Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
life can be as sweet as you make it., April 21, 2009
I wasn't really sure if I wanted to see this film; a Twilighter friend of mine ranted and raved that it was a must watch(although she was yet to see the movie, and knew little of the plot besides "Bella"(Kristen Stewart) was in it) but being the independent and existential film enthusiast that I am, I rented it with high expectations.
The Cake Eaters is a story about 16 year old Georgia(Kristen Stewart) who lives with Friedreich's Ataxia, a disease that she knows will kill her, if her overprotective mother doesn't drive her crazy first.
While spending time with her grandmother(Elizabeth Ashley) who is her one escape from her mother, she meets Beagle(Aaron Stanford) an older boy who works in her schools' cafeteria, and has plenty of problems of his own.
Beagle is still dealing with the recent loss of his mother, when his estranged brother Guy(Jayce Bartok) comes back into town dragging his crushed dreams of being a musician along with him. And not to mention, their father seems to be handling everything just a little too positively for Beagle to manage.
Of course Georgia and Beagle turn to each other, and with the other just might be able to get through their chaotic lives. That is until Georgia pushes the fact that she wants to lose her virginity to Beagle, and now!
The Cake Eaters is my updated version of A Walk to Remember. Girl has terminal disease, boy is still dealing with loss and ability to love... but this one is just a little less cookie-cutter and a little more sundance.(and a lot less romantic!)
I can't say this will be a favorite, and I don't know if Stewart's Twilight fan base will enjoy it(based on the film alone)...but it is solid, enjoyable, just maybe not quite as eye-opening as it could have been.
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15 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A minimalist film with a maximum exposure now...., March 23, 2009
Nothing like having a $200 million exposure (this made 6 films ago from Twilight for Stewart) and an Oscar nomination (M. Leo) to highlight an unknown film. To be clear, Melissa has two minutes of non-dialogue screen time in a flashback montage and Kirsten has intermittent segments in the first 35 minutes of this 80 minute film. Bruce Dern and others have equivalent lines in this film throughout so I would consider this an ensemble piece, especially once the ending plays out.
Several stories parlay into this segment of NorEast lifestyles entailing two families' rural existence complicated by past and present loves tying said families together. The performances are nuanced and let loose an idea of what small-town romances can be like over two related generations. In plot summary, do not expect much in opening and closing; the opening discussion is about cereal and the closing discusses what to make for dinner. The middle tried to fit in three love stories with the remaining 60 minutes. The writing is inconsistent throughout, bolstered several times by moments of people needing to react differently than they should have.
The DVD quality is adequate, the supplements list a commentary, exclusive behind-the-scenes, deleted scenes and a 5.1 sound. To be honest - the supplements are completely forgettable and the film's 5.1 only gets used a handful of times. The cast interviews total three minutes of how phenomenal Kristen Stewart is (not kidding), the "exclusives" are an additional three minutes of film making and the deleted scenes were irrelevant.
The fan base of this film is fanatical, so expect lots of slams unless one reviews this film as the best thing since Don't Come Knocking on the minimalist front. But to be real, this is the story about a neurological/muscular disorder challenged teen losing her virginity, nothing more or less. Solid performances and decent music lend this a few stars above normal, that and a plethora of new Twilight fans giving this a much higher rating then other films similar in nature. A 4-star prop on Stewart alone providing an out-of-the-ordinary showing (filmed almost three years ago).
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Movie, April 14, 2009
First, I love Kristen Stewart. Not because of Twilight, although I did enjoy the books and I did appreciate the movie. But lets be honest, Twilight was not one of the best written movies. You know it, I know it, and everyone else knows it.
Cake Eaters, however, was fantastic. Kristen Stewart plays a young girl, 16 i think, with a muscular disorder and she is curious about the opposite sex. She meets a young man who has just lost his mother and they instantly have an attraction.
There are a couple other side stories going on that are entertaining. All the stories share the same amount of screen time but my main interest was towards Kristen Stewart and Aaron Stanfords relationship. Bruce Dern did a fantastic job as well.
I would highly recommend this movie if you are a fan of Kristen Stewart. I would also recommend Into the Wild. I cannot wait for The Runaways, K-11, and Welcome to the Rileys to come out.
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