Two Family House (2000)

Set in the urban backwater of Staten Island in the 1950s, TWO FAMILY HOUSE tells the story of Buddy Visalo (Michael Rispoli), who dreams of singing stardom but is forced to face the struggles of an ordinary life. After his one shot at making the big time is nixed by his fiancée, Estelle (Katherine Narducci), he tries to settle into married life, but he never manages to subdue his overarching ambition to be a star. Buddy launches a string of failed ventures before eventually pinning his hopes on a run-down house, where he plans to open a bar and be the star attraction. But between his wife's control-freak urges and his tenants' refusal to vacate the house, nothing goes as planned. However, in his campaign to evict the couple that rents from him--a pregnant young Irish beauty (Kelly Macdonald) and her abusive, drunk husband (Kevin Conway)--he finds the one sympathetic soul in his life. And again he is forced to choose between his sense of duty and his heart.

Writer and director Raymond De Felitta (CAFÉ SOCIETY) approaches the story of TWO FAMILY HOUSE with humor and affection, wihout shying away from the uglier realities of working-class life. While the well-trodden film terrain of New York's Italian-American communities is a tough place to shine, both the director and the outstanding ensemble cast keep the broad strokes to a minimum, which is what propels this story beyond the confines of its small world.