Mystic Pizza
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Movie Reviews of Mystic Pizza
Movie Review: *Great Movie!*
Summary: 5 Stars
I really liked it.A great movie for women.A movie I can watch again and again.Movie Review: Mythic Pizza
Summary: 4 Stars
Mystic Pizza is a workplace drama that takes place on the East Coast in the town of Mystic, Connecticut. It was filmed at the actual pizza parlor that inspired Amy Jones to write the story, in the town of Mystic at 55 West Main St. After the movie came out the joint became very popular. The movie isn't that great, but like pizza, even a bad pizza is still pretty good. Hey, it's pizza. The town is a fishing village with a high concentration of Portuguese, which is what Daisy (Julia Roberts) and Kat Arujo (Annabeth Gish) are. They have so much lobster there that the locals actually get tired of it. That's when they go out for pizza.
Mystic Pizza is best remembered as the film that launched Julia Roberts on the road to stardom. Her smile lights up the silver screen, and it is very apparent that the camera loves her. It was also among the first films to feature Annabeth Gish and Lili Taylor. It marks the feature film debut of Matt Dammon as well, but he has such a small part that if you blink you can miss it. His character, Steamer, has the immortal line: "Hey, mom, do you want your green stuff?" Ben Affleck auditioned for the part as well. Why am I not surprised?
Two other actors in Mystic Pizza are very familiar due to television: Conchata Ferrell plays Charlie Sheen's housekeeper Berta on Two and a Half Men and Vincent D'Onofrio is familiar from Law & Order: Criminal Intent. In Mystic Pizza he is much younger and skinnier, and his character, Billy, a fisherman who still lives at home with his mother, wants to marry Jo Jo (Lili Taylor) but she is the one who is afraid of commitment. She faints at her wedding and can't go through with it.
Meanwhile the Arujo sisters are quite different from each other. Katherine, or Kat as she's called, is the serious one, who works several jobs besides the pizza gig, saving up to go to Yale and study astronomy. Daisy is a different story, a pool hustler and party animal, she falls for a rich preppy, Charles Gordon Windsor, Jr (Adam Storke). She worries that she won't fit in with his rich family, but he has some issues of his own. He has been kicked out of law school for cheating, and that didn't go over very well with daddy. Neither does his choice of Daisy, but will true love prevail? Stay tuned. As for Kat, one of Kat's jobs is as a babysitter, but she falls for the father while the wife's away in London.
Finally, Leona, the owner of the restaurant, needs a good review from the local food critic to drum up business. If he would only taste the pizza, which is made from a secret family recipe, he would taste that it was... well, Mystic. Only trouble is he is notoriously fussy and hard to please.
The four story lines are interwoven well, and though it is not earth shattering drama, it is very enjoyable watching, with good acting, some funny and some emotional scenes, and a good location in Mystic, Connecticut. Plus, watching Roberts, Gish, and Taylor as pizza waitresses is kind of like watching them before they were stars. Which none of them are... yet.
ANNABETH GISH
Mojave Phone Booth (2006) .... Beth
The Celestine Prophecy (2006) .... Julia
Gillery's Little Secret (2006) .... Gillery
Knots (2004) .... Greta Siegel
Buying the Cow (2002) .... Nicole, Sarah's Friend
Pursuit of Happiness (2001) .... Marissa
Morning (2000) .... Lily
Double Jeopardy (1999) .... Angela 'Angie' Green
SLC Punk! (1998) .... Trish
Steel (1997) .... Susan Sparks
Beautiful Girls (1996) .... Tracy Stover
Nixon - Collector's Edition (1995) .... Julie Nixon Eisenhower
The Last Supper (1995) .... Paulie
Wyatt Earp (1994) .... Urilla Sutherland
Silent Cries (1993) .... Hazel Hampton
Coupe de Ville (1990) .... Tammy
Shag (1989) .... Caroline 'Pudge' Carmichael
Mystic Pizza (1988) .... Kat Arujo
Desert Bloom (1986) .... Rose Chismore
JULIA ROBERTS
Fireflies in the Garden (2008) .... Lisa Waechter
Charlie Wilson's War (Widescreen) (2007) .... Joanne Herring
Charlotte's Web (2006) (voice) .... Charlotte the Spider
The Ant Bully (2006) (voice) .... Hova
Ocean's Twelve (2004) .... Tess Ocean
Closer (2004/I) .... Anna
Mona Lisa Smile (2003) .... Katherine Ann Watson
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002) .... Patricia Watson
Full Frontal (2002) .... Catherine / Francesca
Grand Champion (2002) .... Jolene
Ocean's Eleven (2001) .... Tess Ocean
America's Sweethearts (2001) .... Kathleen "Kiki" Harrison
The Mexican (2001) .... Samantha Barzel
Erin Brockovich (2000) .... Erin Brockovich
Runaway Bride (1999) .... Maggie Carpenter
Notting Hill (1999) .... Anna Scott
Stepmom (1998) .... Isabel Kelly
Conspiracy Theory (1997) .... Alice Sutton
My Best Friend's Wedding (1997) .... Julianne Potter
Everyone Says I Love You (1996) .... Von Sidell
Michael Collins (1996) .... Kitty Kiernan
Mary Reilly (1996) .... Mary Reilly
Something to Talk About (1995) .... Grace King Bichon
Ready to Wear (1994) .... Anne Eisenhower
I Love Trouble (1994) .... Sabrina Peterson
The Pelican Brief (1993) .... Darby Shaw
Hook (1991) .... Tinkerbell
Dying Young (1991) .... Hilary O'Neil
Sleeping with the Enemy (1991) .... Laura Burney
Flatliners (1990) .... Dr. Rachel Mannus
Pretty Woman (1990) .... Vivian Ward
Steel Magnolias (Special Edition) (1989) .... Shelby Eatenton Latcherie
Blood Red (1989) .... Maria Collogero
Mystic Pizza (1988) .... Daisy Arujo
LILI TAYLOR
Starting Out in the Evening (2007) .... Ariel Schiller
The Notorious Bettie Page (2005) .... Paula Klaw
Factotum (2005) .... Jan
Casa de los babys (2003) .... Leslie
Gaudi Afternoon (2001) .... Ben
Julie Johnson (2001) .... Julie Johnson
High Fidelity (2000) .... Sarah Kendrew
The Haunting (1999) .... Eleanor 'Nell' Vance
A Slipping-Down Life (1999) .... Evie Decker
Pecker (1998) .... Rorey Wheeler
Come to (1998) .... Angela
The Impostors (1998) .... Lily 'Lil'
O.K. Garage (1998) .... Rachel
Kicked in the Head (1997) .... Happy
Ransom (1996) .... Maris Conner
Cosas que nunca te dije (1996) .... Ann
Illtown (1996) .... Micky
Killer: A Journal of Murder (1996) (uncredited) .... Woman in Speakeasy
I Shot Andy Warhol (1996) .... Valerie Jean Solanas
Girls Town (1996) .... Patti Lucci
Plain Pleasures (1996)
The Addiction (1995) .... Kathleen Conklin
Four Rooms (1995) .... Raven (segment "The Missing Ingredient")
Cold Fever (1995) .... Jill
Prêt-à-Porter (1994) .... Fiona Ulrich
Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994) .... Edna Ferber
Touch Base (1994) .... Darcy Winningham
Rudy (1993) .... Sherry
Household Saints (1993) .... Teresa Carmela Santangelo
Short Cuts (1993) .... Honey Bush
Watch It (1993) .... Brenda
Arizona Dream (1993) .... Grace Stalker
Dogfight (1991) .... Rose
Bright Angel (1991) .... Lucy
Born on the Fourth of July (1989) .... Jamie Wilson - Georgia
Say Anything... (1989) .... Corey Flood
Mystic Pizza (1988) .... Jojo
VINCENT D'ONOFRIO
The Narrows (2008) .... Vinny Manadoro
"Law & Order: Criminal Intent" .... Detective Robert Goren / ... (123 episodes, 2001-2008)
... aka Law & Order: CI (USA: promotional abbreviation)
- Frame (2008) TV episode .... Detective Robert Goren
- Legacy (2008) TV episode .... Detective Robert Goren
- Vanishing Act (2008) TV episode .... Detective Robert Goren
- Please Note We Are No Longer Accepting Letters of Recommendation from Henry Kissinger (2008) TV episode .... Detective Robert Goren
- Betrayed (2008) TV episode .... Det. Robert Green
(118 more)
The Break-Up (2006) .... Dennis Grobowski
Five Minutes, Mr. Welles (2005) .... Orson Welles
Thumbsucker (2005) .... Mike Cobb
The Salton Sea (2002) .... Pooh-Bear
The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (2002) .... Father Casey
Bark! (2002) .... Dr. Malcolm
Impostor (2001) .... Hathaway
Chelsea Walls (2001) .... Frank
The Cell (2000) .... Carl Stargher
Steal This Movie (2000) .... Abbie Hoffman
Happy Accidents (2000) .... Sam Deed
The Thirteenth Floor (1999) .... Jason Whitney / Jerry Ashton
Spanish Judges (1999) .... Max
The Velocity of Gary (1998) .... Valentino
Claire Dolan (1998) .... Elton Garrett
The Newton Boys (1998) .... Dock Newton
Guy (1997) .... Guy
Men in Black (1997) .... Edgar
Boys Life 2 (1997) .... Tony Randozza (segment "Nunzio's Second Cousin")
Good Luck (1996) .... Tony 'Ole' Olezniak
Feeling Minnesota (1996) .... Sam Clayton
The Winner (1996) .... Philip
The Whole Wide World (1996) .... Robert E. 'Bob' Howard
Strange Days (1995) .... Burton Steckler
Stuart Saves His Family (1995) .... Donnie - The Smalley Family
Hotel Paradise (1995) .... The Naked Stranger
Nunzio's Second Cousin (1994) .... Sgt. Tony Randozza
Imaginary Crimes (1994) .... Mr. Webster
Ed Wood (1994) .... Orson Welles
Mr. Wonderful (1993) .... Dominic
Household Saints (1993) .... Joseph Santangelo
Being Human (1993) .... Priest
Salt on Our Skin (1992) .... Gavin
The Player (1992) .... David Kahane
JFK (1991) .... Bill Newman
Naked Tango (1991) .... Cholo
Fires Within (1991) .... Sam
Dying Young (1991) .... Gordon
Crooked Hearts (1991) .... Charley
The Blood of Heroes (1989) (as Vincent Phillip D'Onofrio) .... Young Gar
Signs of Life (1989) (as Vincent Phillip D'Onofrio) .... Daryl Monahan
Mystic Pizza (1988) (as Vincent Phillip D'Onofrio) .... Bill
Adventures in Babysitting (1987) (as Vincent Phillip D'Onofrio) .... Dawson / 'Thor'
Full Metal Jacket (1987) .... Pvt. Pyle
CONCHATA FERRELL
"Two and a Half Men" .... Berta (82 episodes, 2003-2008)
- Taterhead Is Our Love Child (2008) TV episode .... Berta
- Waiting for the Right Snapper (2008) TV episode .... Berta
- Fish in a Drawer (2008) TV episode .... Berta
- Look at Me, Mommy, I'm Pretty (2008) TV episode .... Berta
- Rough Night in Hump Junction (2008) TV episode .... Berta
(77 more)
Kabluey (2007) .... Kathleen
Surviving Eden (2004) .... Rosemary Flotchky
Mr. Deeds (2002) .... Jan
K-PAX (2001) .... Betty McAllister
Erin Brockovich (2000) .... Brenda
Crime and Punishment in Suburbia (2000) .... Bella
Touch (1997) .... Virginia Worrel
My Fellow Americans (1996) .... Woman Truck Driver
Freeway (1996) .... Mrs. Sheets
A Worn Path (1994) .... Nurse
Heaven & Earth (1993) .... Bernice
True Romance (1993) .... Mary Louise Ravencroft
Family Prayers (1993) .... Mrs. Romeyo
Samurai Cowboy (1993) .... Bobbi Bob Pickette
Edward Scissorhands (1990) .... Helen
Mystic Pizza (1988) .... Leona
For Keeps? (1988) .... Mrs. Bobrucz
Portrait of a White Marriage (1988)
Where the River Runs Black (1986) .... Mother Marta
Heartland (1979) .... Elinore Randall Stewart
Network (1976) .... Barbara Schlesinger
Deadly Hero (1976) .... Slugger Ann
Steamer: Hey, mom, do you want your green stuff?
Movie Review: Some Weak Points, but an Enjoyable Movie
Summary: 4 Stars
This movie was a movie that was a low-budget movie that became a surprise hit. Following this movie, this movie would be responsible for two things: 1) Launching the career of actress Julia Roberts; 2) Making the restaurant "Mystic Pizza" a major tourist attraction in the tourist community of Mystic, Connecticut. This is a movie that is entertaining and one that is worth checking out.
"Mystic Pizza" is the story of three young 20ish women who work as waitresses at the "Mystic Pizza" restaurant: Daisy (played by Julia Roberts) is "the wild girl" who plays a character of Portuguese descent; Kat (played by Annabeth Gish) is Daisy's studious sister who is preparing to go attend Yale University next semester; and their mutual friend Jojo (played by Lili Taylor). In reality, Mystic Pizza has three stories that are rolled up into one movie. The movie follows the romantic trials and tribulations of each of the women. As the three women get involved in the trials and tribulations of their romance, the women will look to each other for support while at the same time dealing with friction among each other. Here is a summary of the three storylines:
* For Daisy, we follow her romance with a rich preppy law school dropout named Charlie. In Daisy's romance, the natural differences in background and income are going to cause some friction in the relationship.
* For Kat, while taking another job as a babysitter to save money for Yale, she meets Tim Travers (played by William R. Moses) and his daughter Phoebe. Tim needs to hire a babysitter while his wife is away overseas. Kat soon not only bonds with Phoebe, but finds herself attracted to Tim (and vice versa).
* For Jojo, she plays a woman who stands up her fisherman fiancé Bill at the alter, but continues to date him. While Jojo continues to have doubts about getting married, Bill is pushing for a wedding - thus causing friction between the two.
As for the movie, no doubt the standout performance is going to be delivered by Roberts. Roberts' portrayal of the wild and sassy Daisy is right on the money. While I wouldn't categorize this as an Oscar Award worthy performance, this is still a solid and very believable performance. Roberts demonstrated some outstanding screen presence and seemed to have command of every scene. Unfortunately, there weren't really any other standout performances in this movie - with the exception of Leona (who runs Mystic Pizza) who provides some light moments in the movie. This probably allowed Roberts' character of Daisy to emerge as the Movie's central character. The one thing that surprised me is that Roberts did not have top billing in this movie (that belonged to Annabeth Gish), however it is possible that the billings of the three girls were in alphabetical order (Gish, Roberts, and Taylor). As for other characters, it is worth noting that (a very young) Matt Damon has a minor role in this movie. I also like the character of Bill. Bill's desire to be the one to get married is something that isn't seen in male characters.
Another interesting part to the movie revolves around the workplace at Mystic Pizza. One thing that I really enjoyed was not only how Daisy, Kat, and Jojo bonded with each other - but how they bonded with Leona. You can see that while Daisy and Kat are sisters, they definitely consider their friend Jojo an extended member of the family - and Leona almost like a mother-like figure (even though the girls each have mothers). The feeling is mutual too as Leona really loves the three girls. A lot of times (in real life) we get close to co-workers and while Mystic Pizza may exaggerate this, I enjoyed seeing this reflected in the movie. It is also worth noting there is a minor storyline involving Leona and the Mystic Pizza restaurant itself.
There is a terrific "sing along" scene in the movie in which the three girls have a bit of a wild night out in a pickup truck singing Aretha Franklin's "Respect".
Another thing that is outstanding is the early autumn setting in the New England town of Mystic, Connecticut. Mystic is a beautiful town and it provides a perfect backdrop to the story. I enjoyed many of the homes that were used in the movie - and it provided a nice element of realism. While summer may be the tourist season in Mystic, autumn is the most beautiful time there. The movie does a nice job at integrating "off season" into the Pizza business.
The movie does have some weak points though. I really enjoyed the fact that three parallel stories were taking place in the movie. The bad part is I feel the stories don't go as deep as I would have liked. For Daisy's romance with Charlie, I would have liked to have seen more interaction with Daisy and Charlie's rich family. As for Kat's affair with Tim Travers, it almost feels like that the "tip of the iceberg" is touched with this story, but it doesn't seem to go any further. It is only Jojo's relationship with Bill that seems to go as far as it can go. The bad part is that the Jojo storyline is probably the weakest of the three.
Despite some of the weak points, I still enjoyed watching this movie. While this movie wraps up the storylines nicely, I almost felt that this movie could have easily warranted having a sequel because it would have been very interesting to see what happens to the girls several years later. Overall, even if you just end up watching this to see an early career performance by Julia Roberts, you probably aren't going to be disappointed with the end product. This is a movie worth checking out.
Movie Review: Mystic Pizza on DVD
Summary: 4 Stars
This "sleeper" hit looks just as good today as it did when it was first released. It follows the trials and tribulations of three childhood friends. They all work as waitresses in a pizza parlor and all are at a crossroad in their life. Kat (Annabeth Gish) is preparing to leave home for Yale to begin a career in Astronomy. Daisey (Julia Roberts) Kat's sister, seems to be floundering, with no real direction to go in life, and JoJo (Lili Taylor, who gives the film's most comedic performance), is torn between her love for her fiance Bill, and settling down into a married life filled with screaming kids and massive weight gain.The film intergrates all three stories and keeps the plot moving at a brisk pace. All three friends have very different personalities, allowing most of the audience to be able to identifiy with at least one of them. I will admit, however, that the ultra idealistic, goodie-goodie Kat does get on my nerves from time to time. (I particularly enjoyed the scene where Daisey hauls off and belts her across the face). The chemistry between the leads works extremely well which only strengthens the movie. Roberts gives a strong performance and shows the audience the first signs of the hollywood powerhouse she would soon become. The three leads are admirabley backed up by a strong supporting cast as well, most notably, Conchata Ferrell as the owner of the pizza parlor.
The DVD version has a sharp clear picture and good sound quality (although it's been my experience that most DVDs do)but I cannot give it a full "5 star" rating because, with the exception of a wide-screen format, the original theatrical trailer, and a language selection (provided by most {although not all} DVDs), this version offers no extras. No "voice over" commentary, no deleted scenes, no making of documentaries, no outtakes, nothing. Therefore, the DVD version of Mystic Pizza loses out on a perfect score. BUYER BEWARE: For those who haven't seen the film, the DVD cover gives the impression that it is a "Julia Roberts Movie" when, in reality it is actually an ensemble film.
Movie Review: Julia Roberts leaps to National Attention
Summary: 4 Stars
Mystic Pizza is a sisterhood coming of age story set in Mystic, Connecticut. Annabeth Gish and Julia Roberts play sisters Kat and Daisy and Lili Taylor plays Jo - all daughters of Portuguese fishing families in the New England village.
The three have very different personalities, but they are also loyal to one another and their friends and families, and the strength of the film are the relationships. The film opens with a horrid cliche as Jo backs out at the altar with friends and guests in tuxedoed attendance - she's afraid that marriage will hurt the sex life between she and Vincent D'Onofrio's Bill. Kat is the brainy one - en route to study astronomy at Yale, she spends her last summer babysitting for William Moses' Tim - a man who seems nice enough, but doesn't hesitate to flirt and more with the babysitter while his wife is away traveling. Julie Roberts blows away the screen as Kat's older sister Daisy, who doesn't have Ivy League Intelligence, but has world-class legs and a desire to rise above her fishing-class culture. Early on she meets preppy Charles Gordon Windsor, Jr., played by Adam Storke. Charlie has been kicked out of law school and struggles between his contempt for his nouveau riche family and his own inability to measure up. Daisy is wary that Charles is slumming as he comes onto her, but she's willing to risk a little. Look for young Matt Damon in his film debut as Charles' brother, Steamer, in the scene around the family dinner table.
Conchita Ferrell is Leona, who owns and runs Mystic Pizza, a small pizza joint with a special pizza sauce that has been handed down for generations. Kat, Jo and Daisy are all surrogate daughters as Leona's waitresses.
The plot isn't ground-breaking and a few hearts are broken and a few triumphs are shared. Ultimately, "Mystic Pizza" is worth seeing for the characters and to watch a 20-ish Julia Roberts make a mark that has kept her at the top of Hollywood ever since.