Pieces of April (2003) Rank 4 Reviews

Palo Alto Weekly (Jeanne Aufmuth)

A small independent with a big heart. ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at Palo Alto Weekly (Jeanne Aufmuth)

Orlando Sentinel (Roger Moore)

A charmer of mild surprises, heartfelt laughs and genuine humanity. ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at Orlando Sentinel (Roger Moore)

Tail Slate (Darisa Diaz)

In Pieces of April, a pierced Katie Holmes donning red-streaked raven hair is our proverbial black sheep, April Burns, anxious about having her family over for Thanksgiving dinner at her tiny New York City apartment. A stubborn April plans on cooking an ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at Tail Slate (Darisa Diaz)

Contra Costa Times (Mary F. Pols)

A movie that manages to be darkly funny and touching at the same time. ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at Contra Costa Times (Mary F. Pols)

Kalamazoo Gazette (James Sanford)

Barely 80 minutes long, this is a movie with the texture of a great short story. ...a comedy -- and a sharp, smart one. ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at Kalamazoo Gazette (James Sanford)

The Movie Mom (Nell Minow)

I love movies that don't feel like they have to tell you everything. ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at The Movie Mom (Nell Minow)

filethirteen.com

A post-modern, post-punk "Home for the Holidays," "Pieces of April" could become a Thanksgiving film for the post- apocalyptic age. Filmmaker Peter Hedges, who has previously only scripted a few prominent films, picks up a DV camera and creates a film ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at filethirteen.com

Killer Movie Reviews (Andrea Chase)

Click here to listen to the interview with Katie Holmes and Peter Hedges. Any film that declares Krispy Kreme � donuts as proof of God's existence is a film that has much to teach us no matter what our level of metaphysical enlightenment. In this ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at Killer Movie Reviews (Andrea Chase)

Palo Alto Online (Jeanne Aufmuth)

Patricia Clarkson and Rusty Dewees in Pieces of AprilThe dreaded family holiday meal comes full comic circle in this marvelous little gem of a film. Katie Holmes (Go) blows the socks off her ingenue image as April Burns, the black sheep of the family ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at Palo Alto Online (Jeanne Aufmuth)

Looking Closer (Jeffrey Overstreet)

Although Pieces of April is Peter Hedgesâ�� first film as a directorâ��and his instincts are razor-sharpâ��itâ��s the second film heâ��s offered us about a flawed family struggling to make the best of things. ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at Looking Closer (Jeffrey Overstreet)

Detroit News (Tom Long)

A near-perfect holiday film about families and imperfection. ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at Detroit News (Tom Long)

Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice

A uniquely moving Thanksgiving story, Pieces of April is a film to savor and to be thankful for. It takes place over one difficult day on which young April, beautifully played by Katie Holmes, tries to repair her damaged relationship with her ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice

The Movie Chicks

April (Katie Holmes) has moved away from her family (they aren't exactly on the best of terms) and lives with her boyfriend, Bobby (Derek Luke) in a rough New York neighborhood. She decides that this is the year she's going to cook the Thanksgiving ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at The Movie Chicks

Orlando Weekly (Steve Schneider)

With dark-comedy panache that David Sedaris might envy, writer/director Peter Hedges takes us through one Thanksgiving in the life of April Burns. ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at Orlando Weekly (Steve Schneider)

The Cinema Source (Alysa Salzberg)

The string beans. At most Thanksgiving dinners, they are the side dish that totally gets the shaft. And itâ��s easy to see why, when thereâ��s sweetly sour cranberry sauce nearby, and glistening orange yams beckoning from the other end of the table. But ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at The Cinema Source (Alysa Salzberg)

Houston Chronicle

Movies with name stars don't come much cheaper than Pieces of April, shot for around $200,000 in just three weeks. But despite its meager resources, slow start and clichÃ©d setup -- a dysfunctional family gathers at Thanksgiving -- the film grows on you, ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at Houston Chronicle

Denver Rocky Mountain News (Robert Denerstein)

A movie that goes a long way toward proving that we all really can get along and that it's possible for a director to put a lump in our throats without making us feel like saps. ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at Denver Rocky Mountain News (Robert Denerstein)

Journal News (Westchester, NY) (Marshall Fine)

Smart, witty and touching in its examination of the way family ties can get stretched to their limits without severing the connection that makes people a family. ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at Journal News (Westchester, NY) (Marshall Fine)

Harvey S. Karten

New Yorkers may well relate more to the progress of April's meetings with her neighbors than to the evolution of the approaching family gettogether. In a building that could be a microcosm fo the Big Apple, April is pushed by a breakdown in her oven to ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at Harvey S. Karten

DVD Verdict (Bill Treadway)

I recommend Pieces of April wholeheartedly as a rental. The brief running time makes it ideal for home viewing on one of those dull, uneventful nights. And if you're inclined to do so, a purchase is a very good idea. The retail price ($26.95) is a bit ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at DVD Verdict (Bill Treadway)

The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)

There's also the modern interpretation of Thanksgiving, in which family togetherness is the important thing, regardless of how you feel about them the rest of the year. Your family is, after all, your family. Especially on Thanksgiving. What a ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)

Supercala.com (John Venable)

This is a gem of a film and goes to show that if you have a good story, you don't have to have millions of dollars to tell it. ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at Supercala.com (John Venable)

Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)

It turns out to be an especially warm comedy with a hidden heart. It's a film whose humor has feeling behind it because writer-director Peter Hedges doesn't let his comedy overpower an understanding of how emotionally weighted family situations are ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)

The New York Times (Elvis Mitchell)

Hedges's intelligent and touching farce, Pieces of April, makes an important contribution to a small and insignificant subgenre: Thanksgiving Day failure. It does so by raising the bar. ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at The New York Times (Elvis Mitchell)

Variety (David Rooney)

A Thanksgiving family reunion comedy that sparkles with acerbic wit, original characters and genuine heart. ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at Variety (David Rooney)

Film Threat (Tim Merrill)

A film to savor and to be thankful for. ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at Film Threat (Tim Merrill)

Washington Post (Desson Thomson)

This film explores what low-budget films do best: the quirkiness of character, and slightly off-kilter comedy. ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at Washington Post (Desson Thomson)

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (Stephen Cole)

The restraint and wit Hedges and his cast display in putting together Pieces of April pay off in the film's brightly organized, deeply satisfying conclusion. ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (Stephen Cole)

Empire Magazine [UK]

Pieces Of ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at Empire Magazine [UK]

Decent Films - faith on film (Steven D. Greydanus)

Much like the domestically challenged title characterâ��s inauspicious efforts to stuff a turkey in the opening scenes, Pieces of April is a movie you can easily imagine going wrong early on. The moment I realized the movie was working for me was when I ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at Decent Films - faith on film (Steven D. Greydanus)

Reel Movie Critic (Pam Singleton)

Taking the bitter with the sweet "Pieces of April" marks the directing debut for Peter Hedges. He received an Academy Award nomination for his screenplay "About a Boy" (Hugh Grant), and wrote the novel and screenplay "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at Reel Movie Critic (Pam Singleton)

Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)

I was more impressed by Katie Holmes performance than that of Patricia Clarkson, who is getting all the Oscar buzz. Clarkson gives a performance which is compelling, but doesn't show much emotional range. I thought Clarkson's performance was better in ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)

That Cow (Andrew Bradford)

I have a short pile of reviews to write here from Sundance, but this one gets bumped up to the top of the list as being, simply, the most exciting film I have seen so far (granted it's only the start of the third full day of the fest right now). It's ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at That Cow (Andrew Bradford)

ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)

Enjoyable indie �Thanksgiving� drama, a sort of �Guess Who�s Hopefully Coming For Dinner� � superb performances and a decent script ensure this stays well above average.�Thanksgiving Movies� are practically a sub-genre in the States and are usually ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)

bibloi.com (Boyd van Hoeij)

April Burns tries to explain to a family of immigrant Chinese what Thanksgiving is all about. Several times she starts with the historic roots, but in the end, she decides that the only two ingredients for Thanksgiving that really count are â��The ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at bibloi.com (Boyd van Hoeij)

CinemaSpeak.com (Warren Curry)

Each and every January, the Sundance Film Festival sets the tone for the independent film world for the year to come. The buzz machine usually surrounds not only the festival's Grand Prize winner, but also the film that leaves snowy Sundance with the ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at CinemaSpeak.com (Warren Curry)

Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice

As the debate between digital video and film rages on, Pieces of April proves a point that many people overlook in the DV/film debate. If you have a great story, a great script and a great cast, DV will work as well as film onscreen. Katie Holmes ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice

Dallas Morning News (Chris Vognar)

Few films manage to be this light and hopeful without being drop-dead dumb. ...read the complete Pieces of April movie review at Dallas Morning News (Chris Vognar)