Pieces of April (2003)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: Pieces of April transcends its small-scale setting and budget with endearing performances, playful humor, and genuine sweetness, resulting in a touching holiday treat.
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Cast
as April Burns
as Joy Burns
as Jim Burns
as Bobby
as Wayne
as Beth Burns
as Timmy Burns
as Grandma Dottie
as Evette
as Eugene
as Latrell
as Tyrone
as Half Asleep Man
as Man in Mohair Sweater
as Tish
as Boy on Bicycle
as Woman in Stairwell
as Lee Loung Tan
as Lee Quong Tan
as Parade Announcer
as Lee Quong
as Lee Lang
as Lee Wai Yam
as Woman Outside Bodega
as Waitress
as Young Mother
as Young Girl
as Joy's Biker Guy
as Timmy's Biker Guy
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Critic Reviews for Pieces of April
All Critics (147) | Top Critics (38) | Fresh (124) | Rotten (23) | DVD (14)
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.
Pieces of April is built around the tired premise of a dysfunctional family's Thanksgiving get-together, but -- surprise -- it's fresh.
Longer on calculating sourness than on psychologically organic wit.
It's in the cross-cutting between April's disaster-prone preparations and her family's turbulent journey that Hedges's movie finds its lively and likeable rhythm.
This is one of those quietly wonderful films that really deserves an audience.
The film more than earns its heartwarming finale by virtue of the skilled performances of the leads.
Audience Reviews for Pieces of April
A one part great movie and one part bad movie. The storylines of Derek Luke and Katie Holmes are perfect and extremely well done, while the scenes with the family are the same cliche seen over and over. I think what also works extremely well is the cinematography and documentary look. It feels like you're living in this apartment building and taking a look at a real place rather than fiction. Overall, it works. It's just not as good as it theoretically could have been.
Super Reviewer
I've wanted to see this movie for a while. It was definitely enjoyable. I'm starting to like these quirky, independent, true-to-life movies more than the big action blockbusters actually. You could feel the awkwardness of both sides of the family through the television.
Super Reviewer
Katie Holmes was impressive. I love that Peter Hedges takes the simple event of Thanksgiving dinner and paints an extremely thorough picture of it. Quirky and delicious.
Super Reviewer
Pieces of April Quotes
| Joy Burns: | I'm glad we're going, Jim. This way instead of April showing up with some new piercing, tattoo, and, God forbid, staying overnight, this way we get to show up, experience the disaster that is her life, smile, and before we know it, we're on our way back home. |
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