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Saint Monica (film)
Encyclopedia
Saint Monica is a 2002
Canadian film written and directed by Terrance Odette. It was nominated for Best Lead Performance by a Female actress (Genevieve Buechner) in a Feature Length Drama at the 2002 Leo Awards
and won Best Achievement in Music for an Original Song ("Com Estas Asas" by Carlos Lopes) at the 2003 Genie Awards.
and Blessed Virgin Mary figurines
the way other girls play with dolls
. She sneaks out of the house to go to church.
Set in Toronto's
Portuguese-Canadian community, Monica lives with her mother Icelia (Brigitte Bako
) and lethargic uncle Albert (Maurizio Terrazzano
) in a basement suite. Icelia has just gotten out of an abusive relationship and has recently moved to a new neighborhood to avoid her ex.
Genevieve Buechner
plays the title character, a lonely and less-than-saintly 10-year-old girl. Her uncle is in charge of watching her while her mom is at work, which is most of the time. Albert hates looking after his niece and would rather watch movies in peace. One day, Monica blackmails him into giving her a ride to her old church. She finds them in the midst of organizing their annual procession
and, even though she wasn't invited, she sneaks in. When she lived in her old neighborhood she had her heart set on playing an angel in her church's parade. Unfortunately, since she moved away, she is not allowed to participate anymore.
Left without a place in the procession, the distraught girl steals a pair of archangel wings from the church's costume department as compensation--only to lose them on the streetcar home.
A little searching reveals them to have landed in the hands of a homeless woman
named Mary (Clare Coulter); Mary is also obsessed with collecting religious artifacts. She spends her time reciting Hail Mary
s and challenging her faith in a God by crossing busy lanes of traffic while clad in the wings.
Mary's importance to Monica is obvious as she is the one who has the young girl's wings. After they form a bond that goes beyond friendship, it's a certainty that she's also a mentor
. With Mary in the picture, Monica is better in touch with herself but she's also getting into more trouble.
The rest of the movie concerns the girl's lies to cover up her deeds, her attempts to recover the wings in time to return them, and her unique relationship with Mary.
2002 in film
The year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of...
Canadian film written and directed by Terrance Odette. It was nominated for Best Lead Performance by a Female actress (Genevieve Buechner) in a Feature Length Drama at the 2002 Leo Awards
Leo Awards
The Leo Awards are the awards program for the British Columbia film and television industry, celebrating excellence in artistic achievement. Held each May in Vancouver, Canada, the Leo Awards honour nominees and winners in 13 program categories and up to 19 craft categories...
and won Best Achievement in Music for an Original Song ("Com Estas Asas" by Carlos Lopes) at the 2003 Genie Awards.
Plot
Saint Monica is the story of a young girl who is intrigued with her Roman Catholic upbringing. Monica likes to play with angelAngel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
and Blessed Virgin Mary figurines
Figurine
A figurine is a statuette that represents a human, deity or animal. Figurines may be realistic or iconic, depending on the skill and intention of the creator. The earliest were made of stone or clay...
the way other girls play with dolls
Doll
A doll is a model of a human being, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have traditionally been used in magic and religious rituals throughout the world, and traditional dolls made of materials like clay and wood are found in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. The earliest documented dolls...
. She sneaks out of the house to go to church.
Set in Toronto's
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
Portuguese-Canadian community, Monica lives with her mother Icelia (Brigitte Bako
Brigitte Bako
Brigitte Bako is a Canadian actress known for her role on Red Shoe Diaries. She also wrote, produced and starred in the adult comedy G-Spot.-Life and career:...
) and lethargic uncle Albert (Maurizio Terrazzano
Maurizio Terrazzano
-Filmography:*Bonanno: A Godfather's Story .... Albert Anastasia *Big Wolf on Campus .... O'Reilly *The Hunger .... Tommy *Tag .... Santana...
) in a basement suite. Icelia has just gotten out of an abusive relationship and has recently moved to a new neighborhood to avoid her ex.
Genevieve Buechner
Genevieve Buechner
Genevieve Buechner is a Canadian actress. Her stepfather is folk musician Geoff Berner.-Biography:Genevieve Buechner was born in Edmonton, Alberta, to single parent mother Tea Buechner. When her family moved to Vancouver, she took a small course in acting from the Vancouver Youth Theatre...
plays the title character, a lonely and less-than-saintly 10-year-old girl. Her uncle is in charge of watching her while her mom is at work, which is most of the time. Albert hates looking after his niece and would rather watch movies in peace. One day, Monica blackmails him into giving her a ride to her old church. She finds them in the midst of organizing their annual procession
Procession
A procession is an organized body of people advancing in a formal or ceremonial manner.-Procession elements:...
and, even though she wasn't invited, she sneaks in. When she lived in her old neighborhood she had her heart set on playing an angel in her church's parade. Unfortunately, since she moved away, she is not allowed to participate anymore.
Left without a place in the procession, the distraught girl steals a pair of archangel wings from the church's costume department as compensation--only to lose them on the streetcar home.
Homelessness in Canada
Homelessness in Canada has grown in size and complexity in recent years. While historically known as a crisis only of urban centres such as Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and Montreal, the increasing incidence of homelessness in the suburbs is necessitating new services and resources.The demographic...
named Mary (Clare Coulter); Mary is also obsessed with collecting religious artifacts. She spends her time reciting Hail Mary
Hail Mary
The Angelic Salutation, Hail Mary, or Ave Maria is a traditional biblical Catholic prayer asking for the intercession of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. The Hail Mary is used within the Catholic Church, and it forms the basis of the Rosary...
s and challenging her faith in a God by crossing busy lanes of traffic while clad in the wings.
Mary's importance to Monica is obvious as she is the one who has the young girl's wings. After they form a bond that goes beyond friendship, it's a certainty that she's also a mentor
Mentor
In Greek mythology, Mentor was the son of Alcimus or Anchialus. In his old age Mentor was a friend of Odysseus who placed Mentor and Odysseus' foster-brother Eumaeus in charge of his son Telemachus, and of Odysseus' palace, when Odysseus left for the Trojan War.When Athena visited Telemachus she...
. With Mary in the picture, Monica is better in touch with herself but she's also getting into more trouble.
The rest of the movie concerns the girl's lies to cover up her deeds, her attempts to recover the wings in time to return them, and her unique relationship with Mary.