Pieces Of April

Released: March 4 2004
Cast: Katie Holmes, Patricia Clarkson, Oliver Platt, Derek Luke, Alison Pill, John Gallagher, Jr., Alice Drummond.
Director & Writer: Peter Hedges
Genre: Drama
Rated:
Running Time: 80 Minutes

***2004 Academy Award Nomination***
Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Clarkson

***2004 Golden Globe Nomination***
Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Clarkson


She's The One In Every Family.

Synopsis:
April Burns (Katie Holmes) has never been on good terms with her mother, Joy (Patricia Clarkson), but in a burst of goodwill she's volunteered to host her family for Thanksgiving at the Lower East Side apartment she shares with her boyfriend, Bobby (Derek Luke). As if preparing a holiday feast isn't pressure enough, she discovers her oven is broken and has to search her building for one that works, making appeals to an eclectic array of neighbours.

Meanwhile, the Burns family is speeding down the highway towards New York recounting April's failures. April's father, Jim (Oliver Platt), is determined to have a nice day, but Joy persists in undermining his plans. While perfect daughter Beth (Alison Pill) reminds everyone of her sister's faults and Grandma Dottie (Alice Drummond) can barely remember anyone's name, youngest child Timmy (John Gallagher, Jr.) dodges emotional bullets by photographing every awkward moment.

Pieces of April is a funny and poignant look at a day in the life of a family striving to create new memories while making peace with the old.


My Verdict:
Pieces of April marks the directorial debut of Peter Hedges, writer of the novel and screenplay What's Eating Gilbert Grape and the Academy AwardÃ-nominated screenplay About a Boy and he has created another gem here. This is one of those movies that sneaks up on you as you watch it, as at first, it appears to be some sort of low-budget piece desperately trying to be something but it soon develops into wonderful array of characters, held together by the anticipated Thanksgiving reunion being held at April's apartment. It is the characters that are so dark, engaging, funny, inspiring and most of all, so likeable. Being able to relate to the characters is what makes this movie work.

Every family has a black sheep and in this case, April is doing a good job of it. But still she has that loyalty eating away at her regarding her family and sets about to create a Thanksgiving dinner to remember albeit on a very limited budget and with little cooking skills and knowledge. But the point is that she is trying and her family are trying by agreeing to come for dinner. When her oven fails to ignite, she searches her apartment building begging the other tenants to help her. This is the most amazing group of people - especially Wayne in 5D and it is the interaction between the characters that is so wonderful to watch. Aprils' family provide a car ride to remember as they head toward her apartment, all trying to remember just who April really is and where she fits in the family.

Essentially this is a story about communication with those we love and those around us, my only disappointment being the length of the movie, at only 80 minutes, I wish I could have stayed for dinner too.

Rating : A-


- Christina Bruce