As a traditional Catholic, I HIGHLY recommend this film. I was a bit worried about a St. John Bosco film because he is always tauted as an anti-corporal discipline and more liberal Saint, but my fears were not fulfilled. It is an excellent story of a wonderful priest who had a great love in his heart for teenage boys and girls on the street. It is VERY well done, not cheesy at all, the acting is wonderful, and I would say it's one of my favorite Saint movies at the moment. Is extremely family friendly even though it deals with some tough items. For that reason you will have to explain a few things to your younger children, but I had no issues with my toddlers and 5 year old watching the film. If you are real particular about violence than you may not like it, but it is not gratuitous, it is necessary to the film, and it's not explicit. The light romances between some of the boys and girls are light and are not focused on, and the story of redemption and love in this film is one that will remain with you for a few days. Very good!

Flavio Insinna is the consumate actor. In this movie he gives a tear jerking performance as St. John Bosco, creator of the Salesian Missionaries. Insinna makes you feel his pain when he tries to get help for the boys in his charge. He stands up for each and every one, even if they don't deserve it. Another A-1 performance in my opinion by Italy's best actor. Deserves an award.

I really enjoyed this movie. I didn't pay attention to the fact that it was a series. It took 3 nights to watch it. I found it very well done though. I always put the captions on with the English speaking. It was a little distracting that the captions did not match the English translation. Kind of humorous, actually. I would still recommend it. I would especially recommend it to youth groups. A good example of love in action and spending our lives for the Lord.

Great movie about a great Catholic saint.I learned a lot about St.Bosco from watching this movie.Definitely a must see.

A delightful 'feel good' Italian TV film made to celebrate the 1988 Centenary of Don Bosco's death - but don't worry, it is 'dubbed' into a quaint form of transatlantic English. Ben Gazzara gives a wonderful performance and looks uncannily like Don Bosco. Friends of the Salesians and aficianados of 19th century Italian politicians will find themselves looking for resemblences between the other actors and historical characters: there are many and they're all good ones, so it has all been carefully researched (watch out for the bearded Oratory Bandmaster Buzzetti, and John Cagliero both as boy and Bishop; although he's not credited there is even a St Dominic Savio lookalike!) The central love story is fiction and overly saccharine but the two lovers are easy on the eye, and most of the film is actually based on fact. At 20 years old the film does look a bit dated now (did labouring boys in 1850s Turin really highlight their hair and have it cut in the Modern Romantic style? We doubt it!) but don't let it put you off. This DVD would probably annoy theologians, but it should have a place in every true Catholic household. The cast of Italian boys steals the picture, and Don Bosco probably would have been happy with that.