Mystic Pizza

Movie about three young waitresses who work at Mystic Pizza in Mystic CT. Good girl Kat (Annabeth Gish)is going to college and falls in love with a married man (William Moses). Her sister, bad girl Daisy (Julia Roberts), falls in love with rich kid Charles (Adam Storke). And Jojo (Lili Taylor) is deeply in love with Bill (Vincent D'Onorfrio) but is afraid to marry him...which he wants. Pretty predictable but still lots of fun. This was released with no fanfare in 1988 (Roberts was still unknown and there were no 'name' actors in the cast) and went on to become a surprise hit. That shouldn't be a shock--this is the type of movie that isn't really challenging or deep. You know the characters, you know the situations and you know it's going to have a happy ending. Still, there's nothing wrong with a film like that if it's entertaining and well-done--and this one is. The script is lively and it was beautifully shot on location in CT (in Mystic and other towns). Gish is just great (and top-billed) in the movie. She was also 17 (the age of her character too) so it adds to the realism. Taylor is good but has little to do. Her character is very one note and ALWAYS yapping about commitment. Roberts is good but her character is TERRIBLE! Foul-mouthed, obnoxious and grating--her verbal abuse of her sister Kat is more than vicious. I really hated her! Nevertheless, this movie jump started her career. D'Onorfrio (a wonderful character actor) is given nothing to do but look handsome and hunky--which he does. Storke is VERY good-looking and gives a great performance as a rich kid--what ever happened to him? And Moses is just OK as a married man. Add Conchata Ferrell as the pizza store owner and Matt Damon in a one line role in his film debut. A real nice, pleasing little movie. Perfectly catches the small town feeling too. Worth seeing. But don't let Roberts' face on the box fool you--it's NOT her movie.

Three teenage girls come of age while working at a pizza parlor in the Connecticut town of Mystic. In his film debut, Matt Damon has a very small part—his sole line in the film being, "Mom, do you want my green stuff?" You really have to look for him. Heck, everyone in the picture in young, even Vincent D'Onofrio. Although this is the film that launched Julia Roberts' career, what really stands out for me is Lili Taylor. She had such a great run in the late 80s to mid-90s, maybe a little longer. What happened? Of course, she is still around today (2016), but she seemed to be in a non-stop string of brilliant roles for a while, really redefining what it means to be an actress.

I first saw this movie when I was 17 and enjoyed it; more than 10 years later I still do. It does have some predictability to it, particularly in the relationship between Kat and the Yale alumnus. However, there are also some priceless scenes --- one of my favorites is how Jojo's parents react when they catch her and Bill in a "compromising" pose in the dining room. I thought the acting was well done, especially from Julia Roberts and Conchatta Ferrell.

Tired, cutesy-poo romantic comedy-drama concerning the love lives of three young Connecticut women who work in a homey little pizza parlor. "Mystic Pizza" begins with a shot of fabricated group photos featuring the central characters in happy times, the faces of the actresses clearly cut out and pasted on other bodies. It's an immediate sign that not much know-how, cleverness, or talent was used in conceptualizing this picture, which is strictly an underachiever lucky enough to gain attention after Julia Roberts' career picked up. Young, impressionable girls might find something emotionally tangible here, but seasoned moviegoers should quickly detect the artificial flavoring. Amy Holden Jones co-wrote the screenplay (based on her original story) with help from Alfred Uhry and Perry and Randy Howze, all of whom seemed to have been raised on TV. *1/2 from ****

This film was unique for its time. There is actually a place called Mystic, Connecticutt. It's a beautiful town and the director used it well. Julia Roberts is fresh and sexy. Thank God that this film was made before, Pretty Woman or else there would be no record of Julia's pure beauty before she became a 'star'. The reason to watch this film however are the performances given by Lili Taylor and Vincent D'Onofrio. They film could have been about the relationship between characters. Taylor is 'real' sexy. I'm a big fan. She also delivers one of the most emotionally honest monologues in cinematic history. D'Onofrio delivers a down-to-earth performance of a sensitive male who values love over sex. Also the performance given by the actress who plays the pizzeria's owner is very lovable.

I really like this movie. It's sweet, charming, funny, and makes you think of your friends. This is one of the very few roles I like that Julia Roberts played. I love many of the '80s movies because most of them are cheesy and I just love looking at the clothes and hairdos from that decade. One of my favorite scenes has to be where JoJo and Bill get caught in the act by her parents. That was hilarious! Well, this is just about all I can say about this movie but I really liked it and you should definitely watch it with your friends.

What makes this movie so very charming is the incredible ensemble acting. Watch Vincent D'Onofrio in an early role, as well as Julia Roberts. Annabeth Gish is completely enchanting as Kat, and William R. Moses very believable as the flirting husband. Most wonderful, however, is Lili Taylor as JoJo. Sometimes known as the queen of B movies (I think that was Ebert's title), here she shows the range and talent that indicate she deserves superstardom. Unlike the misleading re-release that features Julia's face prominently, this is NOT a star vehicle, but depends on the interaction of all the players. A wonderful coming-of-age film that has been one of my favorites for 15 years.