FILM REVIEW
Pieces of April
Director: Peter Hedges
Cast: Katie Holmes, Patricia Clarkson, Derek Luke,
Sean Hayes, Oliver Platt
Classification: tba
Running Time: tba
Opens On: 12 March 2004
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 while 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 poignant and funny look at a day in the life of a
family striving to create new memories while making peace with the old.
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