IMDb RATING
6.5/10
3.6K
YOUR RATING
Corinne convinces Jane, a shy, talented baker, to bring cakes to bars, to help her build confidence. But when Corinne receives a life-altering diagnosis, the pair faces a challenge unlike an... Read allCorinne convinces Jane, a shy, talented baker, to bring cakes to bars, to help her build confidence. But when Corinne receives a life-altering diagnosis, the pair faces a challenge unlike anything they've experienced before.Corinne convinces Jane, a shy, talented baker, to bring cakes to bars, to help her build confidence. But when Corinne receives a life-altering diagnosis, the pair faces a challenge unlike anything they've experienced before.
- Awards
- 1 win & 2 nominations total
Summary
Reviewers say 'Sitting in Bars with Cake' is a poignant film exploring friendship, self-discovery, and illness. The emotional depth and genuine character bonds are praised, along with the creative premise. Performances by Odessa A'zion, Ron Livingston, and Martha Kelly receive acclaim. The bittersweet tone and strong emotional impact are noted, though some find the premise unrealistic. Technical issues like poor lighting and audio problems are criticized. Comparisons to 'Beaches' are common. Overall, it is seen as a heartfelt, though flawed, drama.
Featured reviews
It's so fitting that Bette Midler appears in this movie as it does have strong Beaches vibes. I love her role as boss lady with a big heart. But the real gems are the two leads who play best friends. We see their highs and lows, their wrestling with the decisions in young adult life, but also their complete sacrificial love for one another as the movie progresses. Another thing I loved was that both girls had strong parental support (imperfect, but definitely loving and supportive). It's rare these days to have main characters with parents still married. Love that. You get really drawn into loving both female leads. I loved the ending, which I don't often say with movies. It felt right and good. This is sweet. Sad, yes, but so sweet and endearing. It will stick with you.
If you are expecting a romance or comedy, this is not the movie for you. But it is a lovely movie of friendship and finding and following your dreams. Good cast. Clever premise. A different take on the coming of age movie that's relevant to today's world. Bring lots and lots and lots of tissues because you will start crying halfway through it and won't necessarily stop crying. Heart wrenchingly lovely-you should be clued in by Bette Midler that you will be getting something more like Beaches. The cakes are fantastic to look at and in the end you'll be satisfied, as long as you realize Corrine is a foil and it's all about Jane.
Shy Jane (Yara Shahidi) and outgoing Corinne (Odessa A'zion) are longtime best friends living together in L. A. Jane likes to bake cakes and brings one to a club. Corinne suggests keep making cakes for their club nights. There is a dark life turn.
The cake premise is silly. I get that it's a true story. It's silly as preparation for this dark turn. Jane needs to be more shy and nerdy. Corinne is bringing her out of her shell. The movie should steer harder into that premise. Yara Shahidi is too self-assured. She's a cool chick. Her persona is far from Jane. The movie needs to try harder or pick another actress. Once the dark turn happens, It's sappy to the core and that's great. It should wallow in the sappiness. I'm happy with the second half.
The cake premise is silly. I get that it's a true story. It's silly as preparation for this dark turn. Jane needs to be more shy and nerdy. Corinne is bringing her out of her shell. The movie should steer harder into that premise. Yara Shahidi is too self-assured. She's a cool chick. Her persona is far from Jane. The movie needs to try harder or pick another actress. Once the dark turn happens, It's sappy to the core and that's great. It should wallow in the sappiness. I'm happy with the second half.
Great acting from all in this movie. I laughed, I cried and Lots of smiling. I'm so glad I tuned in to this film. Although the beginning is super cute - out going and fun, as there have mentioned - it gets sad mid way. I had hopes that the story would change direction but it didn't and so have tissues ready. Ron Livingston is a great dad, Bette is amazing as always but the 2 stars of the film nailed every scene - amazing talent for those 2 young women. I sure hope to see them in many more films. Lastly, it's a true story and I'm glad it was made - truly honors her best friend in every possible way. Thanks you for sharing this story with us.
Greetings again from the darkness. By coming clean up front, my hope is that forgiveness and understanding is in order, and maybe others will be diverted from the same path I took. Between the film's title, the trailer, and knowing it was based on Audrey Shulman's book and true story, my assumption was that this was going to be a straightforward, good old fashioned chick flick. And although comparisons to BEACHES (1988) are not without merit, director Trish Sie (PITCH PERFECT 3, 2017) serves up additional layers (yes, pun intended).
Jane (Yara Shahidi, "Blackish", Ticker Bell in PETER PAN & WENDY, 2023) and Corinne (Odessa A'zion, HELLRAISER, 2022) are lifelong friends, roommates and polar opposite twenty-somethings. Jane is an introvert who is pleasing her parents by studying for the LSAT in order to become a lawyer. Corinne is an extroverted party girl hoping to move up at the creative agency where she works for a tough boss played by Bette Midler.
Jane is really committed to two things: her friendship with Corinne and baking desserts, especially cakes. Corinne comes up with a strategy to help Jane meet more men. The plan is for Jane to bake 50 cakes over the next year, and the group will take each cake to a different bar to meet new people. They map out the bars geographically by stereotypes of local guys, and hang it on the wall. Corinee calls this "Cake-barring", and Jane reluctantly agrees to participate, and we are along for the ride and an introduction to the beautiful SoCal people. The plan is progressing swimmingly until Corinne is diagnosed with a life-threatening disease.
Taking care of her friend becomes Jane's focus, going against the preferences of Corinne's parents, a bearded Mr. Fix-it played by Ron Livingston, and a deadpan mom played by Martha Kelly ("Baskets"). Corinne insists that the cake-barring continue, even as her health declines. Jane does find a boyfriend (Rish Shah), and during all of this, learns quite a lot about herself.
Cancer plays a more substantial role than the trailer would lead us to believe, and at the core, this film is about friendship and self-discovery. Corinne remains steadfast with cake-barring because she understands her friend Jane needs to build her confidence in social settings - and her delicious cakes are just the ticket.
Audrey Shulman's book is based on her experiences of a similar year, and though it's not a cookbook, it does contain 35 recipes. Here, director Sie uses very creative counters/chapters to keep us up to speed on the latest flavor, and the film admits to a year of 'hospitals and bars", It's also the first time I recall hearing the phrase "underwear bully", so kudos for that! The additional layers mentioned above are quite satisfying despite some of the unavoidable cliches. It's a pleasure to see grown women in a true friendship built on doing the right thing for the other, and also for themselves.
Releasing exclusively on Prime Video on September 8, 2023.
Jane (Yara Shahidi, "Blackish", Ticker Bell in PETER PAN & WENDY, 2023) and Corinne (Odessa A'zion, HELLRAISER, 2022) are lifelong friends, roommates and polar opposite twenty-somethings. Jane is an introvert who is pleasing her parents by studying for the LSAT in order to become a lawyer. Corinne is an extroverted party girl hoping to move up at the creative agency where she works for a tough boss played by Bette Midler.
Jane is really committed to two things: her friendship with Corinne and baking desserts, especially cakes. Corinne comes up with a strategy to help Jane meet more men. The plan is for Jane to bake 50 cakes over the next year, and the group will take each cake to a different bar to meet new people. They map out the bars geographically by stereotypes of local guys, and hang it on the wall. Corinee calls this "Cake-barring", and Jane reluctantly agrees to participate, and we are along for the ride and an introduction to the beautiful SoCal people. The plan is progressing swimmingly until Corinne is diagnosed with a life-threatening disease.
Taking care of her friend becomes Jane's focus, going against the preferences of Corinne's parents, a bearded Mr. Fix-it played by Ron Livingston, and a deadpan mom played by Martha Kelly ("Baskets"). Corinne insists that the cake-barring continue, even as her health declines. Jane does find a boyfriend (Rish Shah), and during all of this, learns quite a lot about herself.
Cancer plays a more substantial role than the trailer would lead us to believe, and at the core, this film is about friendship and self-discovery. Corinne remains steadfast with cake-barring because she understands her friend Jane needs to build her confidence in social settings - and her delicious cakes are just the ticket.
Audrey Shulman's book is based on her experiences of a similar year, and though it's not a cookbook, it does contain 35 recipes. Here, director Sie uses very creative counters/chapters to keep us up to speed on the latest flavor, and the film admits to a year of 'hospitals and bars", It's also the first time I recall hearing the phrase "underwear bully", so kudos for that! The additional layers mentioned above are quite satisfying despite some of the unavoidable cliches. It's a pleasure to see grown women in a true friendship built on doing the right thing for the other, and also for themselves.
Releasing exclusively on Prime Video on September 8, 2023.
Did you know
- TriviaThis scene is in Clifton's Cafeteria, the oldest surviving cafeteria-style eatery in Los Angeles and the largest public cafeteria in the world. The name was created by combining "Clifford" and "Clinton" to produce "Clifton's"
- GoofsAt 1:16:40, the physician says that the cancer spread "as a glioblastoma". Cancers don't change types when they spread, except epithelial-mesenchymal transition which is not concurrent with metastasis.
- Crazy creditsThis is the first film to show the 2021 MGM logo with the byline "An Amazon Company" (in the font of Amazon Studios) added at the bottom, reflecting the 2022 acquisition of the studio by Amazon.
- SoundtracksSugar
Written by Arleigh Kincheloe (as Arleigh Rose Kincheloe) and Ron Feemster (as Theron Otis Feemster)
Performed by Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds
Courteys of Party Fowl Records
- How long is Sitting in Bars with Cake?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime
- 2h(120 min)
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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