Pieces of April film review

Review

Cast & crew

Pieces of April

(2002)

Katie Holmes throws off the sanitised teen angst of TV's Dawson's Creek and explores real, raw emotion here in the low-budget directorial debut of What's Eating Gilbert Grape screenwriter Peter Hedges. Holmes is grunged-up and scowling as the volatile April Burns, whose shifting moods reach a crescendo when she decides to host a Thanksgiving meal for her estranged family, including her cancer-stricken mother (played by Patricia Clarkson). Everything that could go wrong invariably does, leading to moments of bittersweet comedy that are as touching as they are amusing. Holmes excels as the black sheep of the Burns clan, perfectly capturing the painful contradictions of a girl who guards her independence fiercely, yet desperately wants to belong. However, her heartfelt performance is overshadowed by the Oscar-nominated Clarkson, whose brutal honesty and coldness are poignantly exact. With digital camerawork enhancing the realism, the end result is a perceptive account of family relations that will strike a chord with anyone who's ever endured awkward get-togethers with their folks. SF

Contains swearing, drug abuse.

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Running time

78min

Country of origin

Genre

Comedy Drama

Original language

English

Screenplay

Peter Hedges

Theatrical distributor

Optimum Releasing

UK cinema certificate

12A

UK cinema release date

February 2004

UK video release date

June 2004




awards information


	Award	Category	Name	Nominee/Winner

	Academy 2003	Actress in a Supporting Role	Patricia Clarkson	Nominee
	Golden Globe 2003	Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role Motion Picture	Patricia Clarkson	Nominee