i hate how movies are packaged, positioned, marketed and promoted these days.
i just rented (and watched) PIECES OF APRIL because i thought it was gonna be a dumb comedy/light drama that i wouldn't have to pay much attention to when i watched it while cleaning up my room. all the previews i saw gave me this vibe. the movie is presented as this "kooky oldest daughter who moved to the city tries to impress her 'normal' family by cooking a traditional thanksgiving dinner - but she can't do ANYTHING right" there's stupid little quips edited into the preview and it just seems like a dumb comedy of errors and forced sarcasm that wouldn't merit anyone's attention.
by the time i finished watching PIECES OF APRIL i was all sad and almost teary. peter hedges (the writer/director) has made this beautiful and very subtle and very painfully real document of a family coming to terms with the imminent death of their cancer-stricken mother. april is the oldest, and the one treated most harshly by the mother. their relationship has crumbled to shit and only a tenous connection with a forgiving father is keeping her in the family.
the movie splits into two stories: one is april trying desperately to prepare a thanksgiving dinner in her ghetto apartment (with a busted oven and not a single clue of what she is doing) the other is the family making the drive to the city for dinner, the whole way the mother and april's youngest sister complain bitterly at having to make the trek, convinced that april will fuck it up and the mother will die with yet another bad memory.
the tension created by april and her mother each wanting one another's unconditional love, convinced they'll never get it, but trying anyway is the basis of the movie.
there are subplots too and oliver platt (who is awesome) is in it.
the point is, it was a beautifully shot, well-directed movie, that hit a level of reality in family-based drama that most sterile hollywood flicks just gloss over. patricia clarkson was just incredible as april's mother. the movie is littered with little moments that scream reality - real reality, not tv reality (like april's younger brother rolling a joint for his mother in a public rest stop, oliver platt reaching over and touching the mother's face while she is asleep because he thought she died, and then the tears he chokes back... but most importantly, the teenaged kids - aprils brother and sister - having to make excuses and explanations to their senile grandmother about what is REALLY going on in the car). i could ramble all day, it was just fucking beautiful...
and all this time, i thought it was gonna be a pile of substanceless, but somewhat entertaining drivel to provide background noise in my room.
katie holmes is great. its one of those flicks where the actress is so locked into the character you don't think about their past work or their celebrity identity. i thought she was headed for something better when she did WONDER BOYS, but the bare-breasted floozy role in THE GIFT made me second guess that. looks like she's gonna make good movies after all.
anybody else seen this?
i just rented (and watched) PIECES OF APRIL because i thought it was gonna be a dumb comedy/light drama that i wouldn't have to pay much attention to when i watched it while cleaning up my room. all the previews i saw gave me this vibe. the movie is presented as this "kooky oldest daughter who moved to the city tries to impress her 'normal' family by cooking a traditional thanksgiving dinner - but she can't do ANYTHING right" there's stupid little quips edited into the preview and it just seems like a dumb comedy of errors and forced sarcasm that wouldn't merit anyone's attention.
by the time i finished watching PIECES OF APRIL i was all sad and almost teary. peter hedges (the writer/director) has made this beautiful and very subtle and very painfully real document of a family coming to terms with the imminent death of their cancer-stricken mother. april is the oldest, and the one treated most harshly by the mother. their relationship has crumbled to shit and only a tenous connection with a forgiving father is keeping her in the family.
the movie splits into two stories: one is april trying desperately to prepare a thanksgiving dinner in her ghetto apartment (with a busted oven and not a single clue of what she is doing) the other is the family making the drive to the city for dinner, the whole way the mother and april's youngest sister complain bitterly at having to make the trek, convinced that april will fuck it up and the mother will die with yet another bad memory.
the tension created by april and her mother each wanting one another's unconditional love, convinced they'll never get it, but trying anyway is the basis of the movie.
there are subplots too and oliver platt (who is awesome) is in it.
the point is, it was a beautifully shot, well-directed movie, that hit a level of reality in family-based drama that most sterile hollywood flicks just gloss over. patricia clarkson was just incredible as april's mother. the movie is littered with little moments that scream reality - real reality, not tv reality (like april's younger brother rolling a joint for his mother in a public rest stop, oliver platt reaching over and touching the mother's face while she is asleep because he thought she died, and then the tears he chokes back... but most importantly, the teenaged kids - aprils brother and sister - having to make excuses and explanations to their senile grandmother about what is REALLY going on in the car). i could ramble all day, it was just fucking beautiful...
and all this time, i thought it was gonna be a pile of substanceless, but somewhat entertaining drivel to provide background noise in my room.
katie holmes is great. its one of those flicks where the actress is so locked into the character you don't think about their past work or their celebrity identity. i thought she was headed for something better when she did WONDER BOYS, but the bare-breasted floozy role in THE GIFT made me second guess that. looks like she's gonna make good movies after all.
anybody else seen this?
VIEW 5 of 5 COMMENTS
Peter Steele did contribute some to Cause For Alarm. At that point AF wasnt actually too far removed musically fom Carnivore, which Peter was in at the time. It was the same scene. But, they are good songs.
When somebody mishears lyrics like you mentioned, its called a "mondegreen"
At least I'm nearly positive thats what its called.