''Pieces of April'' is a 2003 American
comedy-drama
Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
film written and directed by
Peter Hedges
Peter Simpson Hedges (born July 6, 1962) is an American novelist, playwright, screenwriter, film director and film producer.
Early life
Hedges was born in West Des Moines, Iowa, where he was raised, the son of Carole (Simpson), a psychotherapis ...
. Marking Hedges'
directorial debut
This is a list of film directorial debuts in chronological order. The films and dates referred to are a director's first commercial cinematic release. Many film makers have directed works which were not commercially released, for example early work ...
, the film stars
Katie Holmes,
Derek Luke
Derek Nathanial Luke (born April 24, 1974) is an American actor. He won the Independent Spirit Award for his big-screen debut performance as the titular character in the 2002 film '' Antwone Fisher'', directed and produced by Denzel Washington. ...
,
Sean Hayes
Sean Patrick Hayes (born June 26, 1970) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. He is best known for playing Jack McFarland on the NBC sitcom ''Will & Grace'', for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award, four SAG Awards, and one American Com ...
,
Alison Pill
Alison Pill (born November 27, 1985) is a Canadian actress. A former child actress, Pill began her career at age 12, appearing in numerous films and television series. She transitioned to adult roles and her breakthrough came with the television ...
,
Oliver Platt
Oliver Platt (born January 12, 1960) is a Canadian-born American actor. He is known for his starring roles in many films such as ''Flatliners'' (1990), ''Beethoven'' (1992), ''Indecent Proposal'', ''The Three Musketeers'' (both 1993), ''Executiv ...
and
Patricia Clarkson
Patricia Davies Clarkson (born December 29, 1959) is an American actress. She has starred in numerous leading and supporting roles in a variety of films ranging from independent film features to major film studio productions. Her accolades incl ...
. The film follows April (Holmes), as she attempts to prepare a
Thanksgiving dinner
The centerpiece of contemporary Thanksgiving in the United States and in Canada is Thanksgiving dinner (informally called turkey dinner), a large meal generally centered on a large roasted turkey. Thanksgiving could be considered the largest ...
for her estranged family.
The film premiered at the 2003
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...
, and received mostly positive reviews. It grossed over worldwide on a $300,000 budget. Patricia Clarkson received numerous nominations for Best Supporting Actress for her role, including at the
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
and the
Golden Globe Awards
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
, and also won the title at many smaller film awards.
Plot
April Burns, the eldest daughter in a highly
dysfunctional family
A dysfunctional family is a family in which conflict, misbehavior, and often child neglect or abuse and sometimes even all of the above on the part of individual parents occur continuously and regularly, leading other members to accommodate suc ...
, lives in a small
tenement
A tenement is a type of building shared by multiple dwellings, typically with flats or apartments on each floor and with shared entrance stairway access. They are common on the British Isles, particularly in Scotland. In the medieval Old Town, i ...
apartment on the
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets.
Traditionally an im ...
of
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
with her boyfriend Bobby. Although estranged from her parents, Jim and Joy, and younger siblings Beth and Timmy, she opts to invite them for
Thanksgiving dinner
The centerpiece of contemporary Thanksgiving in the United States and in Canada is Thanksgiving dinner (informally called turkey dinner), a large meal generally centered on a large roasted turkey. Thanksgiving could be considered the largest ...
. It is expected to be the last Thanksgiving for Joy, who is dying from
breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a re ...
.
April's parents and siblings, along with April's senile grandmother, start a long drive from
suburb
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
ia to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, while April prepares to cook dinner. Bobby leaves the apartment to purchase a suit so he can make a good impression upon meeting April's family. Upon attempting to cook the Thanksgiving turkey, April discovers that her oven is broken, and solicits help from other people in her apartment building; she receives help, hindrance and indifference from the disparate group of residents, but eventually completes the meal.
As April's family makes the road trip, their dysfunctional relationship with her is discussed. Beth constantly expresses her disapproval for visiting April, while Joy is pessimistic about the prospect of the dinner being enjoyable. Jim remains positive, and Timmy takes photographs of their trip. Frequent stops have to be made as Joy is sick. After initial difficulty, Bobby finds a suit and begins heading home, only to be confronted by April's former boyfriend, a drug-dealer named Tyrone. A fight ensues, ruining Bobby's suit jacket and leaving his face bloody. April's family arrives outside her derelict apartment building. Initially hesitant to leave their car due to the poverty of the neighborhood, they are then approached by a battered Bobby, who introduces himself. Her family subsequently leaves, opting to purchase a meal at a diner instead. April is crestfallen after learning the news.
After witnessing a confrontation between a mother and her young daughter in the diner's bathroom, Joy reconsiders. Along with Timmy, the pair ask two motorcycle riders to take them back to April's apartment. April has since decided to share her Thanksgiving meal with several residents of her apartment building who helped her prepare it. Joy proceeds to April's apartment, where the two have an emotional reunion, which is photographed by Timmy. The rest of April's family later arrives, and all embrace her. April's family, together with the residents of the building, are shown having an enjoyable time.
Cast
*
Katie Holmes as April Burns
*
Derek Luke
Derek Nathanial Luke (born April 24, 1974) is an American actor. He won the Independent Spirit Award for his big-screen debut performance as the titular character in the 2002 film '' Antwone Fisher'', directed and produced by Denzel Washington. ...
as Bobby
*
Oliver Platt
Oliver Platt (born January 12, 1960) is a Canadian-born American actor. He is known for his starring roles in many films such as ''Flatliners'' (1990), ''Beethoven'' (1992), ''Indecent Proposal'', ''The Three Musketeers'' (both 1993), ''Executiv ...
as Jim Burns
*
Patricia Clarkson
Patricia Davies Clarkson (born December 29, 1959) is an American actress. She has starred in numerous leading and supporting roles in a variety of films ranging from independent film features to major film studio productions. Her accolades incl ...
as Joy Burns
*
Alison Pill
Alison Pill (born November 27, 1985) is a Canadian actress. A former child actress, Pill began her career at age 12, appearing in numerous films and television series. She transitioned to adult roles and her breakthrough came with the television ...
as Beth Burns
*
John Gallagher Jr. as Timmy Burns
*
Alice Drummond
Alice Elizabeth Drummond (née Ruyter, May 21, 1928 – November 30, 2016) was an American actress. A veteran Off-Broadway performer, she was nominated in 1970 for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her performance as Mrs ...
as Grandma Dottie
*
Sean Hayes
Sean Patrick Hayes (born June 26, 1970) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. He is best known for playing Jack McFarland on the NBC sitcom ''Will & Grace'', for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award, four SAG Awards, and one American Com ...
as Wayne
*
Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Eugene
*
Lillias White
Lillias White (born July 21, 1951) is an American actress and singer. She is particularly known for her performances in Broadway musicals. In 1989 she won an Obie Award for her performance in the Off-Broadway musical ''Romance in Hard Times''. In ...
as Evette
*
Leila Danette as Woman in Stairwell
*
Sisqó
Mark Althavan Andrews (born November 9, 1978), known professionally as Sisqó (stylized as SisQó), is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. He is most prominently known for "Thong Song", his membership in Dru Hill, ...
as Latrell
*
Adrian Martinez as Man in Mohair Sweater
*
Armando Riesco
Armando Riesco (born December 5, 1977) is a Puerto Rican actor.
Early life
Riesco was born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, to Cuban immigrants who resettled there. He was raised in San Juan where he attended Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola. He then ...
as Tyrone
Themes
''Pieces of April'' explores themes of 'racing against time', evidenced by Joy's cancer and that it is expected to be the last Thanksgiving with her alive. This theme is reinforced by April's race to get dinner cooked in time, and by Bobby's search to find a suit and return home.
[ Hedges screenplays are renowned for having themes of humanity and truth; interviewed regarding the film, Hedges said he does not write stories to help people escape life, but rather to help them embrace it.][ Hedges said he hoped the film would trigger something in people, either to take action or reflect on their own lives.][
]
Production
Pre-production
Hedges started working on the script for ''Pieces of April'' about eight or nine years before the film was released, though eventually forgot about the project. After his mother was diagnosed with cancer, she encouraged him to continue writing. Hedges went looking through his old drafts, and remembered that the mother in ''Pieces of April'' also has cancer. After telling his own mother of this, she told him it sounded like a project he should work on. Hedges says he only began putting serious effort into the script after his mother had died. He said that while the film was not autobiographical, it was definitely impacted by his mother's death, concluding that he wanted to make a film that was not about her, but instead a tribute to her; the film is dedicated to her memory. Hedges was additionally inspired by a true story about a group of friends who had "borrowed" an apartment to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner. When they went to cook their turkey they discovered their oven did not work, so had to go door to door in the building to try and use one of their neighbor's. ''Pieces of April'' was in pre-production on three occasions, each time with a budget of around $7 million, though attempts to get the film off the ground repeatedly failed. The fourth time Hedges attempted to get the film developed, he took it to independent company InDigEnt, who signed it immediately, albeit on a much smaller budget of $300,000.[
]
Casting
Katie Holmes had always agreed to play the lead role; Hedges said he thought she was drawn to the role as it differed so much from characters she had previously portrayed.[ ]Oliver Platt
Oliver Platt (born January 12, 1960) is a Canadian-born American actor. He is known for his starring roles in many films such as ''Flatliners'' (1990), ''Beethoven'' (1992), ''Indecent Proposal'', ''The Three Musketeers'' (both 1993), ''Executiv ...
and Patricia Clarkson
Patricia Davies Clarkson (born December 29, 1959) is an American actress. She has starred in numerous leading and supporting roles in a variety of films ranging from independent film features to major film studio productions. Her accolades incl ...
had already agreed to work on the film the third time it was in pre-production with a budget $7 million, though were happy to remain on board with the reduced wages the new budget offered, which only gave cast and crew $200 and $100 a day respectively; Hedges was paid $10 to write and another $10 to direct the film.[ ]Sean Hayes
Sean Patrick Hayes (born June 26, 1970) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. He is best known for playing Jack McFarland on the NBC sitcom ''Will & Grace'', for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award, four SAG Awards, and one American Com ...
called Hedges from the set of ''Will & Grace
''Will & Grace'' is an American television sitcom created by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. Set in New York City, the show focuses on the friendship between best friends Will Truman (Eric McCormack), a gay lawyer, and Grace Adler (Debra Messing), ...
'', asking for the part of Bobby. Hedges explained that Bobby was to be African-American, and instead suggested the role of Wayne. Hayes asked if he could fly to New York to audition, at which point Hedges informed him there was no need as he was already hired. Sisqó
Mark Althavan Andrews (born November 9, 1978), known professionally as Sisqó (stylized as SisQó), is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. He is most prominently known for "Thong Song", his membership in Dru Hill, ...
also originally applied for the role of Bobby, though Hedges did not think he was suited to the role as he was shorter than Holmes, and instead suggested he play Latrell. Derek Luke
Derek Nathanial Luke (born April 24, 1974) is an American actor. He won the Independent Spirit Award for his big-screen debut performance as the titular character in the 2002 film '' Antwone Fisher'', directed and produced by Denzel Washington. ...
was the last person to audition for Bobby, and Hedges was so impressed with his performance he hired him immediately.[
]
Filming
''Pieces of April'' was filmed in 16 days. Due to the tight schedule many locations, such as the Burns family home and the Salvation Army
Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
store, were only available for a single day. Due to time limitations some scenes showing the Burns family driving to visit April were actually shot while the actors were driving to additional filming locations. Two apartments in New York were used for filming, one for shots of hallways and stairs and one for the inside of apartments. Some original residents of the apartments were used as extras. Filming was often challenging as the spaces to work in were small. ''Pieces of April'' was shot digitally with hand-held cameras, and almost exclusively used close and medium shots due to limitations in resolution in wide digital shots at the time. Many scenes were filmed with two cameras at the same time, allowing them to be filmed in one take.[
]
Soundtrack
The film's title is taken from a 1972 song of the same name by Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night is an American rock band formed in 1967, with founding members consisting of vocalists Danny Hutton, Cory Wells, and Chuck Negron. This lineup was soon augmented by Jimmy Greenspoon (keyboards), Joe Schermie (bass), Michael Allsup ...
. Hedges had intended to use the song at the end of the film, though Stephin Merritt
Stephin Raymond Merritt (born February 9, 1965) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the songwriter and principal singer of the bands the Magnetic Fields, the Gothic Archies, and Future Bible Heroes. He is ...
, who was hired for the film's score, advised him against doing so. Hedges instead asked Merritt to compose an original song to close the film.[ Merritt's soundtrack to the film was released on ]Nonesuch Records
Nonesuch Records is an American record company and label owned by Warner Music Group, distributed by Warner Records (formerly called Warner Bros. Records), and based in New York City. Founded by Jac Holzman in 1964 as a budget classical label, Non ...
on November 4, 2003 to mostly favorable reviews.
Reception
Initial screening and box office
''Pieces of April'' debuted at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...
. Following its positive reception there, the rights to the film were reported to be in a bidding war with companies including Miramax
Miramax, LLC, also known as Miramax Films, is an American film and television production and distribution company founded on December 19, 1979, by brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein, and based in Los Angeles, California.
It was initially a leadi ...
, Fine Line Features
Fine Line Features (often spelled as FineLine Features) was the specialty films division of New Line Cinema. From 1991 to 2005, under founder and president Ira Deutchman, Fine Line acquired, distributed and marketed films of a more "indie" flav ...
and Artisan Entertainment
Artisan Entertainment (formerly known as U.S.A. Home Video, International Video Entertainment (IVE) and LIVE Entertainment) was an American film studio and home video company. It was considered one of the largest mini-major film studios until ...
. United Artists
United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studi ...
ended up securing the worldwide release rights from Cinetic Media
Cinetic Media is an American film financing and film distribution company that specializes in releasing independent films theatrically and through video on demand
Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to acce ...
in January 2003.
The film earned over $2.5 million domestically and a further $743,364 internationally for a total gross of over $3.2 million.
Critical response
The review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
gives the film an approval rating of 84% based on reviews from 153 critics, with an average rating of 7.12/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "''Pieces of April'' transcends its small-scale setting and budget with endearing performances, playful humor, and genuine sweetness, resulting in a touching holiday treat." Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
assigned the film a weighted average score of 70 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Elvis Mitchell of ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' called the film an "intelligent and touching farce" and added, "Mr. Hedges dances from one vignette to another with a mouthwatering finesse."
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
gave the film three out of four stars, praising its humor and quirkiness and describing it as "well-intentioned in its screwy way, with flashes of human insight, and actors who can take a moment and make it glow." Peter Travers
Peter Joseph Travers (born ) is an American film critic, journalist, and television presenter. He reviews films for ABC News and previously served as a movie critic for ''People'' and ''Rolling Stone''. Travers also hosts the film interview prog ...
of ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' also rated it three stars out of four, praising Holmes for her performance which he described as holding the film together, while Carla Meyer of the ''San Francisco Chronicle
The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...
'' called the film "both heartfelt and tough-minded", praising Holmes and describing Clarkson's performance as "her finest among about 100 fine Clarkson performances in the past few years".
One of the film's few less-favorable reviews came from ''Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' who gave it a 'C', calling it a "glib comedy" and adding, "Hedges shoves his characters into sitcom slots and seals them there."
Awards and nominations
''Pieces of April'' was nominated for Best Foreign Independent Film at the 2004 British Independent Film Awards, though lost to South Korean film '' Oldboy''. Peter Hedges
Peter Simpson Hedges (born July 6, 1962) is an American novelist, playwright, screenwriter, film director and film producer.
Early life
Hedges was born in West Des Moines, Iowa, where he was raised, the son of Carole (Simpson), a psychotherapis ...
was nominated for Best Screenplay at the 19th Independent Spirit Awards[ and also the ]Humanitas Prize
The Humanitas Prize is an award for film and television writing, and is given to writers whose work explores the human condition in a nuanced and meaningful way. It began in 1974 with Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser—also the founder of Paulist P ...
at the 29th Humanitas Awards. He won both the Audience Choice Award and the FIPRESCI Prize at the 2003 Chicago International Film Festival
The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964 by Michael Kutza, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. Its logo is a stark, black and white close up of the comp ...
.
Patricia Clarkson
Patricia Davies Clarkson (born December 29, 1959) is an American actress. She has starred in numerous leading and supporting roles in a variety of films ranging from independent film features to major film studio productions. Her accolades incl ...
received numerous best supporting actress nominations for her role, including at the 76th Academy Awards
The 76th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2003 and took place on February 29, 2004, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 ...
, the 61st Golden Globe Awards
The 61st Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and television for 2003, were held on January 25, 2004 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. The nominations were announced on December 18, 2003.
'' The Lord of the Rings ...
, the 10th Screen Actors Guild Awards. and the 19th Independent Spirit Awards. In 2003, she won in that category at the Boston Society of Film Critics
The Boston Society of Film Critics (BSFC) is an organization of film reviewers from Boston, Massachusetts in the United States.
History
The BSFC was formed in 1981 to make “Boston’s unique critical perspective heard on a national and internati ...
Awards, the Chicago Film Critics Association Awards, the National Board of Review
The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered an early harbinger of the film awards season that culminat ...
Awards and the San Francisco Film Critics Circle
The San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC), formerly known as San Francisco Film Critics Circle, was founded in 2002 as an organization of film journalists and critics from San Francisco, California based publications.
Included in it ...
Awards, and in 2004, she won it at the Florida Film Critics Circle
The Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) is a film critic organization founded in 1996. The FFCC comprises 30 film critics from Florida-based print and online publications. At the end of each year, the FFCC members vote on the Florida Film Critics ...
Awards, the National Society of Film Critics
The National Society of Film Critics (NSFC) is an American film critic organization. The organization is known for its highbrow tastes, and its annual awards are one of the most prestigious film critics awards in the United States. In January 2014, ...
Awards, and the Satellite Awards
The Satellite Awards are annual awards given by the International Press Academy that are commonly noted in entertainment industry journals and blogs. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards. The award ceremonies take place ...
. She also won the 'Special Jury Prize for Outstanding Dramatic Performance' award at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival
The 2003 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 16 to January 26, 2003. ''American Splendor'', a biopic of comic-book author Harvey Pekar, won the grand-jury prize. Steve Zahn and Maggie Gyllenhaal presented the awards in a ceremony tele ...
, for her roles in ''Pieces of April'', and also ''The Station Agent
''The Station Agent'' is a 2003 American independent psychological comedy-drama film written and directed by Tom McCarthy in his directorial debut. It stars Peter Dinklage as a man who seeks solitude in an abandoned train station in the Newfoun ...
'' and '' All the Real Girls''.
References
External links
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{{authority control
2003 comedy-drama films
2003 films
American comedy-drama films
Cooking films
2000s English-language films
Films about dysfunctional families
Films about interracial romance
Films set in New York City
Thanksgiving in films
United Artists films
2003 directorial debut films
2003 comedy films
2003 drama films
Films about mother–daughter relationships
2000s American films
2003 independent films
American independent films