Video/DVD Review: The Amati Girls
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that kids will have to adapt to this
movie's unhurried, non-MTV pace and stylings to enjoy the
drama's homage to large, loving families. Parents will be
pleased by the strong ensemble cast and rare PG rating -- but
you can get these attributes from a judicious selection of TV
programs.
Families can talk about the sisters' bonds, and how they worked
through their problems and came together when things got
tough.
THE AMATI GIRLS follows the ups and downs of four sisters of Italian heritage. Eldest sibling Grace (Mercedes Ruehl) tries to be strong for her younger sisters while dealing with her own disappointments. Christine (Sean Young), who has a young daughter, must figure out whether to divorce her husband. Unconventional sister Denise (Dinah Manoff) avoids making it official with her boyfriend, while youngest sister Dolores (Lily Knight) struggles with a mental disability caused by an accident. Meanwhile, Amati matriarch Dolly (Cloris Leachman) thinks she's found the right man, but her daughters worry about the choice.
Television is the place you'd most expect to find this type of reassuring, homey comedy-drama; optimists would call it a good sign that this feature found a wide theatrical release, even with its untrendy PG rating. Too bad the movie isn't as worthwhile as its cast of familiar faces. Fine actors can only do so much with the weak dialogue and contrived colorful characters, as the plot takes twists and turns that are shamelessly manipulative. There are good intentions at work, as writer-director Anne de Salvo inserts a statement of purpose into the script when one sister complains, "Every Italian in the movies is either a gangster or a guy with tattoos or a guy delivering pizza!"
Thus, this non-violent ensemble brings viewers the loving, churchgoing but earthy Amatis as a friendly alternative to the corrupt, amoral Capones, Sopranos, and Corleones fighting endless mob wars. That's all fine, but one viewer complained that this movie's depiction of sauce-making mamma mias is no less of a stereotype than Little Italy hoods making Offers You Cannot Refuse.
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