A Wake In Providence (1999)

70% of critics liked it
(10 reviews)
44% of users liked it
(62 ratings)

Anthony (Vincent Pagano) is a white fledging actor who is in a happy relationship with Alissa (Victoria Rowell), who is beautiful, gainfully employed, and black. In spite of being sharply reminded that it has been 30 years since Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Anthony is reluctant to introduce her to… More Anthony (Vincent Pagano) is a white fledging actor who is in a happy relationship with Alissa (Victoria Rowell), who is beautiful, gainfully employed, and black. In spite of being sharply reminded that it has been 30 years since Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Anthony is reluctant to introduce her to his large traditional-minded family. Yet when Alissa does accompany Anthony home when his grandfather dies, he learns that race is only one of many issues this eccentric family contends with; two of Anthony's cousins are under the mistaken belief that they are wanted by the mob, his uncle talks endlessly about his testicles, and his aunt takes Alissa aside and tells her that the only way to survive in this wacky family is to drink. A Wake in Providence was screened at the 1999 Boston Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 34 min.
Directed By: Rosario Roveto Jr.
Genres: Comedy

In Theaters: Apr 15, 2005 Wide
On DVD: Nov 7, 2006
Studio: Indican Pictures

Critic Reviews

Dana Stevens, New York Times
A warm-hearted ethnic comedy in the vein of My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle
Hilarious and filled with wonderful characters and situations.
Daniel M. Kimmel, Variety
Zesty indie comedy from Rhode Island is a winner, with ethnic humor easily mixing with universal truths about dealing with families.
Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide
[A] witless farce.
Chuck Wilson, L.A. Weekly
The performers' warmth and air of good cheer make one forgiving of the film's predictability.
Rob Thomas, Capital Times (Madison, WI)
It's somewhat ironic that writer-actors Vincent and Mike Pagano intend "Providence" to be a film about getting past ethnic stereotypes, since they apparently couldn't.
Carla Meyer, Sacramento Bee
A pretty decent comedy of manners.
Carlo Cavagna, AboutFilm.com
A film for those people who think My Big Fat Greek Wedding is the greatest comedy of the past ten years
Andrea Chase, Killer Movie Reviews
for all the well-aimed blows it lands about how families make us crazy, it still has a very warm, very soft spot for these lunatics.