The Cathedral

The Cathedral follows the boy Jesse Damrosch through the first two decades of his life. That his name sounds familiarly close to director Ricky D'Ambrose's shows how personal the film is. D'Ambrose's thoughtful narrative style matches that of his taciturn and sensitive main character. Jesse has almost exclusively daylight memories of his youth and the film reflects this. In contrast, the cathedral of the American dram slowly but surely casts a shadow over his family. Little stars appear in the stained-glass window of their everyday existence, while in the background - on television - former President Clinton reminds his compatriots how lucky they are. The Cathedral is an unconventional and unsentimental coming-of-age film, delicate and impressionistic, at once wry and gentle.

“Piercingly small and detailed moments accumulate to offer a portrait of a family in crisis against the backdrop of an America in a state of turmoil that continues to ripple into contemporary life.” - Slant