Pieces of April

Synopsis: In a very poor zone of New York, April Burns and her boyfriend, the Afro-American Bobby, are preparing to receive April's family for thanksgiving dinner. While Bobby tries to borrow a suit for himself, April realizes that her stove is broken. She tries desperately to find a neighbor that can let her cook the turkey, since she does not want to fail (again) with her family. Meanwhile, in a suburb of Pennsylvania, her dysfunctional family is preparing to travel to New York. While driving, the relationship between the Burns and their black-sheep April is disclosed through the conversations between her father Jim, her resented mother Joy, her brother, her sister and her grandmother.
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Director(s): Peter Hedges
Production: United Artists
  Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 15 wins & 21 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.1
Metacritic:
70
Rotten Tomatoes:
84%
PG-13
Year:
2003
80 min
$2,400,000
Website
1,023 Views


I'm sleeping.

You're okay?

- Get up, get up!|- No!

You try.

Come on, this is gonna be|your big day.

We don't want to miss|this opportunity.

- All right?|- Who's coming today?

You know who's comin'.

- Bobby. Bobby!|- We got to, we got to.

No! Bobby!

Watch out! No, no!

April, you got to hurry up.

Okay, I'll be right there.

April?

I'm coming.

Here I come.

Joy? Joy?

Honey?

Joy?

- Honey...|- Dad!

Have you seen your mother?|I can't find your mother.

No.

Where are you?

- Would you knock?|- Where is she?

I don't know. Who?

Your mother.

Honey?

Mom?

- Mother?|- Mommy?

Okay, everybody, let's move it!

- You need this?|- Yeah, I think so.

Bobby.

Come on.

- Here.|- Uh-uh. No.

Hot, hot, hot!

- It doesn't really matter anyway.|- Yes, it does.

Bobby, they're probably not|even gonna come.

Hi, Mom. How you feelin'?

- Great.|- That's good.

- How'd I do?|- You did great.

Thought you'd think so.

- Do you have your camera?|- Absolutely.

- You sure?|- Positively.

Better check.

- I know it's here somewhere.|- What's taking so long?

I'm just wondering if it isn't|completely selfish of her,

asking us to come|all the way to New York.

Should Mom even be traveling?

Sweetie, if not now, when?

It's just... I offered to make the meal,|but that would've been too easy.

Honestly, Daddy, what makes her think|she can cook all of a sudden?

I don't remember her|ever being in the kitchen.

And who got an "A" in Home Ec?

And you know how proud|we are of that, honey.

- Could you zip me up, please?|- Of course.

Okay, it's gotta|be here somewhere.

- Honk the horn.|- I'm sure they'll be right out.

- Honk the horn, please.|- We'll wake the neighbors.

Screw the neighbors,|honk the goddamn horn.

Mom, please!

Look, the zipper|is not the problem.

Actually, it kind of is.

No, Dad, the zipper's|not the problem.

April is the problem.

Okay, okay, here they come.

- Hey. How you feeling?|- Great.

- Nauseous, dizzy?|- I feel great.

- How'd you sleep?|- I slept great.

The camera... it's not here.

Better hurry.

You know, Mom,|all you have to say is,

"I don't feel up to it,"|and we'll all understand.

- What now?|- Forgot my camera.

- Oh, Jesus. Where's your tie?|- Do I have to wear a tie?

- You did not just ask me that.|- No, sir.

You realize...

- this could very likely be the last...|- Dad, your breath.

- No numbness or discomfort?|- No.

- Headaches?|- No.

- Nauseous, dizzy?|- You asked that already.

All you have to say is,|"I don't feel up to it. "

Is that all I have to say?

Do you feel sweaty, clammy?

Are your hands cold, warm?|Are your fingers tingly?

- Because all you have to say...|- Beth, shut up.

Morning, honey.|How are you feeling?

You can never have|enough silverware.

Look at these plates.

Where did you get these?

Those are salt and pepper.

I know what they're for.|Where did you get them?

From the store.

We had these when I was a kid.

The one time|Joy let me hold them, she said,

"Be careful. They're worth|more than you are. "

That's terrible.

Next yea r, t hey were gohe

So, what happened?

A hammer I was holding|fell on them.

Good.

How much were they?

It wasn't cheap.

How much did they cost?

They were 50 cents.

You got yourself a deal.

I'm sorry. I didn't know.

Hey, we've got|a lot of cookin' to do.

At 375 degrees|and fully stuffed,

a 15-pound turkey|will take five hours to cook

if you figure|20 minutes a pound.

Leave an hour to cool.

- What are you saying?|- We got time.

Mashed potatoes, gravy.|Sweet potatoes...

cut up, melt some butter,|sprinkle on brown sugar.

Green bean casserole|made with green bean stuff,

another dish made with|crushed crackers and oysters.

Sounds hard... isn't.

Just dot it with butter,|and right before baking,

barely cover it with hot milk.

Cranberry sauce... open the can,|pop it on a serving dish.

- How simple is that?|- What else?

Waldorf salad made with apples,|celery, nuts, grapes,

and the dressing|mixed with mayonnaise

and thinned with milk|or cream and sweetener.

Pumpkin pie... store-bought from|the very, very expensive store.

Okay, watch your step.

N ce a hd easy

Don't even think about...

- Mom!|- Beth, it's for me when I'm old,

so I can always|remember this day.

N ce a hd easy

Almost there.

- There we are.|- Hi, Grandma.

I'm Beth, your granddaughter.

Aren't you a love?

- Hi, I'm Timmy.|- Timmy's your grandson.

Well, you don't say.

- I know you.|- Hi, Mom. Did you eat?

Hot, Jim.|Get whatever's hot.

Good morrhirhg.|Welcome to Krispy Kreme

May I take yourorder?

I'll have a vanilla-covered|cream-filled, please.

- Can I get...|- And two glazed crullers...

Actually, I do want strawberry|with the powder on top.

Do they have doughnuts?

Remember, everybody,|April is cooking.

We'll need|an extra dozen glazed.

What do you think|about cloth napkins?

- Think they'd be better?|- Paper is fine.

No, I'm worried that the paper|will feel kind of papery.

Do we have to talk|about this now?

I could pick them up while|I'm out doin' that thing I gotta do.

- You're going out?|- I gotta do that thing, you know.

I think you'll like why.

I want you to go out.|I want you to go out now.

- But I wanna help.|- This is how you'll help me.

You go and do your thing and...

- I'm fine.|- Really?

Bobby, it's gonna be|easier without you.

- I'm goin'.|- Bye.

So, now tell me...

how could anyone|not believe in God?

- There you go.|- They don't deserve decorations.

Yeah, but you do.

No!

No, no, no!

Come on.

Bobby!

Yeah. This is Arhthorhy

I'm out If you have|a buildirhg problem. Harhg orh irh

I'll be back tomorrow

Arhd. Oh. Yeah...|have a rhice Tharhksgivirhg

We warht you to krhow|that yourcall is importarht to us

Irh arh effort to serve you better.|Yourestimated wait time is

48 mirhutes

Mom?

How's it going in there?

Good job.

Hello?

If you keep knocking like that,|you are going to wake me up.

- That's the...|- You don't want to wake me up.

If you want my opinion...

Nobody wa hts you r op h oh|Nobody wa hts you r op h oh

- Stay out of it.|- Did Dad even ask?

- I'm not talking to you!|- You always do this.

You should take charge|and turn this car around. This is...

- Mom.|- Hey, you.

- Here, let me.|- Beth, back.

We were worried, honey.|Are you okay?

I'm good, honey.|I'm great, I feel fine.

I'm the excited one now.

Really? Why is that?

Well, let's see.

- I have Fritos, Cheetos...|- No, Joy...

- Oh, Timmy... Snowballs.|- No, stop it!

- Mom, a Nutter Butter.|- That's enough, stop it.

It's not right... not now,

not when April is hard at work|making all your favorites.

Not when she called to check|the ingredients of a certain recipe.

I'm nipping this|in the bud right now.

I bet she called collect.|I will never call collect.

Aren't you the most|perfect thing ever?

Did someone say April?

Yes, Grandma, she's your|other granddaughter.

I know.|I thought she was dead.

- Honey, don't. That's wasteful.|- Look, I'm gonna say this once.

What?

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Peter Hedges

Peter Simpson Hedges (born July 6, 1962) is an American novelist, playwright, screenwriter, and film director. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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