MYSTIC PIZZA

US, 1988, 104 minutes, Colour.
Annabeth Gish, Lili Taylor, Julia Roberts, Vincent D’Onofrio?.
Directed by Donald Petrie.

Mystic Pizza is a story of three young women trying to find themselves. Mystic is a town in Connecticut.

The film is fairly conventional in its presentation of life in the town and their aspirations of the three women. Annabeth Gish (Desert Bloom) is the young girl at the end of school, hoping to go to university and be an astronomer but infatuated with the father of the child she baby-sits. She experiences disillusionment. Julia Roberts is excellent as her older and vivacious sister who falls in love with a wealthy young man. Liliy Taylor is a girl from a Portuguese background who can't face marrying.

The film is aimed at the widest possible audience for interest and identification. The solutions are at that level, not deeper. But on its own level, Mystic Pizza works fairly well.

1. The title, expectations?

2. A humane drama, the focus on women and their aspirations? The American perspective?

3. The town of mystic: the locations, homes, the pizza house, the ships, the U.S. and the Portuguese communities? The score?

4. The credits and the background of the young girls:- the structure of the film intertwining the three?

5. Kat: age, hopes, family, relationship with Daisy, working at the pizza house, hoping to be an astronomer? Going to the club with Daisy and Jo? Trying to help Daisy? Going to baby-sit, the attraction towards Tim, looking after Phoebe? Enjoying the visits, sharing music, her crush, the night with Tim, the return of the wife and her hopes dashed? Her being hurt? Tim and Phoebe coming to say goodbye? The clashes with Daisy? The support given her by Leona and the money for Yale?

6. The contrast with Daisy: type, loving men, at home, the religious background, going to work, meeting Charles, beating him at the snooker game, jealous at the club, the fish in the car? Kat forgetting to let her go to his parents' dinner? The eventual dinner, his clash with his parents? Her clash with her mother? Her talking truthfully to Charles and helping him to realise how he was using her? Helping Jo? The happy ending with Charles coming back?

7. Jo and the opening, her fainting at the wedding, people's taunts, her wanting to be independent, her love for Bill, at her parents' place, the break with Bill, babysitting for Kat? The final wedding?

8. The sketch of Bill, the break-up of the marriage, his dependability, fishing, the final wedding?

9. Charles and the wealthy background, cheating, sexual liaison with Daisy, inviting her to a meal, the clash with his father and the upset meal, his returning humbled at the end, the influence of Daisy?

10. Tim and his work as an architect, with Phoebe, the crush with Kat, the brief affair, his love for his wife, coming to say goodbye?

11. Leona as the earth-mother type, the pizza parlour, the gourmet coming and tasting it, the TV programme? The wedding? Giving the money to Kat as her daughter?

12. The sketch of the parents and their relationship with their children?

13. A slice of American life?