The Cake Eaters Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
life can be as sweet as you make it...
'The Cake Eaters' is a quirky, small town, ensemble drama that explores the lives of two interconnected families coming to terms with love in the face of loss. Living in rural America, The Kimbrough family is a normally odd bunch; Easy, the patriarch and local butcher, is grieving over the recent loss of his wife, Ceci, while hiding a secret ongoing affair for years; Beagle, his youngest son who was left to care for his ailing mother, works in the local high school cafeteria by day but has a burning passion inside that manifests itself through painting street signs; and the eldest son, Guy, has been away from the family for years while pursuing his rock star dream in the big city until the day he learns of his mother's passing and that he's missed the funeral. Upon Guy's return home, relationships between the characters begin to unravel; Beagle's pent up emotions connect with Georgia Kaminski, a terminally ill teenage girl wanting to experience love before it's too late; Easy's long time affair with Marg, Georgia's eccentric grandmother, is finally exposed to the Kimbrough children; and Guy discovers that, in his absence, his high school sweetheart, Stephanie, has moved on and started a family of her own. Through it all, The Kimbroughs and Kaminski's manage to establish a new beginning in the face of their greatest fears.
| Jayce Bartok | Guy Kimbrough |
| E.J. Carroll | Vito |
| Thomas Cavanagh | Lloyd |
| Bruce Dern | Easy Kimbrough |
| Andrew George Jr. | Young Beagle |
| Jesse L. Martin | Judd |
| Grant Monohon | Bum |
| Mary E. Freeman | Flea Market Shopper |
| Aaron Stanford | Beagle |
| Elizabeth Ashley | Marg |
| Talia Balsam | Violet |
| Marylouise Burke | Babe |
| Elizabeth Girardeau | Maggie Lynn |
| Zoe Hunter | Girl on the Bus |
| Mary Stuart Masterson |
7.70 out of 10 (139 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Families' Relationship
posted on 14 Aug 2009In a small town in the countryside, Georgia Kaminski (Kristen Stewart) is a fifteen year-old girl with Friedreich's ataxia, a genetic disease that causes progressive damage to the nervous system resulting in clumsy movements, speech problems heading to heart disease. While in a flea market selling goods with her grandmother Marg (Elizabeth Ashley), Georgia meets the shy twenty-years old Beagle Kimbrough (Aaron Stanford), who works in the cafeteria of her school and is the son of the local butcher Easy (Bruce Dern). Beagle spent the last years taking care of his ill mother while Easy and Marg have secretly been lovers for many years. Georgia feels that she will have few years of life and decides to lose her virginity with the sensitive Beagle. Meanwhile, Easy's older son Guy (Jayce Bartok) returns from New York for the funeral of his mother and seeks out the hairdresser Stephanie (Miriam Shor), who was his fiancée that he left behind when he moved to New York chasing the dream of becoming a successful musician. During the reunion, the lives of members of both families experience new discoveries and feelings.The debut of the sweet Mary Stewart Masterson in the direction of a feature is a beautiful and sensitive movie about families' relationship. The three romances are realistic and engaging and the characters are human and credible. The top-notch and impressive performance of Kristen Stewart in the role of a teenager with Friedreich's ataxia deserved a nomination to the Oscar. Kristen Stewart proves that she is not only an extremely gorgeous woman, but mainly a awesome actress. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "Doces Encontros" ("Sweet Encounters")
The plot stated here has more action than the actual movie.
posted on 14 Aug 2009It wasn't awful, just not good. I watched it all the way through. But the real reason I watched it was the great reviews and because of the plot synopsis stated here in IMDb. I was definitely expecting MORE of this movie but in the end was somewhat disappointed. This is what i got from the movie. It was sweet, lighthearted and was meant as a feel good movie. Set in a small, silent rural town were there's a lot of mediocre acting to be appreciated. The story goes on based on two families whose paths are intertwined by love or perhaps, their interpretation of it. Kristen Stewart, playing "Georgia" the main character in this movie, may win your compassion or sympathy because of her illness (Friedreich's Ataxia), but the acting, end of the line, is only OK, (although I can't say she didn't try). It gets tiresome. While being overprotected by her family, specially a bad acting mother, she meets this young man, Beagle who wakes her sexual curiosity after the excuse that she is "terminally" ill. She confesses her desire to her hair dresser. Beagle's mom had recently passed away while his dad (Easy) had been having a secret love affair with Georgia's grandmother for many many years now. I am convinced the movie's flaws are a faulty in direction, then again playing a diseased character is not easy to pull of either but the other characters are worse, so... Also, I imagine many of the great reviews has to do with the recent Twilight movie, were Kristen Stewart also stars and this has won her many fans. I dare to emphasize direction could have been a lot better. There are way too many scenes with meaningless silence which took me to a state of desperation. The movie could have been reduced to 1hr if the silence patches (trying to create ineffective suspense) were cut out. End of the line The movie is sweet but the characters could have been better developed and also the plot. As for the title of the movie "The Cake Eaters" its metaphor doesn't do the movie justice, it seems as if there's going to be a little action or comedy perhaps that is totally missing. For real,it HAD potential, oh well! I wouldn't recommend buying the movie nor its rental. You can wait till its out in TV and then maybe give it a watch!!!
Pointless - the difference between subtlety and vague
posted on 19 Jun 2009Its been said this movie is a portrayal of reality and that its unresolved end and almost complete lack of meaning is the whole point cos "life is like that". You could think that, or you could also think that the director has made a movie that doesn't connect, delivers no meaning and because of that is ultimately pointless.You see I'm not watching life, I'm watching a movie, and yes we like movies to be insightful and accurate, but this movie trundles out some well worn clichés and so pulling out the "its a slice of life" card just doesn't wash.Yes Kristen Stewart delivers a believable performance as a 15 year old girl with a terminal illness. I'm assuming it's believable cos she looked pained and terminal but I've no idea if it was an accurate portrayal of the disease she was supposed to have.They've also got a lead guy role with a funny name (beagle) and an assortment of slightly cliché small town characters and by the end of the movie you wonder, "yeah, and what, what's your point, what are you trying to say?" all that set up for no delivery.Kirsten's character wanted to try sex and had no compassion for the guy she chooses to try it with, she doesn't care how he feels. Nice set up, but why?The dads relationship, the other son's issues, what's your point? Was there one in the script and the director failed to convey it? The comments here read like friends and fans of the director. There's a difference between subtlety and just plain vague. Parts of this movie were painted in obvious strokes so it would appear that was the directors style (and not one that I like), so why is there no point, maybe she didn't have one to begin with. Why fill your movie with cliché's like the dad and the elder son, the hussy grandma, the small town girlfriend that got left behind? If you're going to be subtle then be it.
you wanna feel good, watch this movie!!!
posted on 02 May 2009I have been waiting for this movie from a very long time. Wait is a worthwhile, and i thoroughly enjoyed this one. Mary Stuart Masterson has captured complete concentration from the audience. You can watch this movie if your feeling low or even good.This movie is about love and relationship. If you are physically unfit, you are not going to loose out of love and its wonderfully portrayed by Kristen Stewart. Overall your heart will float in a sea of joy.Kristen Stewart is amazing, she takes a through a journey of kind bigheartedness and love. She definitely has a bright future and a long career. The storyline is perfect which contains emotions and humor.Aaron Stanford is equally good in his own way. A piece of work through which you will fell good for at least a day. Cheers!!!!
Mature, thoughtful drama
posted on 09 Mar 2009In a backwater town in upstate New York, Georgia Kaminski (Kristin Stewart), a teenage girl with a terminal nervous disorder, finds herself torn between the frivolity of her grandmother (Elizabeth Ashley) and overly protective mother who, in the hopes of bringing awareness and humanity to her daughter's disease, takes controversial photos of Georgia in the nude. Several miles away, aspiring musician Guy Kimbrough (Jayce Bartok) returns to the house of estranged father Easy (Bruce Dern) and younger brother Beagle (Aaron Stanford), trying to hide the secret of his failure to make it big. Easy is the town butcher, recently widowed, with secrets of his own, while Beagle, the kid who never left home, has surrendered his life to the care of his father and late mother, and struggles to find an identity of his own. Kaminskis and Kimbroughs conjoin dramatically when Georgia, hoping to find love in her life, and to find it before it's too late, courts the affection of Beagle, whom she meets at an outdoor flea market. The innocent but contentious relationship causes a series of reckonings, as both families are forced to contend with the heaps of emotional baggage that have piled up in their lives.Masterson keeps it real with this one. The drama is understated, the tension is subtle, and the characters are both distinct and believable. Hats off to Kristin Stewart, who manages to be a dozen things at once – tragic but not pitiful, strong, endearing, funny, unconventionally sexy, and none of the clichés we've grown to associate with any of Hollywood's notorious mental illnesses. Remaining hats to Bruce Dern, a long-time favorite of mine, who keeps a lid on things and never fails to command our respect, even as his character slides deeper into dubious behavior.In many ways, the film's strengths almost become its undoing. The sustained, understated quality of the storytelling prevents the movie from having any kind of real climax, and the immaculate tension set up in the first hour of the movie never quite pays off in a way I would like. That said, it's still a beautiful film, a capstone of movie-making maturity, and deserves the widest audience possible.
Kristen Stewart- Awesome
posted on 05 Feb 2009Nice movie. I saw all the movies of Kristen Stewart Recently.... Its worth to see her movies(No waste of time and money). Giving 10 because of Kristen Stewart(Because of her excellent acting!! Others please excuse me). Keep up the good work!!!!!!!! ---->>>> It features Twilight starlet Kristen Stewart as its centerpiece, a fact that the marketing guys behind the picture really want to hammer home. To get those dollars moving, they tote the fact that the young actress has obtained "billions of impressions" and all that hoopla, but there are even more intriguing elements than that lying underneath the surface of Master son's debut directorial effort. To my surprise, The Cake Eaters is a modest and winning character drama hallmarked by strong performances that follow stride with Jayce Bartok's sentimental script, one that creates a smart parallel between its title and the oddly tranquil world quaking underneath its theatrics. A story of two families living in a small town in upstate New York, the film trots out its gallery of rural grotesques with deliberate non-emphasis, defining each by a few quickly mapped-out quirks, a slowly developing back story, and a varying degree of difficulty in articulating their inner lives. Don't miss this movie and all upcoming Kristen Stewart Movies!!!!
Kristen Takes the Cake
posted on 09 Dec 2008I watched the Cake Eaters a few weeks ago and flipped through it the other day once more in hopes of finding something that I missed. I was glad that I did, because there are little things in this film that really make the difference. To be honest, what drew me into 'the Cake Eaters' was the fact that Kristen Stewart was in it. I saw 'Twilight' and I was not impressed, but I did not want to be too harsh on the girl, so I gave her another chance and I was not disappointed. Kristen plays her character wonderfully. She is both strong and weak while being a young girl who just wants to grow up and experience life while dealing with a disease that is slowly taking her life. Not to mention a mother who is out to become famous on her daughter's disease, instead of enabling her daughter to experience what life she can, while she can. Thank God, there is her grandmother who brings the necessary heart and often comedic elements needed to keep the film moving. Kristen is believable from the first shot and the last was heartfelt and made me smile. There are flaws here, no doubt, when looking at the individual stories it is your typical small town, cliché plot occurrences and obvious character realizations. Though I feel that I have seen this type of story many times, in different arenas it is still well worth the watch and I enjoyed it for what it was.'The Cake Eaters' was a good film, with a familiar recipe, but Kristen Stewart makes it sweet.
What are we, elephants?...The Cake Eaters
posted on 05 Apr 2008Mary Stewart Masterson's film The Cake Eaters is a very well done piece of cinema. A slice of rural life in a sleepy town, we are privy to a period of turmoil and discovery for two families living there. The Kimbrough's have recently lost their matriarch and a second family is dealing with the hardships of raising a child with Friedriech's Ataxia. Both groups are thrust together with some chance meetings, helping each other get through the tough times and remember the good in living life. There is a lot of heart on display and subtlety in its portrayal. We see just enough of every story thread to understand the emotions going on inside the heads of all the characters—emotions that are very complicated and co-existing with their exact opposites: can love ever really exist separate from hate? The main catalyst for much of what occurs stems from the return of Guy Kimbrough, back from a three-year, self-imposed exile of rock n' roll life in NYC. It is an interesting welcome; one mixed with happiness at seeing him and disappointment in the fact that he abandoned them all when they needed him the most. Played by the screenwriter, Jayce Bartok, it is a role that bares similarities to the only other film I have seen him in, Suburbia. There he was a returning rockstar seeing how different he had become when re-connecting with old friends, here he is that same guy, only now with the realization that his dream is over. This is a one-way ticket back home to start over and hope to find what it was he lost in those years away. Needing to make amends with the father and brother he left, the girl he walked out on, and the mother he missed saying goodbye to, Bartok does well showing the sadness and regret along with the hope of rebirth.His introduction back into the life of his brother has a very real effect on the younger Beagle. Played wonderfully by Aaron Stanford, (in a huge departure from his turn as Pyro in the X-Men films), he is reminded of how he had to put his life on hold to care for his parents, one dying and one unable to stay and watch. After meeting the granddaughter of his father's old friend/flame, he finds that he must start to live for himself. Although she is younger and afflicted with a debilitating muscular disease, the two find a bond and common ground with each other. They see someone like themselves, wanting to find a relationship and person to be with. The climax of their relationship is very strong and well played, allowing the audience to discover whether their connection was strictly of convenience or much more. Kristen Stewart is fantastic as the girl Georgia. The way she must control her body in order for the disease to be real is effective, but also her smile at the hand God dealt her is perfect. This young woman knows her fate and tries to overcome any feelings of sadness by just living.The beauty of The Cake Eaters is that it unfolds very unassumingly, taking its story and its progression as naturally as possible. There are no twists and turns or bombastic moments to hit the audience over the head with. Instead we are allowed a glimpse into the world of this town, where flea markets, butcher shops, and outskirt motels are commonplace and well used. Each moment is completely authentic, from the acting to the relationships uncovered as the film goes on. Even some little moments shine above the rest like when Easy Kimbrough, (the always great Bruce Dern), is telling his girlfriend that he can't continue their relationship if it remains a secret. He is so heartfelt and she as well trying to keep him for herself in the way she had grown accustomed, but once the phone rings and she finds that her granddaughter has gone off with his son, she turns on him and screams that Beagle isn't good enough for Georgia. Emotion is a powerful thing and the blunt truth of that scene just rings completely true.With subtle directing and the fearless use of quiet moments to let the actors breathe and do their thing, Masterson has crafted a gem of a film. I kept thinking of another film with similar tonal qualities and settings in Tully while watching. This is strange because I don't remember much about that film except for really enjoying it, yet somehow I just felt they had a kinship with each other. Definitely an independent feature, I hope it will be able to eventually break the festival circuit and get a proper release either theatrically or on DVD. It is definitely one worth watching for those interested in small character studies and really effective drama.
Because LIFE is short
posted on 15 Feb 2008The film's title could baffle or be lost on you. Then you realize after watching 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 which were shelved, and are now miraculously resurrected. Otherwise there is a very slim chance for this little film to go mass market. 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 gives 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. It's not the looks but it's 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. I 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 expression 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 from normal people 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 it's 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.
A Cake For All
posted on 07 Feb 2008"The Cake Eaters" is so subtle a story and pleasing a film you won't notice how great it is until it is over. Much credit is due to Jayce Bartok, the screenwriter, as well as, Mary Stuart Masterson, the director, to fulfill the hearts of its characters while filling the souls of the audience. "Eaters" sweet subtleties meet heavy hearts touching on such powerful subjects as love, death, secrecy, adultery, disability, virginity, abandonment, and rebellion. With each character involved in one or more relationships: father/son, mother/daughter, grandmother/granddaughter, brothers; love: new, old, rekindled, exes; they are pulled apart at the seams, some almost to a breaking point, only to be shown how close they are.At the heart of the story, in between all the eaters of cake, is Georgia, a young woman "living" with a rare genetic disorder that affects her mobility but not her spirit. Georgia is played wonderfully and with grace by Kristen Stewart ("Into the Wild"). Her performance is at the center of this story and is worthy of any if not all accolades (Oscar?). You find yourself so enmeshed in her ability to convince, that she makes "The Cake Eaters" truly magnificent.As up-state New York sets the tone for the story it throws you back in time, maybe the 70's, while staying in the present. The film opens with footage of old home movies and settles nicely in a gray, rainy, folk art town, where everyone knows your name. And it sure seems nice to have been a part of it.
"Some things just get better with age. You are one of them."
posted on 01 Feb 2008For 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.
An extremely solid performance from Twilight's Kristen Stewart, but otherwise dull and insubstantial
posted on 21 Dec 2007This is just one of those films that, while there's certainly nothing notably wrong with it, it just isn't anything special either. This is Masterson's directorial debut, and she seems competent enough. I'd like to see what she could do with some more interesting material.The film covers three days in the lives of three men, Easy and his two sons, Beagle and Guy, are dealing with losing their mother. Easy, however, has been having an affair with Marg for the last few years, and Marg's granddaughter Georgia happens to be a terminally ill teenager (she has ataxia of some kind) who wants a chance at love before her time is up, and she happens to make Beagle her target. Guy's dilemma is, well - he's a wannabe rock star whose rock career isn't working out, and in the three years he's been gone from home his mother has died, his brother no longer believes in him, and his ex is married with kids.So yeah, it's a relatively basic plot and it never gets much more fascinating. One small thing places this film a little bit above others like it, though - Kristen Stewart, who plays the terminally-ill Georgia. She's wonderful, and though I don't know how accurate her portrayal of an ataxia victim actually is, I found it to be a pretty admirable and convincing performance. To think that just six months ago or so I knew Stewart solely as the dull-but-curiously-pretty lead in Twilight, and now after just two performances (Adventureland being the other one) I actually think she's pretty great.Outside of a couple other cute little performances (Aaron Stanford of X2 and Jesse L. Martin of Law & Order in particular give pretty good and charismatic performances) and one extremely amusing bit of dark comedy involving a character slaughtering a cow, though, this film is pretty "meh." Worth a look for Stewart, a competent debut from Masterson, and some good music, but a pass for anyone looking for a more substantial look at familial conflict or struggles with terminal illness.
Gets inside you, and gets in good
posted on 22 Jul 2007In this superbly rendered drama from Mary Stuart Masterson, two small-town families find their lives unexpectedly intertwined when the quiet, socially awkward Beagle Kimbrough (Aaron Stanford) invites the romantic attentions of Georgia Kaminski (Kristen Stewart), a young girl with a rare but terminal nervous disease who knows her window of opportunity is rapidly closing. Much to the chagrin of her domineering mother, and the chilly audits of her otherwise zesty grandmother, Georgia decides to follow her feelings to wherever it is they lead her. Meanwhile, Beagle's older brother Guy (Jayce Bartok), the wayward son, returns from a dead-end bid to become a musician and struggles to reconcile himself with estranged father Easy (Bruce Dern) the town butcher, whose wife (Guy and Beagle's mother) has recently passed away.There are so many points in this movie where a less steady hand might have foundered the effort, either by overplaying the sentiment card, or by trying to hard to push the tragic undertones, but the film finds an immaculate balance, that golden middle-of-the-road equilibrium that just gets rarer the more time goes by. The characters are so genuine, their stories so real, that the film exacts an impact that is no less raw, and no less memorable, than the trials and tribulations of families we know in life.The first scene offers a perfect illustration of everything that's right with the movie: Beagle and Easy sit across from each other at the breakfast table, Easy contemplating such bold measures as changing his breakfast cereal, Beagle listening, responding in monosyllables, almost without thinking, and from this one tiny encounter we glean the whole spectrum of what their relationship has become – perfunctory, habitual, and void of energy.With writing this precise, and with performances so nuanced and natural that all of Hollywood's clichés are swept under the carpet without so much as a whimper, the stage is set for perfection.Which is what this movie is – perfection.
A beautiful "feel good" movie
posted on 20 Aug 2009It's been a while since I watched a movie and felt good for a while afterwards. Most movies nowadays make you feel romantic, awesome, thrilled, pumped up, etc etc, while you're watching it, inside the movie theatre or on your couch; but as soon as the movie ends, many leave you with a strange feeling of emptiness. "The Cake Eaters" was definitely a different experience for me. I can't say that I've learnt a lesson or a piece of wisdom from the movie, but I can definitely say that it left me with a good feeling after it ended. I definitely recommend it for rental and ownership, especially to watch with a loved one.