| Reviewed on 2003-11-11 |
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| Rated | PG-13 |
| Received |   [3.5] out of 4 stars |
| Genre | Comedy / Drama / Family |
| Website | http://www.piecesofaprilmovie.com/ |
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| Katie Holmes plays a defiant daughter who plans a Thanksgiving dinner for her mother (Patricia Clarkson) who is dying of cancer. As her family begins a long drive from the suburbs to Manhattan to dine with April, she struggles to prepare the Thanksgiving dinner. She finds her stove is not working so begins a trek up and down the stairs of her apartment to borrow an oven. This is hilarious as we meet all kinds of unusual people: Her saviors are a kindly black couple, a cutesy Chinese family and Sean Hays as a stuffy creep who wants to know what's in it for him for the use of his fancy oven. We never hear why April and her mother Joy won't speak; we know only that Joy favors her younger daughter, Beth (Allison Pill). Her husband Jim (Oliver Platt) has a hard time encouraging her to come at all. April's black boyfriend Bobby (Derek Luke) startles the family as they drive up in front of the apartment. They close the windows and lock the doors before he announces that he is April's boyfriend, puzzled by their behavior. This has a wonderful happy ending and I encourage the whole family to see this great film. Katie Holmes is superb as April Burns. All the acting is good. |
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