One of the reviewers here compared this film to "Mystic Pizza". I have "Mystic Pizza" on DVD, and last watched it about four months ago, and this ain't no "Mystic Pizza". The only thing comparable is that they're both restaurants that serve pizza (though I never saw pizza being served in this film) and they are in a city that's by the water. That's it. Oh, and it's mainly women who work there. Also this film is mainly about teenage girls and the other about adult women. There's a lot of flaws and unresolved and cliché elements in this film. And some hypocritical elements such as the main character, Kate, not applying her advice to her best friend, to herself. All in all, it was a sweet movie that pushed clichë to the wall. All the normal clichéd characters: the jock-type character who is the creepy guy who will be that guy who takes advantage of girls in college but ultimately hooks up with a girl who comes off as a slut-type girl in this film who's a virgin herself but acts like she knows everything when she knows nothing. Then minor cliché characters that don't necessarily evolve past anything such as the Russian blonde ditzy female and the cook who's gay, the viewer knows it, he (the cook) knows it but no one else in the film seems to pick up on it for whatever reason; and what's up about all the bikers and the two girls hiding in the freezer? Never explained that. Also the whole thing about Louise and Ronald? While it seemed to be going somewhere, the movie ended before more could be delved into that, and Louise's son and why he dislikes his mother so much. It never really developed these characters and/or their stories. It just ended. The focus is on Kate, which is fine, the film supposedly is about her; she's the focus but they add these subplots and then don't really go anywhere with them. If this film is actually to be compared to any film it would be "Never Been Kissed" with Drew Barrymore; the characters are even similar. It's a sweet movie. That's it. Normally I would rate this a four or five out of ten since it was overly cliché, added subplots that didn't go anywhere and when explaining some things it was just too far from when needing to be explained (too much time in the film passed) I ceased to care but it was a sweet movie. I enjoyed it.

This delightful little indie film focuses on a group of teenagers (and one adult) running a tiny fast food operation in the middle of a small town in Iowa. The main protagonist, Kate, is turning 16 today and has never been kissed.Keenly intelligent, independent-minded, wholesomely attractive with a good set of values, she's everything most parents could wish for in a 16 year old daughter.Beautifully photographed and edited, well cast and charmingly acted, this film surpasses almost anything big-studio Hollywood has made in recent years dealing with the topic of coming of age and romance.It manages to succeed at doing this without any of the blatantly contrived and self-conscious plot manipulations that characterize most attempts at the genre.In its emotional range and choice of topics, this film will strike many as a light-hearted, and in most ways superior alternative to "Mystic Pizza."

Superb casting and screen writing - really enjoyed and got into this little gem of a movie - cheered for the lead as the movie went along. Finally a smart character in this type of movie - one who stands for what she wants without giving in to the dumb decisions around her. You'll could compare the role of Kate to some of the best teen lead characters around. Possibly a breakout role for Hallee Hirsch - see this movie if you can - it's a self-distributed indie by Becky Smith - this is the quality type of movie that Hollywood would be proud to put out (if it wanted to!) The director, lead actor and another actor did a good Q & A following our showing at the Rave in Omaha. Besides superb casting and smart writing, the camera work exhibited outstanding color and great close-ups. This movie was clearly superior to two Hollywood films I saw the same weekend (The American with George Clooney and Cairo Time with Patricia Clarkson). See it!

A wonderful coming of age comedy that shows Hallee Hirsh is ready to move from Child Supporting Roles to Leading Lady. Trapped in her innocence as well as her Ice Cream Stand for her 16th birthday, Kate (played by Hallee Hirsh), interacts with co-workers and customers who seem to conspire to make her 16th birthday miserable This is Iowa! Trains, River Barges, and Combines move on past as young people feel trapped in small places and small roles. Small town life and characters are no match for the adventures Kate has read about from the Holocaust to the Chinese Cultural Revolution.The story as written and directed by Becky Smith is comprised of many short funny scenes that could stand on their own, but weave an image of small town Iowa for a girl who is ready to grow up and grow out of her confinement.I was lucky to get Ticket #1 to this sold out performance in Cedar Rapids, with Special Guests Becky Smith, Hallee Hirsh, Ryan Gourley, Nicholas Downs, and Vaughn Halyard. Becky and Hallee autographed my copies of their IMDb Film Credits. Let's make MORE Movies in IOWA! But for Now - kudos to Hallee - and a well deserved Kiss for Kate!