Padre Pio: Miracle Man

*Padre Pio: Miracle Man*
Padre Pio: Miracle Man
Written by	Massimo De Rita; Mario Falcone; Carlo Carlei
Directed by	Carlo Carlei
Starring	Sergio Castellitto
Composer	Paolo Buonvino
Country of origin	Italy
Original language	Italian
Production
Producer	Angelo Rizzoli
Cinematography	Gino Sgreva
Editor	Claudio Di Mauro
Running time	206 min.; 159 min (DVD cut edition)
Original release
Network	Canale 5
Release	17 April –; 19 April 2000

Padre Pio: Miracle Man (Italian: Padre Pio) is a 2000 Italian television movie directed by Carlo Carlei. The film is based on the book Padre Pio: Man of Hope by Renzo Allegri and it depicts real life events of Roman Catholic friar and later Saint Pio of Pietrelcina.^[1]^[2] The film was presented in two parts. The first part aired on 17 April 2000 while the second part aired on 19 April 2000.^[3]

Plot

1968: in San Giovanni Rotondo, Apulia, the old Padre Pio is dying, seriously ill. During the night, there comes a mysterious Cardinal, who seems to come just to disturb Padre Pio and taunt him with all the shortcomings of the friar during his lifetime. Padre Pio then captures the moment to tell all his secrets, starting from childhood.

The young Francesco (Padre Pio), was born in a small town in Campania (Pietrelcina), and underwent talks with God, but he was also besieged and tormented by the Devil, who manifested himself in the shape of a black dog. After a few miracles, Francesco became a novice and went first to Molise, then to Pietrelcina (his hometown), and then to San Giovanni Rotondo. He also received the stigmata from God for his faithfulness, and in a convent in Apulia he decided to stay for life. Immediately, his fame grows throughout Italy, but the Vatican thinks that the stigmata are false, and condemns Padre Pio. But the crowd of faithful is growing, and at the end of the story the Pope decides to change his mind.

Cast

Sergio Castellitto as Pio
- Loris Pazienza as Pio as a child
- Elio Germano as 16-year-old Pio
Jürgen Prochnow as The Apostolic Visitator
Lorenza Indovina as Cleonice
Pierfrancesco Favino as Emanuele Brunatto
Flavio Insinna as Father Paolino
Raffaele Castria as Father Agostino of San Marco in Lamis
Anita Zagaria as Pio's Mother
Adolfo Lastretti as Father Raffaele
Andrea Buscemi as The Superior
Franco Trevisi as Bishop of Manfredonia
Renato Marchetti as Father Pellegrino
Pietro Biondi as Senior Prelate
Gianni Bonagura as Father Benedetto
Roberto Chevalier as Father Agostino Gemelli
Rosa Pianeta as Carmela Morcaldi
Tosca D'Aquino as Lea Padovani
Mario Erpichini as Monsignor Macchi
Camillo Milli as Monsignor Pannullo
Andrea Tidona as Doctor

Production

The film was filmed between November 1999 and February 2000 in San Giovanni Rotondo, Nepi and Oriolo Romano.^[4]^[5]^[6]

Reception

When the film premiered on Canale 5 on 17 April 2000, the film was watched by over 11 million people.^[7] The second episode was watched by over 12 million people, or about 45.63% of all television viewers in Italy.^[8]

References

^ Sergio Perugini (November 2011). Testimoni di fede, trionfatori di audience. Effata Editrice IT, 2011. ISBN 978-8874027323.
^ Silvia Fumarola (15 April 2000). "Padre Pio, il miracolo Castellitto". La Repubblica. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
^ Robiony, Simonetta (15 April 2000). "Castellitto: temevo di non riuscire". La Stampa (in Italian). p. 28. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
^ "Sergio Castellitto diventa Padre Pio - la Repubblica.it". La Repubblica (in Italian). 13 November 1999. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
^ "FICTION: CASTELLITTO, IL MIO PADRE PIO SENZA EFFETTI SPECIALI". Adnkronos. 1 February 2000. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
^ "Sergio Castellitto racconta il 'suo' padre Pio". Famiglia Cristiana. 16 January 2000. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
^ Robiony, Simonetta (19 April 2000). "Padre Pio e l'esercito di santi in tv". La Stampa (in Italian). p. 30. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
^ Comazzi, Alessandra (21 April 2000). "Un altro record per Padre Pio Giornalisti retrocessi, arriva Totò". La Stampa (in Italian). Retrieved 25 February 2023.