kathy-bernard No family is perfect and this family is no exception, but there is such beauty in the telling of this story, warts and all. Patricia Clarkson's performances as the bitter, sickly mother is stellar -- you both want to smack her and comfort her. The family car ride to their daughter's flat for Thanksgiving reminds me of the times my family and I spent more time judging our black sheep than finding ways to welcome him back into the fold. This movie was the first time that I had seen Katie Holmes perform and I could tell that she was destined for success. You can feel her raw emotions of trying to go from being a difficult, petulant child to a responsible daughter yearning to be part of her estranged family. Pieces of April is a profound reminder to us all that we should forgive our family "lost causes" before it's too late.

youngman44 Out of deep brokenness, dysfunctionality, sadness and despair comes a moment of true peace and joy. This is truly a fantastic film. Significantly underrated yet beautiful. The acting is superb on all counts. Without a doubt in my mind it is Katie Holmes best role. These are the kinds of roles to which she'd do well to seek to return. But, the other roles were also exceptional. Those who have seen Newsroom will recognize two of the actors as the younger siblings in this film - Allison Pill and John Gallagher, Jr. Their current acting skills are clearly recognized and on display. And the roles played by the consistently sound Oliver Platt and the underrated but very talented Patricia Clarkson are superb. My wife and I have watched this every Thanksgiving since 2006. It remains the best Thanksgiving movie ever made, in our view.

Roberta Parry I don't live in America, so Thanksgiving is a bit lost on me, but I thought this movie was very enjoyable, with a totally justified "happy ending." However, I would never, ever label it a comedy, as I would expect all of the more light-hearted dramas to contain some humour. There were places where I expected a joke to be made, or to be made more of, and so when there wasn't one, that scene ended on an anticlimax. I thought the soundtrack was absolutely perfect; I looked it up after watching the film yesterday, and almost every song on the soundtrack album spoke to me, and connected with me far more than the film itself (not a criticism of the film, I just adore the soundtrack that much) Also, the ending was a tad predictable; just from reading the back cover of the DVD I assumed that she would demonstrate her worth through all the people in her block who considered her a friend, and while that wasn't the case, it was close enough to make me feel slightly cheated.

abhitaliyan " For Days I have been trying to think of nice April memories and I can only come up with one. She was just gazing out the window and she said "oh mother don't you just love every day?"" : Joy Burns Movie opens in one seedy Manhattan apartment with April (Katie Holmes)and her African-American boyfriend Bobby (Derek Luke) chaotically preparing for a big thanksgiving dinner. Meanwhile, April's highly dysfunctional family is preparing to leave their upstate New York suburban home to share this dinner with April in New York, anticipating disaster from the petulant April who is also eldest daughter and "black sheep" of the family.Peter Hedges has done something noteworthy in Pieces of April. Movie is shot in digital video format with an overall off-colour outlook. Patricia Clarkson delivers one of her best performance as April's ailing mother "Joy Burns" who is in her terminal stage of Breast Cancer. Her character is hilarious and maddening at the same time. Katie Holmes as April plays the role of a wayward eldest daughter of this dysfunctional family. She has not seen her family for some time now and as it may be the last thanksgiving of her mother, she invites her whole family to her apartment in New York. While preparing thanksgiving dinner and dealing with her neighbours, amid all the chaos she realizes that this may be her last chance to re-conciliate with her family. Movie flips-flops between scenes of neighbour-hopping escapades of April while facing all kinds of troubles in preparing thanksgiving dinner, and her family recollecting April & her shortcomings on their way to Manhattan.Pieces of April is funny, moving, sad & intensely human, may be the best thanksgiving movie I have ever seen. Movie works as an ensemble piece which may have collapsed without its center piece Joy Burns (Patricia Clarkson). Katie Holmes was riveting as April in her punk look. Movie is only 80mins long and in the end leaves you wanting for more of this eccentric family. Unlike the stereotypical depiction of Thanksgiving, Pieces of April explores basic human frailties, but remains true to the thanksgiving theme all the time. Elements of comedy and tragedy are beautifully interwoven in the movie. Hedges pans out a very moving & heartwarming climax by making all the pieces of April come together and bequeaths you with a feeling of bittersweet lightness. If you are a fan of offbeat 'slice of a life' cinema then this one is not to be missed.My Rating: 8/10.http://flickyfriday.wordpress.com/2011/10/06/pieces-of-april-2003/