HotToastyRag
I'll save you some time. Gents, feel free to skip this movie. Based off the Whitney Otto novel, How to Make an American Quilt shows the audience a confused woman and the journey she takes to find herself as she talks to the women in her knitting group. If you like those kinds of "girl power" movies like Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood or Fried Green Tomatoes, you'll definitely want to watch this one.I don't happen to like those kinds of movies, so despite the large cast—Winona Ryder, Afre Woodard, Jean Simmons, Anne Bancroft, Ellen Burstyn, Maya Angelou, and Kate Nelligan—I didn't like this movie. Many women will find this movie touching and heartwarming, but it did nothing for me. The overriding theme is that every woman is a patchwork product of the other women in her life, so when we choose our path of love, it's not really because we're choosing it; it's because all the other women's experiences in love have taught us and shaped us. I've never been a huge fan of estrogen-fest films, but if you like them, rent this one with your girlfriends.
ga-bsi
You don't come across a movie that tells so many stories that are so rich in emotion, as this one does. It is also refreshing to see that the emotions, and experiences depicted in this film, are not artificial, or a shadow of the true feelings that people harbour through the years. You find yourself both loving and hating the choices that Finn, and the many other women in the film have made. As a woman you are almost immediately attracted to her fiancé, Sam, who is level headed and unconditionally loving. He both compliments and evens out Finn's complex emotions and commitment phobia. Then there is Leon, the darkly sexy lover who seduces Finn and ultimately makes her realize how special Sam really is. It is not difficult to fall in love with the many characters and tales in this movie. From the tragic and beautiful tale of how Anna had her baby, Marie- Anna. Or the relationship between the aging artist and his ever loving wife. You also witness the unbreakable bond between sisters, and how it is sometimes easier to forgive than to bear a grudge. This film will always be a true chick flick classic, because it is both deep and simple. It has one message to give: Follow your heart.
tavm
Filled with veterans, (Ellen Burstyn, Anne Bancroft, Jean Simmons) recognizable character actors, (Rip Torn, Holland Taylor, Esther Rolle, Alfre Woodard), hot young adult stars (Winona Ryder, Dermot Mulroney, Samantha Mathis), some up-and-comers (Jared Leto, Claire Danes, Johnathon Schaech), and a poet (Maya Angelou), How to Make an American Quilt is an inspiring movie about a young college student staying during the summer at her aunt's house with many of that aunt's friends sewing a quilt while sharing memories of their young lives that provide material for the young woman's college paper. Based on a novel, this film provides detailed flashbacks of some of those lives and less so on others but they mostly provide some impetus for the aspiring author's decisions as she makes up her mind of what future she decides on. As a result of the constant flashbacks, some of what happens may be confusing but most gets explained at the end. So on that note, I recommend How to Make an American Quilt.
spence66
Love, development and maturity all form the embroidery for this "more than a Hollywood drama piece" quilt, with stitching that matches the craftily, skilfully and fruitfully detailed needlework. From the needle of a great, star-laden ensemble, the patterns have been carefully but imaginatively sown into the wool - from a powerful exploration of human relationships to the torture of love, the journeys of women and the revelations of grief and new beginnings - there are many materials and colours used to form this quilt, and there is something that will appeal to everyone. Just like an American quilt, you too seem to become apart of the amazing, cathartic story lines, which weave together to make this cinematic masterpiece. It is evident that the embroiderer clearly knows how to make an American Quilt!
AD
