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The Spitfire Grill

The Spitfire Grill

Comedy · Drama · 1996

Percy, upon being released from prison, goes to the small town of Gillead, to find a place where she can start over again. She is taken in by Hannah, to help out at her place, the Spitfire Grill. Percy brings change to the small town, stirring resentment and fear in some, and growth in others.

Movie details

The Spitfire Grill

“To a town with no future, comes a girl with a past.”

1996 Comedy · Drama 1h 57m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.5 / 10

Community rating

Percy, upon being released from prison, goes to the small town of Gillead, to find a place where she can start over again. She is taken in by Hannah, to help out at her place, the Spitfire Grill. Percy brings change to the small town, stirring resentment and fear in some, and growth in others.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Spitfire Grill?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Lee David Zlotoff

Written by

Lee David Zlotoff

Alison Elliott

Alison Elliott

Percy Talbott

Ellen Burstyn

Ellen Burstyn

Hannah Ferguson

Marcia Gay Harden

Marcia Gay Harden

Shelby Goddard

Will Patton

Will Patton

Nahum Goddard

Kieran Mulroney

Kieran Mulroney

Joe Sperling

Gailard Sartain

Gailard Sartain

Sheriff Gary Walsh

John M. Jackson

John M. Jackson

Johnny B. / Eli

Court is in session

Put The Spitfire Grill on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.