Pieces Of April review

Peter Hedges' delightful directorial debut is a calling card for digital cinema, and proves that with a confident script and a quality cast low-budget doesn't always mean low quality. Of course Hedges has some pedigree when it comes to writing: What's Eating Gilbert Grape? and About A Boy being two of his screenplays that received critical and commercial success. On a reported $250,000 budget, he has emerged with a film that has more heart, warmth and humour than most Hollywood blockbusters.

The film is set on Thanksgiving and looks at one family's attempts to get together for the festivities. Katie Holmes plays the eponymous April, living in a grotty NY apartment with her boyfriend Bobby (Derek Luke). April has always been the wild kid of her middle class and middle-of-the-road family, but decides to invite her clan over for turkey to finally prove that she can do something right. However, when Bobby disappears on a five-hour errand and April discovers her oven is not working, she is forced to call on the help of the sundry neighbours living in her apartment block - with results being very varied.

Meanwhile, April's family sets out from upstate to find their daughter. The family is dominated by the cancer that afflicts their mother Joy (Patricia Clarkson) and all of them try to make life as superficially pleasant as possible for her. Husband Jim (Oliver Platt) is over-attentive, daughter Beth (Alison Pill) is exuberant about everything, and Joy takes solace from playing practical jokes on them and smoking dope with her sixteen-year-old son Timmy (John Gallagher Jr).

Part road movie and part domestic comedy, we learn a lot of things about this slightly dysfunctional family on their trip to the city. Similarly, April's attempts to cook her turkey using all of the ovens in her block are increasingly amusing and very well played by an outstanding supporting cast. All of the main players excel: Patricia Clarkson adds another superb turn to her performance in The Station Agent, Oliver Platt is hugely believable as the concerned father, and Holmes is pitch-perfect as the neurotic but well-meaning daughter.

Minor quibbles are that the film ends too abruptly (although it does leave the audience wanting more), and the story concerning Bobby's antics leads nowhere. But this is quality stuff that makes you realise that yours isn't the only screwed up family around.