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. The film was presented in two parts. The first part aired on 17 April 2000 while the second part aired on 19 April 2000.
Contents
Plot
On 22 September 1968, the old Padre Pio is about to die in San Giovanni Rotondo, Apulia. Shortly after midnight, a mysterious Cardinal arrives come to disturb Padre Pio and taunt him with all the shortcomings of the friar during his lifetime, especially during the 50th anniversary of Pio's stigmata. Padre Pio then takes the moment to tell the Cardinal about his consecrated life, starting from childhood.
In 1895, the 8-year-old Francesco (Padre Pio) encountered God for the first time in his hometown of Campania (Pietrelcina). At the same time, 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 8-year-old Pio
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.
Reception
When the film premiered on Canale 5 on 17 April 2000, the film was watched by over 11 million people. The second episode was watched by over 12 million people, or about 45.63% of all television viewers in Italy.