Product Details

• Actors: Katie Holmes, Derek Luke, Oliver Platt, Alison Pill, John Gallagher Jr.
• Format: AC-3, Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
• DVD Release Date: February 24, 2004
• Run Time: 80 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (130 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000VV4OK
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,699 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Pieces of April" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

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. Much of the credit goes to wily Patricia Clarkson (High Art, The Station Agent), who plays April's cancer-ridden mother with a compelling mixture of sadness, rebellion, and wistful hope. Also featuring Oliver Platt (Funny Bones), Sean Hayes (Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss), and Derek Luke (Antwone Fisher). --Bret Fetzer

Product Description

Katie Holmes is "terrific" (People) as the quirky black sheep of her family in this delightful comedy-drama that "sparkles with acerbic wit, original characters and genuine heart" (Variety). Academy AwardÂ(r) nominee* Patricia Clarkson gives "a career-making performance" (Boxoffice), and "the entire cast is inspired" (Film Threat) in this "moving, hilarious comedy" (People). Rebellious daughter April Burns (Holmes) has offered to host an elaborate Thanksgiving dinner for her suburban clan in her grubby Lower East Side apartment. But her attempts to create an unforgettable feast go awry when she discovers that her oven doesn't work. Now, asher weary family makes its way to the city, April must rely on the kindness of strangers to pull off the perfect meal and the perfect memory. *2003: Supporting Actress, Pieces of April

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Thanksgiving Movie. Idiosyncratic Family Drama., March 2, 2004

By 

mirasreviews (McLean, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Pieces of April (DVD)

April (Katie Holmes) is a young woman estranged from her family and living with her boyfriend Bobby (Derek Luke) in a mildly run down apartment building on Manhattan's Lower East Side. Aprils' mother, Joy (Patricia Clarkson), is being treated for advanced cancer and may not live long, so April has invited her family for Thanksgiving dinner in hopes of favorably impressing her mother and improving their relationship while there is still time. The family -Joy, father Jim (Oliver Platt), brother Timmy (John Gallagher, Jr.), and sister Beth, (Alison Pill)- piles in their car for the long and stressful trip to the city, while April prepares the meal. But things get off to a bad start when her oven won't work.

"Pieces of April" was written and directed by Peter Hedges. It's a wonderful examination of family and an engaging portrait of these individuals who are so disparate in personality yet linked to one another by hope and tradition. And "Pieces of April" is an testament to the opportunities modern technologies provide to filmmakers with few resources. The film was shot in 16 days on digital video for $300,000. And, incredibly, the only glaring evidence of these limitations is the absence of wide-angle shots. Director Peter Hedges didn't use wide shots because they are problematic on DV. The result is that occasionally our field of view seems unnaturally truncated, but not enough to detract from the quality of the film.

I was a little surprised to learn that great thespians Patricia Clarkson and Oliver Platt and a young star like Katie Holmes would agree to such a low-budget production, but I imagine this fantastic script captured their interest. Peter Hedges' dialogue is crisp and forceful, and his characterizations are interesting and so genuine that these people might be your neighbors. Great actors, a great script, and resourceful direction can apparently create a terrific film with very little else. There is little I can say about Patricia Clarkson's performance except that she is brilliant as always. April's mother, Joy, is hypercritical, blunt, but a font of emotional strength, and no one could play this memorable character better. Oliver Platt departs from the quirky characters for which he is famous to play Jim, Joy's even-tempered tolerant husband. The supporting cast is large and perfect without exception: Alison Pill, who plays April's teenaged sister Beth, is destined to be a great character actress. Derek Luke, of "Antwone Fisher" fame, this time plays a man who is confident and comfortable with himself. All of April's neighbors are portrayed vividly, but especially memorable are Isiah Whitlock, Jr. and Lillias White as Eugene & Evette and Sean Hayes as nutty neighbor Wayne.

"Pieces of April" is an engaging, ultimately optimistic, family drama that is somehow both idiosyncratic and universally true. Great performances. Great script. This is the best Thanksgiving movie I've seen. I can't recommend it more highly.

The DVD: There are 2 unavoidable previews. Both widescreen and full screen formats are on the same disc! Bonus features include a "making of " documentary entitled "All the Pieces Together", an audio commentary by writer/director Peter Hedges, and a theatrical trailer. The documentary includes interviews with the film's cast and Peter Hedges, in which he discusses the film's genesis. Hedges also does a nice audio commentary in which he talks about the film's themes, story, and technical stuff. If you really like the film, the extras are worth watching. Hedges' commentary may be of particular interest to aspiring filmmakers seeking insight into how to get the most out of a small budget. At the very least it is inspiring on that level.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not exactly Rockwell's vision, March 20, 2004

By 

Joseph Haschka (Glendale, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Pieces of April (DVD)

You may have seen the famous Norman Rockwell painting, "Freedom from Want", which depicts the idealized American family gathered around the quintessential Thanksgiving table as the turkey is presented for carving. PIECES OF APRIL it's not.

April Burns (Katie Holmes) lives in a New York City apartment with her boyfriend Bobby (Derek Luke), and the film opens as the two begin to prepare Thanksgiving dinner for the rest of April's family, which is driving in from out of town for the ordeal.

Joy Burns (Patricia Clarkson) is dying of the metastatic cancer that has already cost her both her breasts, a surgical transformation suitably documented in the family photo album. She expects this Thanksgiving to be a disaster since daughter April was a more into drugs than Home Ec. Indeed, to say she and April are estranged is an understatement. But husband Jim (Oliver Platt) persuades her, so off they go in the station wagon with their other children, daughter Beth (Alison Pill) and son Timmy (John Gallagher), and Joy's senile mother Dottie (Alice Drummond) for what may well be Joy's last Thanksgiving.

In the meantime, as Bobby goes out on a mysterious errand, April is faced with a non-functional oven, which forces her to desperately beg the other tenants in the building for the necessary range time to cook the traditional bird. Time is running short, and the rest of the clan is getting closer despite frequent stops for Joy to vomit from the nausea induced by her chemotherapy. And it also appears that the family doesn't know that April lives in a decrepit tenement in a graffiti-decorated slum, nor that Bobby is Black. The Burns festive occasion promises to make your dysfunctional Turkey Day look like a Martha Stewart showcase event in comparison.

Clarkson was deservedly nominated for, but didn't receive, an Oscar for this performance in a supporting role. She's more the "star" of PIECES OF APRIL than the ostensible lead, Holmes. The Bobby, Beth and Timmy characters are almost an unnecessary distraction. More interesting are April's neighbors which give her help, or not, especially the very strange Wayne (Sean Hayes) and the middle-age Afro-American couple, Evette (Lillias White) and Eugene (Isiah Whitlock). There's an especially good scene involving Evette's initial reaction to April when the latter first appears seeking help for her culinary crisis.

The movie's abrupt conclusion after eighty-one minutes leaves much to be desired. One wonders if the scriptwriter ran out of ideas or the producers out of money. But there's still enough there to make the film more than worth the cost of the rental. And, next Thanksgiving with the relatives, perhaps you won't take those mashed potatoes for granted.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There's a little piece of me in this film; maybe that's why I love it so much..., April 2, 2008

By 

Andrew Ellington (I'm kind of everywhere) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Pieces of April (DVD)

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.