Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Often after watching either a disaster or a masterpiece, I'm left sort of speechless, but rarely am I left that way for something this qualitatively "OK". It's melodramatic, cloying and falsely complex, yet also comfortingly human, quietly funny and the way it absorbed my mind, it clearly had some sort of unquantifiable impact on me that makes it worth recommending.

No family is perfect and this family is no exception, but there is such beauty in the telling of this story, warts and all. Patricia Clarkson's performances as the bitter, sickly mother is stellar -- you both want to smack her and comfort her. The family car ride to their daughter's flat for Thanksgiving reminds me of the times my family and I spent more time judging our black sheep than finding ways to welcome him back into the fold. This movie was the first time that I had seen Katie Holmes perform and I could tell that she was destined for success. You can feel her raw emotions of trying to go from being a difficult, petulant child to a responsible daughter yearning to be part of her estranged family. Pieces of April is a profound reminder to us all that we should forgive our family "lost causes" before it's too late.

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.

To be quite simple - the story is simple, but heartwarming and really makes you care about the characters from start to finish. April (played terrifically by Katie Holmes) is hosting a thanksgiving dinner which will most likely be the last one she will hold with her Mother and family due to her Mother's terminal cancer. They are driving to New York to see April while at the same time dreading the experience that will either distance April even more from her family or finally make some peace.Katie Holmes gives a really good performance as the rebel girl who is trying to make some new changes in her life. What this story does is simply tell a story that we could all relate to on one of these special occasions - whether it be Christmas or a birthday. The fact that this is a low budget film with the quality of the film being reasonable, though not spectacular actually adds to the whole feel of it - it makes it more real.What is also great is the supporting cast and characters who come into the whole drama. The black family who lives in the apartment block end up helping April when her oven breaks and the food preparation actually had me wanting to go buy a turkey and have a great feast. Most of all, Patricia Clarkson's performance is splendid and with all the great performances, you keep caring till the very end and rooting for the family to get together and to come to an understanding.It's movies like these - which are so overlooked, which really should get more attention. Sometimes something simple can end up being one of the best movies you can see.