PiecesOfApril Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Free Flick of the Day: Pieces of April
Filed under: Home Entertainment »
In this current world where Katie Holmes is wife to Tom Cruise and mother of Suri, it's easy to forget she used to have a pretty solid indie career intermingled with her days on the popular Creek -- Libbets Casey in The Ice Storm, Claire in Go, Hannah in Wonder Boys, Jessica in The Gift, Nurse Mills in The Singing Detective, April Burns in Pieces of April, and Heather Holloway in Thank You For Smoking. But there is one starring role in there that's quite applicable this week: Pieces of April. *Her last big role of worth (she played only a supporting character in Smoking and she was bad enough to be axed from Gotham law after Batman Begins), Pieces of April finds Holmes the black sheep of a dysfunctional family. Living a life on her own in New York with her boyfriend Bobby, April decides to tackle the daunting halls of turkey roasting and have her family over for a Thanksgiving feast. Unfortunately, her oven fails and throws her into ultimate turkey turmoil as she struggles not to be seen as a failure (again) by her family. The film earned Patricia Clarkson an Oscar nomination for her role as Holmes' cancer-plagued mom, and is a pretty decent indie as a whole.
So, as you gear up for your own turkey feast:
Head over to SlashControl and watch Pieces of April for free!
*And one supporting gig that's prime for the more cynically holiday-minded -- The Ice Storm.
Stars in Rewind: Katie Holmes, Thanksgiving, and Estranged Families
Filed under: Trailers and Clips », Stars in Rewind »
It's amazing how much can change in a small handful of years. These days she's bringing back the fashions of the '80s (tight-rolled jeans, Dirty Dancing shorts) as she graces every tabloid and website, works on stage, and hangs with Tom and Suri. But she used to be pretty busy with the holiday that is Thanksgiving. Just five years ago -- Katie Holmes' hair was red, she was young and spunky, and she was starring in Pieces of April. (The trailer is above.)
Usually, holiday-centric films just get the basics -- turkey, family, matriarch in the kitchen. They don't focus on young, punky girls who are determined to bring together estranged family members and make a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Yes, April definitely has the obligatory family trauma to make the drama we have all come to expect, but it also shows just how far and wide tradition can reach, and that not all the cooks in the kitchen are smiling moms in aprons.
Go back a few more years, and you can find a second Thanksgiving-themed film. Change her name to Libbitz, make her the object of Tobey Maguire's affections, and you've got The Ice Storm. Personally, I prefer the latter, but it all boils down to what you're looking for -- the possibility of bringing a family together and lots of food, or retro dysfunction laced with black humor.
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