Donald Hewlett | 80's Movie Guide

Taglines: Have you seen The Pope Lately? Saving Grace movie storyline. A year after his election, a youthful Pope (Conti) longs to be involved in ordinary people’s lives again, as he was when he was a priest. During an audience, the Pope communicates with a deaf mute young girl whose village has no priest. Accidentally locked out of the Vatican, the Pope travels to the small impoverished and demoralized village, his identity concealed by his beard growth. He realizes that the people need to rebuild a dilapidated aqueduct but, more importantly, that they must regain their community spirit and self-sufficiency. Without expertise and, initially, only the help of some street-wise orphans, he starts construction. All this is watched skeptically by a mysterious neighbour played by Giannini and opposed by local thugs led by Ciolino (Olmos) whose ill-gotten gains depend on the village remaining overly dependent on outsiders. Saving Grace is a 1986 film produced by Herbert F. Solow, directed by Robert M. Young and starring Tom Conti, Giancarlo Giannini and Edward James Olmos. It is based on a novel by Celia Gittelson with screenplay by Richard Kramer and David S. Ward under a different name. This was the last film to be distributed from Avco Embassy Pictures. Saving Grace (1986) Directed by: Robert M. Young Starring: Tom Conti, Fernando Rey, Erland Josephson, Giancarlo Giannini, Donald Hewlett, Patricia Mauceri, Angelo Evans, Marta Zoffoli, Agnès Nobecourt Screenplay by: Richard Kramer Production Design by: Giovanni Natalucci Cinematography by: Reynaldo Villalobos Film Editing by: Michael Kelly, Peter Zinner Costume Design by: Vittoria Guaita Set Decoration by: Joe Chevalier Music by: William Goldstein Distributed by: Embassy Pictures Release Date: May 2, 1986