Mystic Pizza

Donald Petrie’s debut, Mystic Pizza follows three friends (Annabeth Gish’s Kat, Julia Roberts’ Daisy, and Lily Taylor’s Jojo) as they confront a variety of personal issues and complications – with a particular emphasis placed on the characters’ rocky romantic exploits. It’s clear immediately that Mystic Pizza benefits substantially from the efforts of its talented roster of performers, as Gish, Roberts, and Taylor deliver charismatic, engaging work that generally elevates the somewhat substandard material and ensures that the picture is, at the very least, rarely out-and-out dull – with this vibe certainly perpetuated by a top-notch supporting cast that includes Vincent D’Onofio and Conchata Ferrell. And although the affable atmosphere carries the proceedings for a little while, Mystic Pizza eventually (and perhaps inevitably) progresses into a by-the-numbers midsection overflowing with tedious, almost mechanical plot developments and character revelations (ie the movie’s mishmash of soap-opera-level cliches become impossible to ignore past a certain point) – which paves the way for a less-than-engrossing second half that does, when coupled with an uninvolving climactic stretch, cement the film’s place as a barely-tolerable showcase for several stellar performances.

** out of ****