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.

I noticed this movie in a store maybe six or seven years ago, and I wanted to see it. Well here I am, and I just finished this. The cinematography was kind of shaky. I usually like interesting cinematography, but this time it just felt sloppy. Colours were incredibly though. Lack of music was great, however a couple of songs were used. I feel like this it would've been interesting if there was no music at all. The story was very nice, it was actually lovely in its own slightly peculiar way. In the end it made me feel really good. Also a lot was fitted into such a short movie - which is something some movie makers should take a note of.But still I feel like I was expecting something more, but I don't know what it is. However this is a decent movie, more than decent. It's worth seeing if the shaky filming doesn't scare you (and if your expectations aren't too high).

April Burns (Katie Holmes) and her boyfriend Bobby (Derek Luke) are cooking Thanksgiving dinner for her family in her rundown NYC apartment. She discovers their stove doesn't work and she tries desperately to find a working stove. April's mom Joy (Patricia Clarkson) is sick. Her sister Beth (Alison Pill) is annoyingly smothering and doesn't want Thanksgiving at April's. Her brother Timmy (John Gallagher Jr.) got her mother weed. Her father Jim (Oliver Platt) tries hard to keep everybody happy. And Grandma Dottie (Alice Drummond) is losing her memories. April finds help from her neighbors Evette (Lillias White), Eugene (Isiah Whitlock Jr) and weird Wayne (Sean Hayes).This is a small indie from Peter Hedges. The production is strictly low budget hand-held camera work. Katie Holmes isn't stretching too far and does a good job. The family is led by the great Patricia Clarkson. There is a bit of low simmering charm about this. Every once in awhile, it lands a hilarious punch. It doesn't always hit solidly, but it usually leaves you smiling.

April Burns (Katie Holmes) describes herself in a very colorful yet almost tragic way as the "first pancake" (the one you throw away) in the Burns family. The entire movie is about her struggle to prepare a perfect Thanks Giving dinner for her very dysfunctional and very distant (and this is mildly said) family; she somewhat is trying to prove to them that she has forgiven them and she seeks their forgiveness (because she, like all of us, wants to be part of a family), and also that she is all grown up and living a happy, normal-ish life with her boyfriend.While April is trying very hard for her family, the lot is on the road and wishing they had never left home.The end is most surprising and emotional.I was never a fan of Katie Holmes, nor am I now, but this movie is excellent (I might be slightly subjective because I myself am a "first pancake"). I used to work in a movie rental and one day, I just didn't have anything to do and I decided to watch one of the movies I hadn't seen by that time. I chose "Pieces of April", though I hadn't heard about it 'till then, nor have I seen the case on the shelves (which is somewhat weird), because it seemed different than all the others we have. I wasn't wrong, it is different in a good and emotional kind of way. What I liked the most about it is obviously the story and the way it's told ( I refer here to the home-movie aspect). The acting is also pretty good and realistic.You might have nothing to gain watching this movie (depending on what you like), but you certainly have nothing to loose, so, if you can spare a couple of hours...