Pieces of April

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  • Opened October 17, 2003 
  • 1 hr 21 min
  • PG-13 | Language, Images of Nudity, Drug Content and Sensuality
  • Parents: Common Sense Media says Iffy for 14+. More on child suitability

  • Quirky and rebellious April Burns (Katie Holmes) lives with her boyfriend in a low-rent New York City apartment miles away from her emotionally distant family. But when she discovers that her mother (Patricia Clarkson) has a fatal form of breast cancer, she invites the clan to her place for Thanksgiving. While her father (Oliver Platt) struggles to drive her family into the city, April -- an inexperienced cook -- runs into kitchen trouble and must ask a neighbor (Sean Hayes) for help. Full synopsis

  • Cast: Katie Holmes, Patricia Clarkson, Oliver Platt, Derek Luke, Alison Pill
  • Director: Peter Hedges
  • Genres: Comedy Drama, Urban Comedy, Domestic Comedy, Holiday Film

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Critics say Go
70 out of 100
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Critic Reviews

100
San Francisco Chronicle
|

Both heartfelt and tough-minded. Read full review

90
Wall Street Journal
| Joe Morgenstern

Pieces of April would deserve your attention and respect even if all these colorful threads didn't come together into a luminous whole. But they do, beautifully and unaffectedly, because what's been on Mr. Hedges's mind is not just a comedy of alienation but a drama of acceptance and reconciliation. Read full review

88
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
|

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 full review

80
The Hollywood Reporter
|

This warm and scruffy film may strike some as a mere period piece, but it's juiced with recognizable family trauma and garnished with a quirky sensibility -- it's the portrait of a group of people we come to care about. Read full review

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