Mystic Pizza *** (1988, Annabeth Gish, Julia Roberts, Lili Taylor) – Classic Movie Review 1830

Director Donald Petrie’s delightful, easy-going 1988 comedy tells a charming if unsurprising tale of life, love and coming of age in the company of three feisty, attractive young women working at a pizza parlour in the cute small seaside town of Mystic, Connecticut. It won the 1989 Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature.

This pleasing, sentimental story, with plenty of laughter and characters who are as tasty as their pizzas, is inevitably heading towards a corny happy ending in best romcom style. But the movie is lifted several notches by the heart-warming playing of Annabeth Gish, Lili Taylor and especially the 21-year-old Julia Roberts in her first major movie.

Gish and Roberts play sisters Kat and Daisy, who are working alongside Taylor’s Jojo. Kat, before heading for Yale, is babysitting for Tim Travers, an architect she fancies, while the less-conventional Daisy starts dating a rich guy called Charles Gordon Windsor Jr, and the commitment-phobe Jojo leaves Bill, the man she loves at the altar. William R. Moses as Tim Travers, Adam Storke as Charles Gordon Windsor Jr and Vincent D’Onofrio as Bill play the men in question.

It was a surprise little hit in America (taking $12million) but, with its then little-known stars and very American characters, themes, concerns and locations, it passed through British cinemas and video shops very quietly.

Future star Matt Damon, aged 18, has one line in his movie debut as Steamer. He landed it over his friend  Ben Affleck, who also auditioned for the role.

The story is by Amy Holden Jones, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Perry Howze, Randy Howze and Alfred Uhry. Jones was on holiday in Mystic one summer, saw the real Mystic pizza parlour at 55 West Main Street and was inspired to write the story. The parlour became so popular after the movie that queues reached the pavement and patrons stole mementos.

Because Mystic is a crowded tourist destination, most of the film was shot in the sleepy neighbouring town of Stonington, Connecticut, and on nearby Rhode Island. A parlour on Water Street, Stonington, was used for restaurant filming. Only one entire scene was filmed in Mystic, with the fishing boat going through the drawbridge.

A planned sequel called Return to Mystic Pizza never materialised.

Donald Petrie went on to direct Grumpy Old Men (1993), Richie Rich (1994), Miss Congeniality (2000) and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003).

Hollywood mogul’s son Samuel Goldwyn Jr, executive producer of many films including Mystic Pizza and Master and Commander, died on 9 January 2015, aged 88.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1830

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