When his grandfather unexpectedly dies, Anthony brings his African American girlfriend Alissa (Victoria Rowell) home to meet his Italian family. Chaotic and more than a little emotional, the impromptu family reunion triggers a number of confrontations and some surprising hilarious confessions!
Tech Specs
Runtime: 94 minutes
Format: 1:85
Sound: Dolby SR
Language: English
Rating: R
Country: USA
Genre: Comedy
“…snappy and hilarious tale filled with wonderful characters and situations.” • G. Allen Johnson, SF Chronicle
“Zesty fun comedy!” • Variety
“Warm hearted…Lovingly shot… a dryly funny Adrienne Barbeau…” • Dana Stevens, NY Times
“The film offers amusing cultural critics and Mike Pagano is an exciting, emotionally accessible presence, crafting a character who is more complicated than he seems. Barbeau combines good-humored wisdom with well-seasoned beauty.” • Carla Meyer, Sacramento Bee
“Adrienne Barbeau invests the role of Anthony’s aunt with a worldly-wise sensuality that suggests a long-lost cousin of Tony Soprano.” • Chuck Wilson, LA Weekly
“Were the Paganos and director Rosario Roveto Jr. to collaborate again, this time working out the kinks, it’s conceivable that they’d acquire a cult following along the lines of Christopher Guest. While Wake isn’t a parody persay, its outlandish interweaving of reality and character’s collective hysteria give it a vibe similar to Guest’s mockumentaries.” • Molly Kincaid, Knoxville Metro Pulse
“…endearing, with good ensemble scenes and strong acting…” • Melissa Levine, SF Weekly
“…warm hearted comedy with Adrienne Barbeau bringing busty glamour even to the role of a family matron…” • LA City Beat
“If you had a script called “My Big Fat Italian Funeral” and you combined it with “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” the result would be Rosario Roveto’s comedy “A Wake in Providence”. But underscoring the goofy high jinks are ideas about what it takes to hold a family together and they are amusing actors who know their Italian types and bring them to the screen with love, Italian style.” • Deborah Hornblow, Hartford Courant
“A tribute to the contemporary Italian family this light hearted comedy touches upon the boisterous and emotionally turbulent Italian family while simultaneously dealing with some weighty issues.” • L’Italo-Americano
“Dodging the goombahs and goofballs are the leads, who bring a measure of sanity to the proceedings. Rowell endows her Sidney Poitier role with dignity…You’ll need a taste for Italian seasoning to fully appreciate A Wake in Providence. But there are just enough unpredictable flavors to make you feel like you’re trying something a little bit new.” • Kent Williams, Madison State Times
