Although not as well known as the Irish celebration of St. Patrick’s Day on 17 March, only two days later on 19 March is the feast of St. Joseph, which is widely celebrated by Italian Americans, who eat special pastries to mark the occasion.
In honor of St. Joseph’s Day, these films are about Americans who visit the sights of historic Italy. Shot in famed locations such as Rome, Florence, and the Tuscan countryside, these films serve as a veritable tour of Northern Italy.
The Light In The Piazza (1962)
Based on a novel by Elizabeth Spencer, Americans Margaret Johnson (Olivia de Havilland) and her daughter Clara (Yvette Mimieux) vacation in Italy, where Florentine Fabrizio Naccarelli (George Hamilton) falls for the naive Clara, who returns his affection. But due to a childhood accident, Clara has limited mental capacity, still not having given up hope, Margaret begins to wonder if marrying Fabrizio is her only child’s chance for happiness as an adult.
The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003)
Class klutz, Lizzie (Hilary Duff), travels to Rome on a school trip abroad. Hoping to find adventure and escape former teasing, she is astonished to be approached by Italian pop star Paolo, who tells her she looks exactly like a blonde version of his brunette singing partner Isabella. Because Isabella has retreated to a secluded island, Paolo asks Lizzie to pose as Isabella for the sake of the singing partnership. Chaotic adventures ensue against the background of the sights of Rome.
My House In Umbria (2003)
HBO movie, starring Maggie Smith, as writer with checkered past, Emily Delahunty, who although British now lives in a villa in Italy. Following a horrible train bombing, she invites the fellow survivors to stay with her at the villa while recuperating. One survivor, an American little girl, Aimee, has been left parentless and traumatized into muteness. Emily and Aimee form a bound, and as the story unravels various past events are revealed.
A Good Woman (2004)
Based on the 1892 Oscar Wilde play Lady Windermere’s Fan, it tells the story of a collection of 1930s Americans vacationing on the Italian Riviera. Blackmail, rumors, and moral debates ensue as a family secret unravels threatening to destroy a marriage and “a good woman.” Until all is resolved, the story reveals the varied values and characters of a group of diverse and wealthy personalities. The movie stars Helen Hunt and Scarlett Johansson.
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