The Cake Eaters
DirectorMary Stuart Masterson
ProducerAllen Bain
Elisa Pugliese
WriterJayce Bartok
StarringKristen Stewart
Aaron Stanford
Jayce Bartok
Bruce Dern
Elizabeth Ashley
Miriam Shor
MusicDuncan Sheik
CinematographyPeter Masterson
EditingJoe Landauer
Colleen Sharp
StudioVinyl Foote Productions
The 7th Floor
Distributor7-57 Releasing
ReleasedApril 29, 2007 (Tribeca Film Festival); March 13, 2009 (United States)
Runtime86 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Cake Eaters is a 2007 American independent drama film about two small-town families who must confront old issues with the return of one family's son.[1] The film was directed by Mary Stuart Masterson (in her feature film directorial debut), and stars Kristen Stewart, Aaron Stanford, Bruce Dern and Jayce Bartok. Stewart plays Georgia, a young girl with Friedreich's ataxia, a rare disease for which there is no cure.[2]

The Cake Eaters premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 29, 2007, and earned a theatrical release on March 13, 2009. The film earned mixed reviews from critics, who praised Masterson's direction and the performances but criticized the screenplay.

Cast

Production

Principal photography of this film began in May 2006 in New York.[3]

In an interview at the Austin Film Festival in 2007, Jayce Bartok, the movie's screenwriter, was asked about the title's meaning. Bartok is quoted as saying, "The Cake Eaters is a term I grew up with in Pennsylvania. My mom used to use it to describe those who had it made, had their lives mapped out for them, were the most likely to succeed… 'The Cake Eaters.' I thought it was an interesting metaphor for this group of misfits who begin the story searching and longing for love, trying to overcome grief, and through the course of the story… find their 'cake.' They find some love, happiness, peace…." The term was widely popularized as a quote from the 1992 film The Mighty Ducks.[4]

Release

The Cake Eaters opened at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 29, 2007, and made the rounds of the independent film circuit, premiering at various film festivals such as the Woodstock Film Festival, Lone Star International Film Festival, Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival.[5] It was eventually given a limited theatrical release on March 13, 2009, and debuted on DVD on March 24, 2009.

Reception

Critical reception

The Cake Eaters holds a "fresh" rating of 64% at Rotten Tomatoes based on 25 reviews with an average rating of 6.01/10.[6] The site's critics consensus reads, "Though light on theme and craftsmanship, The Cake Eaters relies on fine performances and brisk direction to provide an affecting tale of small-town life."[6] [7]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times, who gave it three out of four stars, praised Masterson for a good debut.[8] Stephen Holden of The New York Times called it a "small, overcrowded ensemble piece" that is "elevated" by "superior acting" into "something deeper".[2] Other critics, such as Rex Reed of the New York Observer,[9] Bill Goodykoontz of the Arizona Republic,[10] and V.A. Musetto of the New York Post,[11] also gave favorable reviews, with Musetto, in particular, lamenting the fact that it had taken two years for the film to be released theatrically.[11]

Not all reception was positive however, with Erin Trahan of the Boston Globe,[12] Gary Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times,[13] and Aaron Hillis of Village Voice,[14] among others, giving it negative reviews. Goldstein, in particular, was sharply critical of what he described as "a bland ensemble drama with an unremarkable script."[13]

Awards

References

  1. ^ "The Cake Eaters". www.thecakeeaters.com. Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  2. ^ Holden, Stephen (March 13, 2009). "The Cake Eaters". The New York Times. Archived August 28, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
  3. ^ "Aaron Stanford And Kristen Stewart Are The Cake Eaters.". May 15, 2006.
  4. ^ "The Cake Eaters". Open for Discussion. March 7, 2009.
  5. ^ "Sedona Film Fest 2008". Sedona Monthly Magazine. January 1, 2008. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
  6. ^ "The Cake Eaters (2007)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
  7. ^ "The Cake Eaters Reviews". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
  8. ^ Ebert, Roger (March 11, 2009). "The Cake Eaters". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
  9. ^ Reed, Rex (March 10, 2009). "Twilight in the Catskills". The New York Observer. Archived from the original on May 27, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
  10. ^ Goodykoontz, Bill (March 13, 2009). "The Cake Eaters". Arizona Republic. Archived from the original on July 31, 2012. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
  11. ^ Musetto, V.A. (March 13, 2009). "You'll Eat Up This Intelligent Drama". The New York Post. Archived from the original on April 8, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
  12. ^ Trahan, Erin (March 23, 2009). "The Cake Eaters is full of family issues". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
  13. ^ Goldstein, Gary (March 13, 2009). "Review: 'The Cake Eaters'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 17, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
  14. ^ Hillis, Aaron (March 10, 2009). "The Cake Eaters Offers Genuinely Sweet, Forgettable Indie Fodder". Village Voice. Archived from the original on 2009-12-10. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
  15. ^ "Viny Foote | The Cake Eaters". Vinyl Foote. Archived December 6, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
  16. ^ ""Ripple Effect," "The Flyboys" Take Top Feature Honors at Sedona Film Festival". Filmmakers.com. March 5, 2008. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
  17. ^ "iW NEWS | "Cake Eaters" Among Stony Brook Winners". IndieWire. July 28, 2008. Retrieved 2022-12-07.