A collection of indie clichés, it's about as refreshing as being slapped in the face by a five-week-old kipper.
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02/13/04
Pieces of April (2003)
85
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:143
Fresh:121
Rotten:22
Average Rating:7.1/10
Consensus: A delightful, heartfelt comedy.
Runtime: 80 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Katie Holmes is outstanding as the title character in Peter Hedges's PIECES OF APRIL. Holmes stars as April Burns, the black sheep of her family who has left suburbia for a Lower East Side... [More]
Starring: Katie Holmes, Patricia Clarkson, Oliver Platt, Sean Hayes
Director: Peter Hedges
Reviews for Pieces of April
Top CriticApril's cranberry sauce may be canned but the laughter and tears of an affecting, unsentimental coda are real.
11/24/08
Top CriticA shining example of just how compelling and affecting low-budget filmmaking can be when you’ve got a good story and strong cast.
04/01/06
Top Critic[Director Peter] Hedges keeps it laceratingly real, with bulls-eye performances from talented actors who are all used to much bigger budgets.
09/25/03
Laughter and poignancy go hand in hand in this DV debut whose comedy that may be standard, but never ceases to deliver sharp, dark laughs.
06/24/06
Top CriticSuperb performances and a decent script ensure this stays well above average.
10/26/03
[The masterstroke is] keeping the family apart for most of the movie and using character analysis as a way of suggesting the dysfunction.
12/26/03
Will leave you with a smile on your face, a tear in your eye and a memory in your heart.
10/29/03
It looks like what it is: a movie shot quickly, with digital cameras and on the cheap, but with enough talent on screen to keep the audience engaged.
11/06/03
Ultimately Hedges’ film, like the turkey, comes out underdone.
11/09/03
..I can’t stress enough the grace and beauty of Peter Hedges’ haunting picture ..
12/06/04
A shell game that replaces the comedy of observation it sets out to be with glib one-liners, shallow characterizations, and a sweet but naive vision of racial harmony.
10/24/03
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10/26/03
Top CriticShot off-the-cuff on drab video, Hedges’ holiday-flavored morsel is tasty, if not especially filling.
02/09/04
Utterly charming from its opening scene and touching to the end.
05/07/03
Despite its flaws, Pieces of April has a lot of joy and quirkiness; it's well-intentioned in its screwy way, with flashes of human insight, and actors who can take a moment and make it glow.
10/24/03
Top CriticClarkson alone makes April a feast.
10/23/03
Click to read the article
04/29/09
The predictability factor is as steady as a simmering saute but there's enough spice in the company of lead Katie Holmes to make this a savory meal.
11/02/03
An affectionate holiday movie with a lot of spirit and heart, but one that might have been much better if not for the fact that the visuals almost annihilate the narrative.
11/05/03
Latest News for Pieces of April
October 26, 2006:
Critical Consensus: "Fire" Blazes; "Scissors" Isn't Sharp Enough; "Saw III" Not Screened: Guess The Tomatometer!
This week at the movies, we've got the return of Jigsaw ("Saw III," starring Tobin Bell), a tale of rebellion in apartheid-era South Africa ("Catch a Fire,"... More...
November 24, 2005:
A Day to Give Thanks (for Good Thanksgiving Movies!)
The Newsday column gets to take a few days off during the big holidays, but I couldn't let today go by without offering our friends a handful of Turkey-day treats. If you're... More...
September 15, 2005:
That Crazy Carell Lands Yet Another New Gig
According to Variety, the suddenly VERY busy "40 Year-Old Virgin" Steve Carell has signed with Disney to star in Peter Hedges' comedy "Dan in Real Life,"... More...
January 13, 2005:
"Everything Changes" for Peter Hedges
More...
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