- Mystic Pizza
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Mystic Pizza 
Theatrical release posterDirected by Donald Petrie Produced by Mark Levinson Written by Amy Holden Jones
Perry Howze
Randy Howze
Alfred UhryStarring Annabeth Gish
Julia Roberts
Lili Taylor
Vincent Phillip D'Onofrio
William R. Moses
Adam Storke
Conchata FerrellMusic by David McHugh Cinematography Tim Suhrstedt Editing by Don Brochu
Marion RothmanDistributed by The Samuel Goldwyn Company Release date(s) October 21, 1988 Running time 104 minutes Country United States Language English Budget $6 million Box office $12,793,213 Mystic Pizza is a 1988 American coming of age film directed by Donald Petrie and starring Annabeth Gish, Julia Roberts, and Lili Taylor.[1]
The title of the film was based on a pizza shop that caught the eye of Hollywood screen writer, Amy Holden Jones.[2] The restaurant is also named Mystic Pizza in Mystic, Connecticut, and has been popular among both locals and tourists since 1973.[3]
Contents
Plot
The film is about the coming of age of two sisters and their friend through the romantic lives of the three main characters: Kat Araujo (Annabeth Gish), Daisy Araujo (Julia Roberts), and Jojo Barbosa (Lili Taylor), who are waitresses at Mystic Pizza in Mystic, Connecticut. In the film, Mystic is represented as a fishing town with a large Portuguese American population, though that description more closely resembles neighbouring Stonington, Connecticut, where many scenes were filmed.
The movie also touches on an Old World work ethic. Kat and Daisy are sisters and rivals: Kat studies astronomy, works at a local planetarium, as well as the restaurant, and has been accepted to attend Yale University on a partial scholarship. Daisy just wants to have sex and to get out of Mystic. Kat is the apple of her Portuguese mother's eye, while Daisy is not: she is promiscuous and is not as goal-oriented as her younger sister.
There is also a dynamic between Kat's Anglo-American employer and the resulting relationship between them. The class distinctions and variant European heritages are explored in various scenes of the film.
Vincent D'Onofrio, William R. Moses, Adam Storke, and Conchata Ferrell co-star. In his screen debut, Matt Damon has a small part—his sole line in the film being, "Mom, do you want my green stuff?" while eating lobster.
Cast
- Annabeth Gish as Kat Araujo
- Julia Roberts as Daisy Araujo
- Lili Taylor as Jojo Barboza
- Vincent Phillip D'Onofrio as Bill
- William R. Moses as Tim Travers
- Adam Storke as Charles Gordon Windsor, Jr.
- Conchata Ferrell as Leona
- Joanna Merlin as Mrs. Araujo
- Porscha Radcliffe as Phoebe Travers
- Arthur Walsh as Manny
- John Fiore as Jake
- Matt Damon as Steamer
Reception
Critical response
The film opened on October 21, 1988, to mostly favorable reviews, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 88% at its VHS release.[4] The film received "two thumbs up" from popular film critics Siskel and Ebert,[5] giving particular praise to the three female leads, including Gish, whom Ebert likened to a "young Katharine Hepburn."[6] He also noted that the film "may someday become known for the movie stars it showcased back before they became stars."
Home media
On January 13, 2009, Mystic Pizza and Say Anything... were released as double feature on DVD.[7]
References in popular culture
- In the 30 Rock season two premiere episode, "SeinfeldVision," the character Jenna Maroney returns from summer break having starred in Mystic Pizza: The Musical. Her noticeable weight gain is attributed to eating 32 slices of pizza a week for the show. She won an award for Best Actress in a Movie based on a Musical based on a Movie.
- In one sub-plot of the Broken Lizard film Puddle Cruiser, the main characters watch the film believing that Julia Roberts gets naked in it.
- Pepperidge Farm Goldfish snacks are packaged with biographical details of mascot Finn, including his favorite movie, Optimistic Pizza.
- In Cougar Town, Laurie compares herself to Julia Roberts from Mystic Pizza when she visits the country club.
- In the episode Run Away, Little Boy of Gilmore Girls, Paris (played by Liza Weil) compares the "whole small town, 'we don't let a clock run our lives' thing" from Stars Hollow with Mystic Pizza.
- In the Facebook Game Cafe World, there is a dish that you can cook called "Mystical Pizza".
- In The Lonely Island song No homo it is mentioned that knowing all the lines of Mystic Pizza is not homo by saying No homo.
- In the TV series Parks and Recreation, the character Ron Swanson only knows Julia Roberts as "the toothy girl from Mystic Pizza".
References
- ^ Variety film review; 12 October 1988
- ^ http://www.epixhd.com/mystic-pizza/
- ^ http://www.mysticpizza.com/about_us.aspx
- ^ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mystic_pizza/
- ^ http://bventertainment.go.com/tv/buenavista/atm/reviews.html?sec=1&subsec=48
- ^ "Mystic Pizza". Chicago Sun-Times. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19881021/REVIEWS/810210303/1023.
- ^ "Mystic Pizza/Say Anything Double Feature (2009)". http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810047826/details. Retrieved February 19, 2009.
External links
- Mystic Pizza at the Internet Movie Database
- Mystic Pizza at AllRovi
- Mystic Pizza at Box Office Mojo
- Mystic Pizza at Rotten Tomatoes
Films directed by Donald Petrie 1980s Mystic Pizza (1988)1990s Opportunity Knocks (1990) · Grumpy Old Men (1993) · The Favor (1994) · Richie Rich (1994) · The Associate (1996) · My Favorite Martian (1999)2000s Miss Congeniality (2000) · How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003) · Welcome to Mooseport (2004) · Just My Luck (2006) · My Life in Ruins (2009)Categories:- English-language films
- 1988 films
- 1980s romantic comedy films
- American comedy-drama films
- American coming-of-age films
- American romantic drama films
- Directorial debut films
- Female buddy films
- Films set in Connecticut
- Films shot in Connecticut
- Mystic, Connecticut
- Films directed by Donald Petrie
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