Christopher Vernon gives us the rundown on gal pal movie, “Sitting in Bars with Cake,” now streaming on Prime.
“Sitting in Bars with Cake” is a fresh new film airing on Prime, so maybe suck up one of your Amazon Prime benefits this weekend and give it a whirl?
Just the mention of the word cake reminds me that the holidays are creeping up upon us rather quickly. If I don’t watch my step here pretty soon, it’s looking like I am going to end up being the size of the Goodyear blimp by New Years! “No one likes a skinny Santa,” as quoted from the classic claymation Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer film. At least I know I will have some job security if I want to pose as a mall Santa this year and scare your children!
This flick stars two relatively unknown female leads, Yara Shahidi and Odessa A’zion, who each play best girlfriends in their mid-20-somethings age range. What begins as a ploy to bake cake and bring them to bars was just a simple strategy to hopefully break the ice and meet some single male suitors. And who can argue the old saying, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach?”
There is one little snag in the gals’ plan though. When Corrine gets a life altering cancer diagnosis, the pair face a new challenge, one like never before.
Sitting in Bars with Cake has an over-bloated running time of two hours. And let me tell ya, it feels every bit of two hours at that. This true story, although had ample heart in its recipe, just didn’t click with me in the least bit. Without a doubt, it was no “Beaches,” the classic starring Bette Midler of a similar storyline. Speaking of the Divine Miss M herself, the film cast her as a rather fitting name “Benita,” if I don’t say so myself. I have always been a lover of this fiery red head, but here again what a stale co-starring role for a powerhouse who blew our socks off in The Rose and Stella.
I get it, there is no small part in Hollywood they say, and momma needs some new shoes I am certain, but the city of angels needs to start writing some meatier parts for women over the age of 55! Come on writers, they don’t always want to play the humdrum grandmother or an office assistant.
Ron Livingston, of Sex and City fame, (who could ever forget “Burger”) plays “Fred,” Corrine’s supportive father. Even with a notable supporting cast, they just couldn’t help catapult this Cake into the oven. In the end, this supposed tear-jerking drama left me dry eyed and my stomach growling for a different menu altogether.
If you’re looking for something light in calories and content, you may be able to stomach it. But make no mistake, this feature presentation couldn’t even hold a candle to any single recipe coming out of our own Mary Biebel’s test kitchen, even on her worst day.
”Sitting in Bars with Cake,” starring Bette Midler, Ron Livingston
Christopher’s “Meow” Score: “4 ½ “paws out of 10.
