The Awakening

Street waif Cifariello, abandoned by his uncaring mother and her sleazy lover, is taken in by kindly nun Magnani. When her love for the little boy becomes so great that she actually contemplates leaving the Church in order to be a full-time mother, her dilemma is sadly resolved when the boy's real mother returns for her son. Magnani gives a passionate, sad, and emotionally charged performance as a lonely nun who sees her true calling in the soul of the sweet and kind Cifariello. Although the story line owes quite a bit to THE BELLS OF ST. MARY'S and the heartstring-tugging can get a bit much, the film retains a definite power thanks to the dynamic Magnani.