Mystic Pizza (Annabel Gish, Julia Roberts, Lili Taylor)

(Amazon UK link)

From time to time I check to see what DVDs Amazon will 'recommend to me, and add a few of the ones that appeal to my wishlist. 'Mystic Pizza' was one such film which I was given recently. Evidently a light 'chick-flick', so ideal for curling up on the couch with my husband one chilly January evening.

It’s set in the 1980s. Jojo (Lili Taylor) has cold feet during her wedding, calling it off and devastating her fiancé. Jojo and her two friends Daisy (Julia Roberts) and Kat (Annabeth Gish) – who are sisters – work at the pizza parlour in a small town called Mystic in the USA. Jojo still loves her boyfriend, but is very scared of long-term commitment.

Despite being sisters, Daisy is wild and sexy while Kat is sensible and sweet…they could hardly be more different. Kat is hoping to go to university soon, so working very hour she can to earn money. She starts a babysitting job and, to her horror, finds herself falling in love with the (married) father. Daisy, meanwhile, wants to have as much fun as possible but falls for someone much wealthier than she is, and starts to question her own worth.

So, the story is about these three young women with their stories intertwined, learning about life and love, and gradually maturing as they reach decisions. All three girls, despite being so different superficially, find themselves wondering in similar ways about the future of relationships they’re in. Inevitably, too, they cherish their friendship.

Oh, and there's the pizza place, which apparently is a real shop in a real small town in the USA. There's also an ongoing thread about the pizzas produced, and the people who eat them, and the secret ingredients that make it what it is.

There’s not really a whole lot of plot, and in a way it's all rather predictable. However, the film was nicely done, with some amusing moments, and great rapport between the three friends. The rating is 15 in the UK, and R (18) in the more prudish USA. No violence or horror, but some sexual references and low-key scenes, and a bit of bad language here and there.

Not too deep, but enjoyable while it lasts; good for a Saturday evening in. Just like pizza, really.

Review copyright Sue's DVD Reviews