Set in a small wisconsin town, the show features a gorgeous, soulful score and and several strong roles for women. Spitfire grill after serving a fiveyear sentence for manslaughter, a young woman settles in a small maine town and takes a job working for the feisty owner of the local grill. As any fan of the 1996 movie knows, percy doesnt end up the happy owner of a restaurant, with a fiance, best. Whats more, it builds up a series of climaxes driven by revelations of cliched secrets and traumas. Its not done poorly enough to warrant it a bad or disappointing film though. Music and book by james valcq lyrics and book by fred alley based on the film by lee david zlotoff. The spitfire grill 1996 stream and watch online moviefone. The spitfire grill won the audience award at this years sundance film. The film won the audience award at the 1996 sundance film festival, prompting several distributors to enter into a bidding war in response to the positive buzz, but. Percy, upon being released from prison, goes to the small town of gillead, to find a place where she can start over again. It was released in 1996 in the usa, winning the viewer award at the sundance festival and was then promptly shelved by distributor warner brothers.
Entries for the contest to win the spitfire grill pour in. In order to clear her head, finn visits her grandmother, hy ellen. The spitfire grill brings unique americanafolk score to. Friendliness is not a word used to describe gilead and the locals are suspicious of percy. Spitfire grill, is a family restaurant serving freshly prepared good quality food. If you want a great movie with a similar plot and a much. Forced to take on even more help after an accident, the owner turns to her nephews timid wife, and the three slowly develop an unlikely friendship which ultimately transforms the entire town. But with no interested buyers, hannah decides to raffle it off. The spitfire grill characters breakdowns including full descriptions with standard casting requirements and expert analysis. Mar 06, 2020 the spitfire grill brings unique americanafolk score to mct stage. With alison elliott, ellen burstyn, marcia gay harden, will patton.
A worthwhile movie with a good message, the spitfire grill is a timeless portrayal of the need in all of us to be loved and accepted. The local sheriff, joe sutter, who is also percys parole officer, finds her a job at hannahs spitfire grill the only eatery in this struggling town. The spitfire grill is a soft machine designed to open tearducts my own eyes stayed as dry as percys cooking. The spitfire grill offers many interesting and introspective character arcs and story lines but weaves them together in a very clumsy and confusing way. The fact that the second act brings some lessthancredible plot twists, the spitfire grill is a wonderful show and one of the best musicals mounted this season. Determined to help its elderly owner and her new friends, she suggests an groundbreaking idea that has the potential to solve their financial woes and bring life back to the region. In the spitfire grill, percy talbot seeks healing from a painful past in gilead, maine. Percy sets to work in a swirl of small town suspicions led by effy played by willa lane, the postmistress whos also village busybody.
The spitfire grill is a musical based on the 1996 film of the same name. The spitfire grill this tuner adaptation of lee david zlotoffs oscarnominated 1996 indie film the spitfire grill had its 2001 off broadway preem shortcircuited by the aftermath of 911. The stagemusical adaptation of the spitfire grill movie is being presented at mad cow theatre in orlando. Based on the hit 1996 film, the spitfire grill is a heartwarming and inspirational musical tale of redemption, perseverance and family. The spitfire grill moviepedia fandom powered by wikia. The piece is based on the 1996 film of the same name by lee david zlotoff, with music and book by james valcq and lyrics. Overall, the film deals with powerful themes of redemption, hatred.
She is trying to find a place for a fresh start, and based on a page from an old travel book, travels to. Working as a waitress in the spitfire grill, run by cantankerous hannah and shelby, her dark secrets are revealed, including the secrets of percys mysterious past. Soon, mail is arriving by the wheelbarrow full and things are definitely getting hot at the spitfire grill. The spitfire grill 1996 after being released from jail, percy talbott alison elliott travels to a town in maine looking for a new beginning. It is a sensitive story, filmed in beautiful locations in maine and very supported by the performance by the outstanding central trio of actresses. A ring around the moon arriving in the deserted town of gilead, percy reports to sheriff joe sutter who procures her a room and a job at a ramshackle diner called the spitfire grill, run by a crusty old widow, hannah ferguson. The spitfire grill is a 1996 american film written and directed by lee david zlotoff file. With the help of the local sheriff, she lands a waitress job at the spitfire grill, eventually winning over the crusty owner hannah ellen burstyn and simpleminded fellow waitress shelby marcia gay harden with her hard work and trustworthiness. In a nice little scene, the local sheriff gailard sartain lines up a job for her as a waitress at the local restaurant, which is run by an older woman named hannah ellen burstyn and already has a veteran waitress named shelby marcia gay harden. A creation of the catholic nonprofit group sacred heart league, the initiallytitled care of the spitfire grill, a sorrowful but galvanizing portrayal of faith and sacrifice, was originally. Entry fees are one hundred dollars and the best essay on why you want the grill wins.
Through their deepening friendship, each woman experiences a personal redemption and, through their solidarity, the narrowminded citizens of the community are reawakened and. She is taken in by hannah, to help out at her place, the spitfire grill, eventually winning its owners trust. The spitfire grill percy talbott, having been recently released from prison, steps off the bus in gilead, wisconsin, a location she selected because of a picture she found in an old travel book. The spitfire grill 1996 lee david zlotoff, david lee. She precipitates a journey within the town itself toward its own tenuous reawakening. The spitfire grill brings unique americanafolk score to mct stage. Based on the film by lee david zlotoff, the spitfire grill depicts the journey of a young woman just released from prison who decides to start her life anew in a rural wisconsin town. The caption reads, autumn colors along copper creek near gilead, wisconsin. A durable and devoted drama that is so unassuming in its execution. Percy talbott, having been recently released from prison, steps off the bus in gilead, wisconsin, a location she selected because of a picture she found in an old travel book. Film synopsis for carrie hicks, life has become a marathon. The spitfire grill lee david zlotoff, alison elliott, ellen.
The spitfire grill is one of those lovely films that didnt get a lot of attention in its brief onscreen life and deserves to be seen more than once. If you want a great movie with a similar plot and a much better ending, sling blade. But others remain suspicious of her, and soon some missing money leads to tragic consequences. In her pocket is a photograph clipped from a travel book. Sheriff joe sutter takes percy to the spitfire grill, since its the only guest room in town and because he doesnt know what else to do with her. So i rented it last night and really enjoyed the first half of the film. A woman with a troubled past finds herself employed at a tiny grill in a dilapidated town in wisconsin. A young woman named percy talbott gazes out the window of her prison cell. Join stageagent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. Its an unabashedly manipulative, melodramatic tearjerker with plot twists that horatio alger would have been embarrassed to use, and the fact. The spitfire grill won the audience award at this years sundance film festival, which says less for the audience than for the movie. Its a stage production, based on a 1996 film of the same name that starred ellen burstyn and marcia. Sheriff joe sutter takes percy to the spitfire grill, since its the only guest room in town and because he doesnt know wha. The importance of learning who a person really is and what hisher background has been is, before any judgments are made, is depicted in this movie.
After percys release from prison, with no family and nowhere to go, she relocates to the small town of gilead, maine to escape her past. A heartwarming musical set in a small wisconsin town is hitting the stage next month at uwsp. Its an unabashedly manipulative, melodramatic tearjerker with plot twists that horatio alger would have been embarrassed to use, and the fact that its so well acted only confuses the issue. Here, she meets hannah, who takes her in and gives her a job. The department of theatre and dance will feature the spitfire grill at 7. Malcolm ruhl directs the musical score of folk music with a message that is clear about healing intertwined. If you like the spitfire grill you are looking for sentimental, touching and emotional movies about with small town, friendship, prison, false accusation, redemption, church and self discovery themes of drama genre shot in usa.
It also has a regular customer named joe kieran mulroney. Unlike happy, texas and spitfire grill or even another film it resembles in spirit, welcome to the dollhouse, sunshine came to sundance. James horner lost in all the commotion about this film s awardwinning showing at the sundance film festival is the fact that it was at first produced for strictly religious purposes. With the help of her former warden, excon percy talbott moves to gilead, maine to make a fresh start. She lands a job as a waitress in the spitfire grill, owned by hannah. Sep 18, 20 searching for a new direction in life, a woman recently released from prison arrives in a remote maine town and transforms the ramshackle restaurant in which she works, winning the hearts of the. Somethings cooking at the spitfire grill in the face of all the gossip and hannahs constant haranguing, percy begins to wonder whether she made a mistake in coming to gilead. It tells a story of a woman who was just released from prison and goes to work in a smalltown cafe known as the spitfire grill. Finally, percy finds a job with hannah, the indomitable owner of the spitfire grill, and begins to develop a strong connection with she and her nieceinlaw, shelby. Uwsps the spitfire grill brings twist to plot, now set. Uwsps the spitfire grill brings twist to plot, now set in. Spitfire grill is an emotive, christian allegory, full of biblical analogies in the manner of sacramental and incarnational theology. The movie follows a young woman who starts a new life in a small maine town after being released from prison. The scenery of the movie, shot in northeast vermont, adds a touch of splendor to the production.
Its the sort of movie with almost no surprises, but some of the details are a hoot. She lands a job as a waitress in the spitfire grill, owned by hannah ellen. Its an unabashedly manipulative, melodramatic tearjerker with plot twists that horatio alger would have been embarrassed to use, and the. The spitfire grill musical the golden throats wiki. Spitfire grill will serve up audience surprises for vu run. Searching for a new direction in life, a woman recently released from prison arrives in a remote maine town and transforms the ramshackle restaurant.
Goed voor een publieksprijs op het sundance film festival. She gets a job waiting tables at the spitfire grill and rents a room above it. Percy talbot has just been released from a five year prison sentence for manslaughter. The film begins as percy leaves a maine prison and arrives in gilead, a town. Spitfires tense nofrills shoot often had elliott, 26, calling for calm. The spitfire grill is a 1996 american film written and directed by lee david zlotoff. Percy brings change to the small town, stirring resentment and fear in some, and growth in others.
Summaries 1 percy, upon being released from prison, goes to the small town of gillead, to find a place where she can start over again. Sep 06, 1996 it wasnt just the films pensive plot that precluded any onset levity. Working doubles at the diner, running to gigs at bars to chase her elusive dream of becoming a singersongwriter, helping her 10year old daughter, emma, with homework, and all the while supporting rodney, her violent, deadbeat boyfriend. Released september 6th, 1996, the spitfire grill stars alison elliott, ellen burstyn, marcia gay harden, will patton the pg movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 56 min, and received a score of. The spitfire grill 1996 official trailer alison elliott, ellen burstyn movie hd duration. Read the the spitfire grill movie synopsis, view the movie trailer, get cast and crew information, see movie photos, and more on. The spitfire grill is a gentle but powerful drama about a range of things including fear and guilt, forgiveness, transformation, sacrifice, beauty of creation, healing, preconceptions and love. Music and book by james valcq, lyrics and book by fred alley base. The piece is based on the 1996 film of the same name by lee david zlotoff, with music and book by. She is taken in by hannah, to help out at her place, the spitfire grill. The spitfire grill 1996 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. She works as a waitress in the spitfire grill, owned by hannah ellen burstyn, whose gruff exterior conceals a kind heart and precious little tolerance for the grills regular customers, who cast their suspicions on percys mysterious past. I have never seen this plot development in any other movie this week.