Cristiana Dell’Anna & David Morse Preach Kindness in Cabrini

Summary

• Cabrini portrays Mother Cabrini’s inspiring mission of inclusion and integration in a democratic society.
• Dell’Anna infused her scenes with personal touches to enhance Mother Cabrini’s message of empowerment.
• The film highlights the emotional depth of characters like Mother Cabrini and Archbishop Corrigan in the face of adversity.

Italian actress Cristiana Dell’Anna has a star-making performance in the powerfully emotional Cabrini. She portrays the kind and devoted nun on her journey to sainthood. Mother Maria Francesca Cabrini, and the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, arrived in New York City on March 31, 1889. Directed by Alejandro Monteverde, Cabrini displays the horrific racism and xenophobia faced by poor Italian immigrants.

Her mission to help the starving and abandoned children of Five Points was initially blocked by Irish Archbishop Michael Corrigan. The venerable David Morse co-stars as a patriarchal figure initially unnerved by Mother Cabrini’s formidable determination. Morse hopes that Cabrini will “open up” hearts. While Dell’Anna agrees that “we are all equal,” Mother Cabrini’s message was that “of inclusion and integration. That’s the only way for us to live together in a democratic society.”

Dell’Anna says she had “scenes in the movie where I actually added things that I thought she would say.” Mother Cabrini rescues and has a profound effect on Vittoria (Romana Maggiora Vergano), a prostitute controlled by a merciless pimp. Dell’Anna felt “very motherly” towards her. They shot their most heartbreaking scene on Vergano’s first day. Morse comments on working with the great John Lithgow, a scene stealer as the city’s cruel mayor, “We’ve known about each other forever, and finally get to do something.” Morse humbly praises Lithgow, “I know there was one master of his craft in the room, and that would be him for sure.” Please watch above and read below our complete interview with Cristiana Dell’Anna and David Morse, who also recollects his role as the villain on House.

Morse and Dell’Anna Hope Cabrini Will Open Hearts

MovieWeb:Cabrini comes at a time when xenophobia, racism, and sexism are really infiltrating the American discourse in a way we haven’t seen in a long time. So I’m going to start with a hard question. What do you hope audiences will get from watching Cabrini, as far as understanding these problems, and how it relates to what’s going on now?

David Morse: We’re just opening up their hearts. If you come in the movie and are not touched by it, that’d be pretty remarkable. I think that’s really it, opening your hearts.

Cristiana Dell’Anna: Yeah, that we are all equal, as she says. They will see the message she tries to send is that of a world of inclusion and integration. That’s the only way for us to be living together in a democratic society.

Morse: [There’s] nobody she won’t help. Somebody needs help, you help them. And it was worldwide, eventually, that she extended that.

MW: Your characters, Mother Cabrini and Archbishop Corrigan, have this adversarial relationship in the beginning. Then he kind of comes to her side as he realizes what she’s doing to try to help these kids and Italians. How do you inhabit these characters? Is it all in the script, or were you both able to do further research?

Morse: Well, it’s a combination. It’s in the script. Rod [Barr], who wrote the screenplay, he did years of research.

Dell’Anna: He did it for us (laughs).

Morse: Really, he did, but we had to do our own, obviously. There’s so much in that screenplay. We had a big head start with all of that.

Cabrini Says We Choose Our Destiny

MW: Cristiana, the scenes that I found very striking for you were the ones with you and the children. The scene with Victoria where she says, there’s not enough water to clean me in the world. It just kind of stabs me in the heart. Can you talk about filming that scene?

Dell’Anna: Well, I’m happy you brought it up. Actually, because a few lines in there, I put there.

Morse: Oh, nice…

Dell’Anna: Yes, I wanted to. There are some scenes in the movie where I actually added things that I thought she would say. So I’m very fond of that scene because I want her to say that we don’t choose how we come into the world, but we choose how we live in it. That’s very true to the character and the film. We shape reality as we think it. So, if we help each other, if we’re there for each other, the small act of goodness is already doing something to shape it. Yeah, I just loved doing it. Also, because that was the first scene I shot with Romana [Maggiora Vergano].

Morse: Wow…

Dell’Anna: It could have been her first as well.

Morse: What a first scene to start with.

Dell’Anna: Yeah, she was also, you know, a little nervous because I had already started, and she’d come halfway through.

Morse: That’s beautiful.

Dell’Anna: Yes. It was beautiful. It felt like welcoming her on set. I felt very motherly towards her. It felt nice.

MW: David, the scenes with you and John Lithgow, two masters of their craft. What can you tell us about that opening scene where he’s basically shaking you down?

Morse: Well, I never met John. We’ve obviously never met. But we’ve known about each other forever, and finally get to do something. I know there was one master of his craft in the room, and that would be him for sure. I get to see him pull that off. What was illuminating in that scene, I don’t think I even understood it until we did it, is the moment where he talks about being a shepherd. When I read the script, originally, I was looking at the last scene, where we get to. But when we did that scene, because of the way he did it, who he is, I was really struck. And in there, in that moment, it really helped me a lot. So I give the credit to him.

David Morse on his Villainous House M.D. Arc

MW: David, House, to this day, is one of the most popular television shows that people talk to us about. It’s still a huge hit. What do you remember about your time on the show?

Morse: House, oh for crying out loud, my six episodes on House, they became another thing that people watched all over the world. It was the most popular TV show in the world. When I did my six episodes, there was no character that ever stood up to Dr. House. I didn’t even want to do it because I couldn’t stand the character. My family and friends talked me into doing it. I’m so glad I did it. And got to play that character that stood up to him. It was really fun to do.

MW: Cristiana, you are spectacular in this film. Are we going to see you in more American films?

Dell’Anna: I certainly do hope so (laughs).

Morse: I’m predicting that you will.

Cabrini will be released theatrically on March 8th, 2024, from Angel Studios.