What Is Between Miracles About?
The premise of Between Miracles in 305 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In a secluded valley where the rhythm of daily life is dictated by the church bell and the whisper of ancient superstitions, a young boy survives a terrible accident on the day of his first communion without a single mark. The villagers, quick to read miracles into unexplained survival, lift him onto a pedestal of sanctity, and the community’s expectations begin to shape every corner of his world. The atmosphere is cloistered and reverent, a place where devotion is as much a social contract as a personal conviction, and the quiet streets pulse with an unspoken pressure to embody the holy.
Benedetto grows up under the watchful eye of his mother Immacolata, whose ambitions for the family are woven tightly with the promise of social advancement. Guided—or perhaps confined—by a strict, austere upbringing, he is sent to a Franciscan monastery where the vows of simplicity clash with the restless stirrings of his own desires. As he moves from the insulated walls of the friary into the broader countryside, he encounters characters who embody both secular freedom and lingering faith, each interaction prompting him to weigh the weight of sacrifice against the pull of ordinary yearning.
The film settles into a tone that is both lyrical and stark, balancing the bucolic beauty of the Italian landscape with the inner turbulence of a man caught between the myth of a miracle and the human need for intimacy. Giovanna, along with other figures who drift in and out of his life, become mirrors reflecting the contradictions that define his journey—between sin and grace, expectation and self‑discovery. In this world where holiness is a communal expectation and desire a private rebellion, Benedetto walks a path that is as much about finding his own identity as it is about navigating the shadows of the miracle that made him a legend.
What Happens in Between Miracles?
The complete story of Between Miracles, from the first scene to the last, in 754 words (about 3 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 2 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
In a cramped, under-resourced private hospital, a skilled surgeon is urgently called to operate on Benedetto Parisi in his critical condition after a suicide attempt. In the waiting room, his companion, Joan Micheli, is pregnant with him, and she consents to the risky procedure. His mother, Immacolata, looms in the wings like a speculative observer, hoping to shepherd a social and economic windfall by marrying Giovanna off to a lawyer friend of the family.
The film then unfolds with a tapestry of flashbacks that trace Benedict’s early life. He grows up an orphan in a small village in the Latin Valley, under the scrutiny of a maiden aunt whose religiosity masks a life of contradictions. The boy is haunted by nocturnal noises from his aunt’s room and is taught to interpret what he sees through a prism of guilt and piety. On the eve of his first communion, he is given an effigy of “celestial friends”—saints meant to accompany him on his path to Jesus. The night brings a startling turn when his aunt’s lover is momentarily hid in a closet, leading to a childlike blurring of sin and sanctity. The next morning, Benedict works to fix a saintly image on the wall, glimpses his aunt naked, and is told not to confess the incident to the priest for fear of offending the “celestial friends.” The sacramental moment of his first communion becomes an ordeal as he feels the host stuck in his throat, and he bolts, only to fall into a ravine. Although the village fears he has perished, he survives, and the crowd proclaims him a miracle boy. Dressed as a saint, Benedict is carried in a procession, and his aunt seizes the opportunity to rid herself of this troublesome burden by sending him to a Franciscan monastery, where he grows into adulthood.
Within the friary, Benedict is welcomed for his simplicity and naivety. The brothers await a sign that will reveal his true calling. A traveling salesman, Uncle Checco, materializes as a catalyst for change when a glimpse of a nude photo in his car stirs Benedict’s longings for a world beyond the cloister. One day, while laboring in the fields, a snake bites a visiting schoolteacher; Benedict saves her by sucking out the venom, a act that becomes a feverish symbol of awakening desire. He confesses to the friars that he has found “the sign” they awaited and soon joins Uncle Checco in traveling the countryside, selling cloth and undergarments.
As a traveling vendor, Benedict moves through towns where fashion and desire collide. The work brings him into contact with women who are drawn to the new styles he sells, and he navigates opportunities that test his religious scruples. He meets a beautiful village girl who comes night after night to buy panties, and their interaction blossoms into a complex relationship. The story then introduces a pharmacist, Oreste Micheli, who becomes a sympathetic, secular counterpoint to Benedict’s scruples. Benedict falls in love with Joan Micheli’s daughter, and the family dynamics deepen as the pharmacist’s daughter becomes a central presence in his life. The romance with Giovanna deepens, and Benedict contemplates marriage with her, a plan that would satisfy his mother’s ambitions while tempting his own evolving desires. Yet he remains torn between the duty to marry and the pull of a freer, more intimate life with Giovanna.
Meanwhile, the relationship with Giovanna deepens as she helps Benedict shed his strict boundaries, and they begin living as husband and wife for six years, though not formally wed. The mother, Immacolata, observes the unfolding arrangement with a practical eye, pressing for every possible advantage in the family’s standing. Complications mount when Giovanna’s pregnancy becomes a tangible indicator of a life Benedict is only just beginning to chart for himself. Orestes Micheli, the pharmacist, experiences a heart attack, and the family mobilizes around his last rites, a moment that crystallizes the fragile balance Benedict has struck between faith, family duty, and personal desire. The awkward, tense ritual of the dying man’s conferral of a blessing—and his kiss on the crucifix—shocks Benedict, who rushes away in a desperate bid to escape a future he can not yet imagine.
The culmination unfolds in the private hospital where Benedict’s survival hinges on a successful operation. As the medical team works to stabilize him, the drama crescendos to a final, chilling moment: the surgeon’s measured report that the operation succeeded, followed by the resonant confirmation that the outcome was, in effect, “a miracle.”
It was a miracle!
Between Miracles Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
12 key events in the order they happen, from “Benedict's urgent operation frames the story” to “Benedict's suicide attempt and the miracle”. 12 events name a place, across 12 locations.
- 1
Benedict's urgent operation frames the story
In a private hospital, Benedict Parisi is urgently summoned to operate on a man in critical condition after a suicide attempt. In the waiting room, Joan Micheli awaits with her unborn child, giving consent to the risky operation. Immaculate, Joan's mother, lurks like a vulture, hoping Benedict dies so she can push her daughter toward a more advantageous marriage. The tense moment frames the film's present-day perspective as Benedict faces the operating table.
When:Present day Where:Private hospital
- 2
Benedict's childhood in the Latin Valley
Benedict is an orphan growing up in a village in the Latin Valley under the care of a religiously scrupulous maiden aunt. She indoctrinates him with a strict morality while indulging in covert sexual acts that shape his guilt and fear of sin. On the eve of his first communion, he receives an effigy of Saint Eusebius and is thrust into a world where faith and temptation collide.
When:Childhood Where:Latin Valley village
- 3
First communion day and the Saint Eusebius incident
On the day of his first communion, the aunt's lover Giovanni hides in her room and Benedict is told not to confess the truth to avoid offending the celestial friends. He fixes a picture of Saint Eusebius when the nun enters and discovers him; the moment blurs into fear and secrecy. During the procession, the host seems to stick in his throat and he flees, plummeting into a ravine, where he survives and is celebrated as a miracle.
When:First Communion day Where:Village, during the procession; ravine
- 4
From miracle to monastery
The crowd proclaims Benedict a miracle and carries him in a procession in a saint-like fashion. The aunt exploits the coincidence to rid herself of the burden and sends Benedict to the Franciscan monastery, where he grows into adulthood.
When:Post First Communion Where:Franciscan monastery
- 5
Monastic life and the lure of the wider world
Among the friars, Benedict's simple nature earns admiration, but his vocation remains uncertain. A traveling salesman, Uncle Checco, visits and a glimpse of a nude photo in his car stirs a longing for a wider world beyond the cloister. The vision unsettles him, mixing fear of leaving with calls to travel.
When:Late adolescence / early adulthood Where:Monastery outskirts / countryside
- 6
Snake bite rescue and the sign
While working in the fields one day, a snake bites a schoolteacher who pleads for help. Benedict saves her by sucking venom from her leg, then proclaims this act as the sign they were waiting for him to leave religious life. He joins Uncle Checco, traveling to sell cloth and undergarments across the region.
When:Early adulthood Where:Fields near monastery
- 7
Life as a clothing vendor and near temptations
As a clothing and undergarment vendor, Benedict travels from village to village and faces advances from women attracted by the new fashions. His scruples keep him from acting, and he continues to resist personal temptations while maintaining his focus on work. The tension between desire and piety remains a constant undercurrent.
When:Early adulthood Where:Countryside markets
- 8
Oreste Micheli, the atheist pharmacist
Benedict meets Oreste Micheli, a pharmacist who doubts faith and sympathizes with his inner conflict. Oreste tries to pull him away from religious scruples and toward secular life, which also leads to a flirtation with a married prostitute that Benedict does not consummate.
When:Early adulthood Where:Village apothecary
- 9
Love blossoms with Joan Micheli
Benedict falls in love with Joan Micheli, the pharmacist's daughter, and she gives him a sense of belonging he has long sought. Her presence helps him feel at peace and provides a counterpoint to his turbulent past and uncertain future.
When:Early adulthood Where:Joan's home
- 10
Six years living as husband and wife
The couple chooses to live together as husband and wife for six years, during which Joan becomes pregnant. Benedict grapples with the idea of marriage while Immaculate, Joan's mother, maintains tight control over the relationship and its social implications.
When:Six-year period Where:Countryside home
- 11
Oreste's heart attack and last rites
While Benedict is away, Oreste Micheli suffers a heart attack and Immaculate seizes the moment to perform the last rites for her dying friend. Benedict returns in time to witness the moment and is shocked by what he interprets as a conversion.
When:During Joan's pregnancy Where:Oreste's home / nearby hospital
- 12
Benedict's suicide attempt and the miracle
Overwhelmed by the turn of events, Benedict goes to the cliff to attempt suicide. He is rescued and taken to a hospital, where the surgeon proclaims that the operation was a miracle, sealing the strange arc of his life.
When:Immediately after the heart attack Where:Cliff by the sea; hospital
Who Are the Main Characters in Between Miracles?
6 characters, among them Benedetto Parisi, Oreste Micheli and Giovanna Micheli: who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
- BP
Benedetto Parisi
Played by Nino Manfredi
Orphan Benedetto Parisi is a lively, curious young man formed by a strict religious upbringing. The narrative uses flashbacks to trace his journey from a devout boy in a village to a man torn between faith, desire, and the miracles that surround his life. He wrestles with his scruples as he encounters love, pregnancy, and social expectations, repeatedly finding himself at a crossroads between piety and flesh. His path reveals how belief, longing, and fate converge in a rural Italian setting.
- 🕊️ Faith
- 😌 Desire
- ⚖️ Moral conflict
- 🧒 Orphaned
-
Oreste Micheli
Played by Lionel Stander
A pharmacist who is openly atheist yet sympathetic to Benedict's longing for a different life. He acts as a counterpoint to the priestly world, guiding Benedict away from rigid faith and toward human connections, including his daughter Giovanna. Through his influence and his daughter's presence, the narrative explores the tension between rationalism, affection, and religious tradition.
- 🧪 Science
- 🗣️ Debate
- 👪 Family ties
- GM
Giovanna Micheli
Played by Delia Boccardo
Daughter of Oreste, Giovanna is a compassionate, modern woman who helps Benedict see life beyond scruples. She becomes the love interest and, at times, a catalyst for change, including her pregnancy which tests loyalties and social norms. Her presence in Benedict's life drives his decision to pursue a future that blends love with responsibility.
- 💘 Romance
- 🧭 Modern outlook
- 🤰 Pregnancy
- I
Immacolata
Played by Paola Borboni
Immacolata is Giovanna's mother, a devout and socially ambitious woman who treats religion as a tool to maneuver an advantageous marriage for her daughter. Her scheming underlines the conflict between religious propriety and social climbing in a close-knit community.
- 👪 Family dynamics
- 💼 Social climbing
- ⛪ Religion
- ZB
Zia Benedetto
Played by Antonella Patti
A maiden aunt who is religious yet entangled in libertine assignations. She shapes Benedict's early view of morality through secrecy and manipulation, using his innocence to bolster her own social standing and control over events.
- ⛪ Religious influence
- 💬 Gossip
- 😈 Secret libertinage
- FG
Fra Gesuino
Played by Mister O.K.
A friar at the convent who embodies the clerical authority in Benedict's formative years. He represents the church's gaze and the expectations placed on a boy growing up under religious discipline. His presence highlights the conflict between spiritual guidance and personal doubt.
- ⛪ Clergy
- 🗣️ Authority
- 🔎 Faith
Where and When Is Between Miracles Set?
Between Miracles is set in Latin Valley and Italy. Here is why the place matters to the story.
Where
Latin Valley, Italy
Set in a small village in the Latin Valley, the story unfolds around a modest private hospital and a nearby Franciscan monastery. The rural setting highlights religious and social constraints that shape Benedict's life. The locale's close-knit community becomes a stage where miracles, gossip, and moral scrutiny unfold.
- 🏞️ Rural setting
- ⛪ Religious milieu
- 👪 Family dynamics
What Are the Themes of Between Miracles?
4 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Faith vs Desire, Miracle and Doubt and Social Ambition.
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01
Faith vs Desire
Benedetto Parisi's life is defined by a struggle between strict religious scruples and awakening human desires. The early chapters use his family and monastery experiences to show how faith governs choice. The film probes whether miracles can coexist with longing, and how belief molds personal fate.
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02
Miracle and Doubt
Miracle motifs permeate the narrative, with events framed as divine signs and the hospital surgeon's exclamation that it was a miracle. The tension between miraculous intervention and personal doubt runs through Benedict's relationships. This theme questions the reliability of belief in guiding a life.
-
03
Social Ambition
Immacolata's scheming to marry Giovanna off to a lawyer friend reveals the pressure of social status in rural Italy. Benedict's path—from monastery labourer to merchant of undergarments—shows how commerce and class influence personal choices. The plot uses these ambitions to critique how respectability can drive moral decisions.
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04
Innocence and Guilt
Benedict's early life is marked by secrecy, guilt, and religious instruction that shape his sense of sin. Confessional moments and moral conflicts drive his evolution from innocence toward an adult confrontation with desire. The cycle of guilt and yearning is central to his character arc.
What Kind of Film Is Between Miracles?
Bittersweet in tone, with steady pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Bittersweet
- Pacing
- Steady
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- Medium
- Ending
- Ambiguous
A contemplative and ironic Italian comedy-drama that follows a man's lifelong struggle between sacred duty and earthly desire, resulting in a melancholic journey marked by yearning and societal hypocrisy.
- contemplative
- melancholic
- yearning
- ironic
- reflective
- claustrophobic
- religion and faith
- coming of age
- sexual awakening
- family duty
Content notes: suicide attempt, religious trauma, psychological manipulation.
Quiz
How well do you remember Between Miracles? Test yourself on the story.
