Percy (Alison Elliott), upon being released from prison, goes to the small town of Gillead, to find a place where she can start over again. She is taken in by Hannah (Ellen Burstyn), to help out at her place, the Spitfire Grill. Percy brings change to the small town, stirring resentment and fear in some, and growth in others.
Roger Ebert wrote, "Watching this plot unfold, I was remembering last week's 'Heavy,' which also premiered at Sundance; its cafe was run by an older woman (Shelley Winters), and had a veteran waitress (Deborah Harry) and a young waitress (Liv Tyler), and had a regular customer whose name was Leo, not Joe, although he was played by Joe Grifasi. Also echoing in the caverns of my memory were several other movies about stalwart women running cafes and striding above the local gossip: The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, Fried Green Tomatoes, Staying Together and of course Bagdad Cafe." Indeed, something about this film felt derivative or cheap, like it belonged on the Lifetime network and not as a film championed by the fine folks at Sundance. Some say this is a forgotten sleeper hit, and I disagree. Others say the score was overlooked, and that I will agree with. James Horner is one of the bigger names out there, and this effort is no exception.
Roger Ebert wrote, "Watching this plot unfold, I was remembering last week's 'Heavy,' which also premiered at Sundance; its cafe was run by an older woman (Shelley Winters), and had a veteran waitress (Deborah Harry) and a young waitress (Liv Tyler), and had a regular customer whose name was Leo, not Joe, although he was played by Joe Grifasi. Also echoing in the caverns of my memory were several other movies about stalwart women running cafes and striding above the local gossip: The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, Fried Green Tomatoes, Staying Together and of course Bagdad Cafe." Indeed, something about this film felt derivative or cheap, like it belonged on the Lifetime network and not as a film championed by the fine folks at Sundance. Some say this is a forgotten sleeper hit, and I disagree. Others say the score was overlooked, and that I will agree with. James Horner is one of the bigger names out there, and this effort is no exception.