Pieces of April Thanksgiving Movie Review

Pieces of April was an unexpectedly lovely Thanksgiving movie. As a matter of fact, I watched it without really knowing what it was all about because it was on a list of food movies that I am working my way through . At first, I found it gritty and unconventional but it wasn't long before my heart went out to April and her boyfriend who were doing their best to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner for her estranged family under the most difficult of conditions.

Variety Magazine called this, "A family reunion comedy that sparkles with acerbic wit, original characters and genuine heart." Roger Ebert said, "This one is a honey." Newsweek.com says that it was "written with grace and invention. " I agree. A lovely movie perfect for the Thanksgiving season but, unfortunately, not suitable for children. The Movie Mom, of whom I am a great fan, gives this movie an A and suggests that it is suitable for mature high schoolers and I agree with that rating.

On this page, you'll find a review of the movie which includes lots of quotes from both movie experts and everyday movie viewers like you and I. I hope you enjoy your visit.

Click here to order your copy of Pieces of April from Amazon.

"The plot of Pieces of April, a sweet independent film, couldn't be simpler: As a raffish young woman named April (chipmunk-cute Katie Holmes, Wonder Boys, Dawson's Creek) struggles to cook Thanksgiving dinner in her dingy, cramped New York apartment, her estranged family slowly drives toward the city, stopping now and then to question why they're going to a meal they expect to be not only bad to eat, but awkward and unhappy. The writing, acting, and directing of Pieces of April ranges from straightforward to clumsy--and yet the movie builds to a surprisingly potent emotional conclusion. " - Bret Fetzer

• ACTORS: Katie Holmes, Derek Luke, Oliver Platt, Alison Pill, John Gallagher Jr.
• RATED: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• STUDIO: MGM
• ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: 2003
• DVD RELEASE DATE: February 24, 2004
• RUN TIME: 80 minutes

Mirasreviews called Pieces of April "engaging, ultimately optimistic, family drama...both idiosyncratic and universally true." Brian O'Dell said that he watches this movie every year on Thanksgiving Day and that it makes him smile as well as cry. He praises the story and the cast, particularly Katie Holmes who portrays a misunderstood, difficult daughter. Finally, Robert Moore calls it like it is stating (and I agree) that this movie is not for every one. It is definitely bleak and NOT pretty. However, it is funny, inspiring and moving.

Pieces of April: The Shooting Script is a tribute by the author and Director, Hedges, to his experience with this movie. It includes the screenplay, pictures and an interview with Hedges as well as other cast and crew members. He originally had the idea for this movie in the 1980s but taking the idea and creating the movie was an adventure with filming starting three times before it eventually was created on a shoestring budget.

"Perhaps the most underrated soundtrack of 2003. Before hearing this I was only somewhat familiar with the music of Stephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields, but while viewing "Pieces of April" at the movie theatre last November, I was instantly taken with this beautiful soundtrack and its striking relevance to the scenes in the film..." - L. Marchant