Movie

Pieces of April

2003 · 81 min

A bittersweet, intimate holiday gathering that balances awkward comedy with tender emotional reckoning, leaving a warm ache.

Directed by: Peter Hedges
Genres: Comedy, Drama
Starring: Katie Holmes, Derek Luke, Patricia Clarkson

Tagline: She's the one in every family.
Overview: Quirky and rebellious April Burns 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 has a fatal form of breast cancer, she invites the clan to her place for Thanksgiving. While her father struggles to drive her family into the city, April -- an inexperienced cook -- runs into kitchen trouble and must ask a neighbor for help.

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Directed by: Peter Hedges
Genres: Comedy, Drama
Starring: Katie Holmes, Derek Luke, Patricia Clarkson

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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone: warmstrength 2 of 3
melancholicstrength 2 of 3
earneststrength 2 of 3
lightstrength 1 of 3
Pacing: measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: family
grief
healing
isolation
parenthood
Places: big city
home
road trip
Era: contemporary
Audience: teen
Form: ensemble
Content intensity: Gore none
Language mild
Violence mild
Sex mild

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	2
Horror	0
Humour	5
Realism	8
Romance	3
Tension	4
Darkness	4
Complexity	4
Emotional weight	7

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Where to watch in the UK

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Details

Genres: comedy, drama
Directed by: Peter Hedges
Written by: Peter Hedges
Starring: Katie Holmes, Derek Luke, Patricia Clarkson, Oliver Platt, Alison Pill, John Gallagher Jr., Alice Drummond, Lillias White
Music: Stephin Merritt
Cinematography: Tami Reiker
Runtime: 81 min
Country: United States of America
Languages: Mandarin, English

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Pieces of April

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