Mystic Pizza (1988)
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Three young Portuguese-American women navigate the complexities of love and ambition while working at a pizza parlor in a coastal town.
The story
Set in the coastal town of Mystic, Connecticut, the film follows the lives of three young Portuguese-American waitresses at a local pizza parlor. Sisters Kat and Daisy, along with their friend JoJo, navigate the challenges of their personal lives and ambitions. While Kat is an aspiring astronomer and Daisy seeks a more glamorous life, JoJo faces the daunting reality of impending marriage. As they work together in the pizza parlor, the three women must navigate their differing perspectives on romance, family, and their futures in a close-knit community.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Sisters Kat and Daisy Araújo, and their friend JoJo Barboza, work as waitresses at Mystic Pizza in the fishing town of Mystic, Connecticut. JoJo becomes overwhelmed by the responsibilities of marriage and breaks off her engagement to Bill to seek more time before committing. Kat, an aspiring astronomer, is in a relationship with Tim, an architect, but faces conflict when his wife returns. Daisy, who seeks a glamorous life, enters a relationship with a wealthy man named Charles, but they break up after his family makes insensitive comments about her heritage. The tension between the sisters peaks when Kat judges Daisy's lifestyle while hiding her own affair with a married man. A food critic, 'The Fireside Gourmet,' visits the shop, and while they aren't initially optimistic about his review, he eventually gives them a high rating. The film concludes with the three women at the restaurant's balcony, reflecting on their time together as JoJo marries Bill, Kat accepts a loan for her education, and Daisy reconciles with Charles.
- First release year
- 1988
- Runtime (minutes)
- 104
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Donald Petrie
- Writers
- Amy Holden Jones · screenplay; Perry Howze · screenplay; Randy Howze · screenplay; Alfred Uhry · screenplay; Amy Holden Jones · story
- Cast and characters
- Annabeth Gish · Kat; Julia Roberts · Daisy; Lili Taylor · JoJo; Vincent Phillip D'Onofrio; William R. Moses; Adam Storke
- Genres
- romantic comedy-drama; coming-of-age
- Themes
- coming-of-age; sisterhood; romance; cultural identity
- Tone and mood
- romantic; earnest
- Premise and plot tags
- ensemble cast; female-led; small town
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews, particularly praising the performances of the three lead actresses. It was described as a 'deftly told coming-of-age story' and received 'two thumbs up' from critics Siskel and Ebert.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 78% · review count: 27; Metacritic · score: 59 · scale: 100 · review count: 10
- Production trivia
- The film marked Matt Damon's film debut.; The title was inspired by a real pizza shop in Mystic, Connecticut.; The real-life Mystic Pizza building was renovated to resemble the film set after release.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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