Pieces of April (2003)

Katie Holmes was really good

Loved the acting and the characters.... but a 'day in the life' movies are not for me. While it was interesting, it was not entertaining to me. June 11, 2008

Lovely

After watching the wonderful Dan in Real Life, we were interested in checking out the previous work by Peter Hedges. I'm not disappointed. Pieces of April is a very different story about the same topics: love, family, and what really matters in life. Katie Holmes leads a fantastic cast (Patricia Clarkson is particularly wonderful) in this lovely movie. April 24, 2008

There's a little piece of me in this film; maybe that's why I love it so much...

I tell you one thing; a movie about a girl baking a turkey does not sound like it's going to be interesting or even remotely entertaining. In fact, to be completely honest the only reason I was interested in seeing `Pieces of April' was because I had a huge crush on Katie Holmes for a while (that was before she went cuckoo for Cruise puffs) and it really wasn't until Patricia Clarkson got the Oscar nomination for her performance in the film that I made my mind up to actually see it. I'm so glad that I did, for `Pieces of April' is not only entertaining and interesting, but it is such an emotionally connected piece. It was something that proved to be so much more than I expected it to be.

I'm stunned, literally stunned, at the finished product.

Katie Holmes plays April Burns, the wayward daughter of Jim and Joy Burns. Having straightened her life out to the best of her ability, April decides that she needs to reconnect with her family, which includes her brother Timmy and her sister Beth. The task of having her family over for Thanksgiving dinner though, proves to be a little more than April bargained for. There to hold her together is her supportive boyfriend Bobby. Add to the strain of seeing her disapproving and judgmental family the fact that her mother Joy is dying of cancer and you have a very stressful and nerve-racking day. The film follows April as she prepares for her family's arrival as well as follows her family as they travel to see her.

What I appreciate so much about this film is, having been in a very similar situation with my own `wayward' sister, it fleshes out quite accurately the different ways in which family members deal with the situation. You have the father who so badly wants to see the good in April, his eldest daughter and obvious heartbeat. You have the mother who is so tired of the drama and the disappointment that she'd rather not have to deal with her at all. This doesn't mean she doesn't love her daughter or have affection for her. Rather, it's the type of love that burns so much within a person that you would rather avoid the ones you love than see them in yet another degrading situation. You also have the sister who resents April for what she has done to the family. She comes off as cruel and rude but on the inside she is just hurt. Last you have the brother who doesn't exactly know how to deal with the issues. He loves his sister and may or may not even truly understand why everyone is so up in arms over her life. All he sees is that fact that she is his sister, his flesh and blood, and that's all that matters to him.

The performances within the film are glorious, and I mean that in everyway possible. Patricia Clarkson is phenomenal as Joy, truly heartbreaking and real. Oliver Platt serves up one of his finest performances to date as Jim; you can really feel his pain, his turmoil. John Gallagher Jr. and Alison Pill depict April's siblings with honesty and realism and Derek Luke is wonderful, if not a tad underused, as Bobby. I just love where this kid is headed. Everything he's done so far has been top notch, even when the film isn't. Alice Drummond is memorable as Grandma Dottie and Sean Hayes has a very strange yet memorable role in the film as well. All of these performances just further accentuate the marvelous Katie Holmes. This performance proves that she has talent behind those good looks. She captivates as April, really getting under her skin and making her real to us. I felt her every emotion, and when she breaks down towards the end, feeling as though her family has abandoned her my eyes actually began to tear (it really doesn't take much; I'm a tad emotional).

In the end I must admit to being in love with this movie. It feels so real to me, like a chapter out of my childhood. I've been here before and I've seen these very same emotions on full display and I'm beside myself with admiration for the fact that written/director Peter Hedges got it right. April 2, 2008

Humorous family movie!!!

Pieces of April This is the hilarious story of a dysfunctional family, although one that almost everyone can relate to. The main character's mother (played by Patricia Clarkson)is one for the books!!!! February 9, 2008

LOVE this movie!

This movie is quirky, and very different than anything I have ever watched. However, I love it! Such a great indie movie, and I am surprised it didn't get more publicity. Katie Holmes is superb in this film as are ALL the actors. January 7, 2008

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