This sleeper hit from the Fall of 1988 has real charm. The film is about three girls that are becoming young women; two of them are sisters. Lili Taylor plays a girl that wants sex, but can't commit to marriage. Now there's a twist. Annabeth Gish and Julia Roberts, in an early important role for her, are the sisters. Gish has an idealized romance in her head regarding the 30 year old Yale graduate she babysits for, whose wife is conveniently in Europe. Does it make an affair seem more acceptable when the wife is further away? Roberts plays a girl, like she did in her first credited film Satisfaction, who uses her body to get what she wants. The girls are all fine; however, Gish's scenario is less interesting than the other two and is somewhat clichéd. Vincent D'Onofrio is good in his few scenes as Taylor's would be husband. William R. Moses and Adam Storke are less compelling as the male interests of Gish and Roberts respectively. The film's strengths are its ability to portray the charms of small town life, and being set in a pizzeria operated by Conchata Ferrell with the girls sharing their hopes and dreams. There are several scenes that are funny and genuine, such as D'Onofrio being chased by Taylor's father one night, Roberts scene with Storke when she miscalculates who he is with, and the visit by the gourmet reviewer to the pizzeria. The film is pretty much formulaic with a few ironic twists in the female characters, and this is certainly inferior to other films of the coming of age, gal pal genre, but it has its own charm, entertains us, and is interesting enough for the early appearances of its young stars alone. Also, look fast for Matt Damon in his film debut. **1/2 of 4 stars.
Review of Mystic Pizza
