole Holofcener. It opened the 2006 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2006 and went into limited release in North America on April 7, 2006.-Plot:... " |
Home video release
The DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
of the film was released on February 20, 2007 in the United States.