It is the film before the film that catapulted Julia Roberts into the limelight – and our hearts.
Donald Petrie’s MYSTIC PIZZA was a modest affair, but one that even seen today in these #MeToo /#TimesUp reflections is the sort of movie that needs to be revisited and given a broader platform amongst current releases like MISTRESS AMERICA with Greta Gerwig and Lola Kirke.
Sisters Daisy and Kat (Roberts, Annabeth Gish) and best friend Jojo (Lili Taylor, RANSOM, I SHOT ANDY WARHOL amongst other indie films) work at a pizzeria in Mystic, Connecticut, the home of the mystical and legendary local success ‘The Mystic Pizza’.
Daisy falls for a rich boy (Adam Storke), Kat babysits the young daughter of married man Tim (William R Moses), before hopelessly falling in love with him and Jojo is suffering post-wedding day pangs after fainting at her nuptials to long-term boyfriend Bill (Vincent D’Onofrio, ‘Gomer Pyle’ in FULL METAL JACKET (1987))
The three women are very emotional in their respective relationships, but the conflicts prevalent in each case begin to impact on their friendships and bonds as time goes on and each man gives them a fair amount to reflect on and think about.
This was one of Roberts’ last, if not her last, role in a more low-end drama before STEEL MAGNOLIAS and PRETTY WOMAN elevated her to the upper echelons of popularity. Gish found stability in TV and films like WYATT EARP, whilst Taylor recently appeared in a reboot of LEATHERFACE.
Seeing it today is a joy to see Roberts in a younger role and one that embraces an honest, albeit fairly sentimental, air which appeals to all.