The Cake Eaters (2007)

Powerful

Brilliant and touching

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

The first must-see film of the year.

Just saw Cake Eaters again last night and i'm seriously laughing at all this people that brag about Kristen Stewart's acting because this movie proved most of them wrong she is amazing playing a 15 year old girl with a strange illness she changed the way she talks and she even changed the way she walks for the role without forgetting it and walking or talking normal and that for me is why i give this film a 8 out of 10 all the rest of the cast was just OK nothing really special and the characters weren't something special either. Like i said with this movie Stewart shows that she can act and do wonderful roles forget Twilight once and for all and try to see other movies with her because she's actually pretty great.

This is the kind of movie I tend to like, in which not much happens but interesting characters interact with one another in quiet ways that draw me into their world. Unfortunately the formula does not work here. The problem is the screenplay.The basic story is fine; the characters are a decently varied assortment of potentially interesting folk; the actors are good enough (although Stewart is the only one who really shines, and even the two old pros, Dern and Ashley, are embarrassing only because of the awful screenplay); and the direction, photography, etc, are competent; but the dialog is awful. Really, really bad. I suppose it is trying to be deep and meaningful, but it is just painfully stilted and artificial: from beginning to end, not one word any character speaks sounds like a real human being talking.The extremely awkward title is a good example of what the dialog is like. The Cake Eaters had good potential but was torpedoed by very bad writing.

For some reason I have always liked Mary Stuart Masterson, even though she never became a "star." But here she shows her low-key approach to directing with this small, intimate picture. I enjoyed it, sort of as a slice of life and coming of age, even for a 70-year-old.Kristen Stewart is teen Georgia, pretty and smart but with a genetic flaw which makes her a bit unsteady on her feet and sound like she is always half-drunk. Plus, she expects her heart to give out at a rather early age. She begins to wonder what life has in store for her. Part of that is wondering what sex is all about. She shares this with her grandmother.The second key character is Aaron Stanford as 20-year-old 'Beagle' Kimbrough, son of the local butcher, and a cafeteria worker at the local upstate New York school where Georgia goes. Beagle is a bit socially challenged, but pretty Georgia takes an interest in him, and at a flea market she asks if he will come over later and help her with her homework.I have been sort of a fan of Bruce Dern, but always found him to be quirky-looking, and he often got quirky roles. But here he is very normal, and good, as Easy, the butcher. His wife had died only a few weeks earlier, his older son showed up after being gone 3 years to pursue an ill-fated singing career, and the strained relationships showed among the three of them.And finally Elizabeth Ashley is Marg, the grandmother of Georgia. It is clear that she and Easy share more than just a passing friendship. SPOILERS: Georgia wants to experience sex while she still can and she picks Beagle. They ride on his scooter out to some cottages where, coincidentally, Marg and Easy had been before, many years earlier. The two of them had a long relationship going, and Easy's "coming of age" at 70 was to realize that he really wanted to marry her.

The film's title could baffle or be lost on you. Then you realize after watching it that it is one of the smartest titles written for a story. Really. I remember one cheeky poster I saw eons ago, "Life is short, eat dessert first!". And from there you know why this title is so apropos."The Cake Eaters" was made two years ago but was only released in theaters recently. Mary Stuart Masterson, yes that great actress who directed this little film, should thank high heavens for Twilight. Because before Twilight, Kristen Stewart was just that young indie actress recognized only by people who watch little indie films. We all know Twilight at present is still officially undead, which is good news for the leads' older films that were shelved and are now miraculously resurrected. Otherwise there was a very slim chance for this little film to go mass market. Because first, it is a "quiet" character-driven movie (no action sequences typical of blockbusters). Second, the cast is a group of actors and not stars.But they are not really new actors. Which leads us to Bruce Dern, playing the widower Easy, who gave a very solid performance here. Aaron Stanford, playing the naive and reliable Beagle, has been making films since 2002. He reminds me of Michael Cera, by how he portrayed Beagle here. And then we have Kristen Stewart, who plays Georgia, a headstrong 15 year old with a degenerative disease (Friedreich's Ataxia). Kristen inhabited Georgia here. She plays her so convincingly you think she's born with the disease. You can imagine the twitching, slurred speech and uneven gait could take a toll yet she was consistent with it. The best thing is, though she played a girl who is physically weak, her Georgia shows strength and maturity. Kristen has received a lot of flak for underplaying her characters. But consider that here she achieves Georgia's strength with her restrained acting, opting to convey emotions through facial expressions and succinct delivery of lines. Georgia becomes not just a sick 15 year old girl but much more than that. We feel for her, but we do not pity her. Which is what all people with disabilities want anyway.And who would have guessed that Guy, the black sheep brother, is played by the screenplay writer, Jayce Bartok. He writes better, we say, but kudos to him for churning a thoughtful mature story.I am a fan of Masterson's and was so glad to learn she's gone into directing. Her steady hand has allowed this little film to achieve its purpose. The choice of making a film set in a small town reminds you of "Fried Green Tomatoes". This does have a feel of that film. Subtle , unassuming, natural. She worked hand in hand with real life brother Peter as cinematographer, who gave some stunning shots.The OST is also worth mentioning, considering that Duncan Shiek has lent his talent. His relaxed introspective music accompanies this film well.