Claysaba Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Fatma Suarez The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Sarita Rafferty There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Lee Eisenberg Family gatherings and the unpleasant things resulting therefrom are a common theme in cinema. "Pieces of April" features this theme but branches it out to also look at social isolation. April (Katie Holmes) has lived in this apartment in New York for some time but hasn't gotten to know the other people in the building. Upon finding her oven broken, April has no choice but to try and get to know people. Meanwhile, her family's conversations reveal old wounds.The movie is shot in a naturalistic style to give a sense of realism. And quite frankly, that's the only thing in April's dismal world (both from her residence and her family). All sorts of bad things are happening with each group (April, her beau, and her family). And the movie pulls off everything perfectly. This is exactly what a movie should be. I recommend it.Also starring Patricia Clarkson (who received an Academy Award nomination for the role), Oliver Platt, Alice Drummond (the librarian in the original "Ghostbusters"), Derek Luke and Sean Hayes.

SnoopyStyle 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.

Avid Climber Pieces of April is about being the black sheep. It's a critique of family life.The good. A sweet, yet starkly realistic, family story, sometime touching, often surprising, with a few laughs and oddity to soften the drama. A solidly paced scenario well rendered by the editing and the camera work. Soft music and score. Complex and very varied characters with nice depth. Hard hitting dialogs that reflect the harshness that sometime life can have. Great acting on the part of all the cast.The actors. The most notables are definitively Katie Holmes, Oliver Platt, and Patricia Clarkson.The bad. Nothing.The ugly. Nothing.The result. Not everyone will appreciate this film, but I still recommend it to those willing to see life for what it is.

richard_sleboe Most people, when they read "family drama", they run. Don't. "Pieces of April" is different. It is keeps you involved and affected, but without any of the blatant good intentions that usually make this kind of movie so hard to watch. What is more, Katie Holmes is a far better actress then you would expect from her tabloid pedigree. Her portrayal of the prodigal daughter attempting reconciliation with her family is as touching as it is funny. April has invited her family to her ramshackle New York apartment for Thanksgiving. The script goes back and forth between April's place (where she has a very hard time preparing a proper Thanksgiving dinner) and her family's road trip (who are fighting and doom-saying all the way to April's doorstep). Disaster is in the air. Fine performance by Oliver Platt as April's father. Magnificent soundtrack by Steve Merritt of The Magnetic Fields.