Movie Review: Cabrini — Feminine Strength or Tired Cliche?
“I’m a woman, and an Italian!” the petite nun yells up at the American man from the prosecutor’s office before storming out. It is from this self-knowledge that the movie version of Mother Cabrini seems to derive her strength–not from her faith.
Having seen Angel Studio’s new movie “Cabrini” promoted by many Christian groups (and learning that its subject, Mother Cabrini, is the first North American saint) I went into the movie expecting a compelling picture of a devout woman who, fueled by the Holy Spirit, knew that the world was too small for what God could do through her.
That, it seems, was not the message of “Cabrini.” Both public and personal devotion were glossed over or ignored as the movie focused attention on gender politics. Other Christian reviews have noted its lack of allusion to Christ, or to Mother Cabrini’s Catholic faith, but I was surprised by just how absent faith was. Putting Mother Cabrini and her women in Red Cross uniforms instead of habits wouldn’t have changed anything except which bureaucracy she had to deal with.
The political and institutional Church was all too obvious–the Pope, the Vatican, petty rivalries, the tension between church and state–but the person of Jesus Christ was rarely (if ever) mentioned. In fact, there’s a lack of reverence. In one scene, Mother Cabrini and the Archbishop of New York City argue in the middle of a cathedral as the Tabernacle sits in the background, which hopefully neither historical person would ever consider an appropriate place for a shouting match.
As a nun, one would think that Mother Cabrini’s life would be steeped in prayer. She is shown once, late at night, on her knees with eyes staring fixedly, but whether into God or into the void is unclear. After a major setback in her mission, she sits in a chapel — presumably praying, but it’s not obvious. What eventually comforts her is a companion reminding her that she’s unstoppable.
Of course, Christ can speak to us and send comfort through many people and means. And it’s difficult to present faith and religious practice on screen without coming across as moralizing, cheesy, or cliche. But a movie about a determined woman pursuing a heroic mission has to show her strength coming from somewhere and give her some standard to carry into the courtyards of the Vatican and the halls of New York City. And that standard was not a clear message of Christ’s love for the needy, the importance of following God’s call, or the virtue of faith. In the movie it was “I’m a woman. Don’t mess with me.”
The director, Montjverde, responded to criticism of the lack of prayer in the movie by saying that it was obvious that a nun would be praying “We didn’t show her brushing her teeth, either.” A poor analogy. Prayer would have sustained Mother Cabrini. It’s also very obvious that Mother Cabrini is a woman, yet the movie explicitly brings it up multiple times. Maybe both are assumed, but the movie emphasizes her identity as a woman rather than her identity as a bride of Christ.
Underneath the conversations and plot runs the same old power struggle between men and women that undergirds the average Disney movie. The message of love and determination fades into the background and the message of “women are strong” is the explicit dialogue.
The world of men is represented by smoke-filled rooms of cronies drinking brandy. Into this world, Mother Cabrini strides in and tells the men what they should be prioritizing. But the movie ends with Mother Cabrini playing a political game with the mayor and then accepting her own glass of brandy as he says “It’s a pity you aren’t a man.” She retorts that men can’t do what women can.
But by this point in the movie it comes across as a wearying cliche rather than a testament to women’s unique gifts and capabilities. Clearly, sharing a drink with the enemy is not a scandalous act on its face, but the artistic choice to make that a significant scene in the movie is symbolic–and disappointing.
Is this the only way for Christian women to change society? To play the political power games and respond to opposition with a “I’d like to speak to your manager” attitude? (That’s not an exaggeration–Mother Cabrini’s common response to rejection is “did that come from [your supervisor]?”
I don’t believe “Cabrini” is a bad movie. Taken on its own, it’s a story about leaving comfort to help the oppressed and destitute. It’s a tale of perseverance and hope, with some feminist-sounding lines that might be expected in a story of what was truly a difficult position for a woman to be in. But surprisingly for a story of a nun, it’s not a devout story. Mother Cabrini’s strength seems to come from herself rather than from Christ. The Church is portrayed in a confused and negative light–just another iteration of the smoke-filled rooms of male power. It is in these rooms that Mother Cabrini’s cinematic story concludes–not to open the doors and clear the smoke, but to join the mayor for a drink after she threatens to unleash the press on him.
There’s an old saying that “a lady never tells.” Some of the strongest women I know, who have worked in politics, activism, and charities, don’t walk into work reminding everyone that they’re women and women are strong. They roll up their sleeves and get the job done, try their best to follow God’s will, and learn to handle inappropriate or insensitive comments with grace. To be a saint is not to be agreeable and likable. To be a saint is to know that your identity is inextricably connected to the person of Christ and that He is the source of your strength. “Cabrini” showed the former, but steered clear of the latter.
