Kristen Stewart shakes 'The Cake Eaters'

April 16, 11:46 PMTwilight ExaminerAmanda Bell

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The Cake Eaters, the short but compelling film just released to DVD this March, stars (the star that truly is) Twilight, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, and actress Adventureland Kristen Stewart, and for good reason.

The film, which is surprisingly coy with its emotional appeal, is a compliment to its dramatic genre. Instead of overplaying the various tensions that are prevalent throughout the storyline, the actors are modest with their presentation, and it works. The viewer is left identifying with their struggles, appreciating the characters' ability to internalize their strife, and understanding their (at times off-the-wall) decisions. Though the title is reflective of a certain time-tested sentiment (having your cake and eating it too), these characters are not, for the most part, gluttonous.

Kristen Stewart, of course, is an asset to the film. There is a good reason why she was chosen to play Georgia. Stewart, who was able to deliver unconditionally the struggle that Georgia endures with her physical limitations, also overcomes many potential obstacles to presenting a dramatic and honest sequence of scenes. In other words, her inability to stop shaking fails to detract from her beauty and her warmth in approaching a very typical fact of life scenario (the "first" time).

While there are some potential holes left un-closed in the film itself (i.e., does Georgia's grandmother ever - spoiler - agree to marry Beagle's dad?), this is one of the facts that makes the film more engrossing. The sheer volume of dramatic circumstances brewing throughout the film are brushed over without incident, leaving the viewer a little confused as to why they were addressed so simply. Yet, when the film credits roll, the viewer is satisfied. Instead of trite hystrionics, we were told a story, with a great mix of dramatic and inter-woven elements, but we weren't beat over the head with the fact that they were intense. Instead, we are left with the choice to parse out the many levels of the film for ourselves. In that sense, The Cake Eaters is certainly a thought piece.

On another note, Bruce Dern was surprisingly cavalier in the film. As a fan of Big Love, the HBO television series centering around a polygamous family (starring Jeanne Tripplehorn, Bill Paxton, Ginnifer Goodwin, Chloe Sevigny, and Dern, amongst others), I know Bruce Dern as the love-to-hate father of Bill and Joey Hendrickson, with a sharp, unforgiving tongue and a presence that even the most fool-hearte onlooker would stay far, far away from. In The Cake Eaters, though, Dern plays a softer, more humble character. He is able to leave the viewer taken with his unending reception of his character's family and significant others. Dern, quite simply, was a fantastic presence on the film.

The same, too, can be said for Aaron Stafford (Beagle) and Jayce Bartok (Guy). These two were careful to present their characters in a modest light. In turn, their presence in the film contributed well to is overall feel and effect. That said, there is no question that Kristen Stewart's performance was what brought the ball home in The Cake Eaters.

What do you think? Did you think that Kristen Stewart's performance was what made The Cake Eaters what it was? Did you enjoy the film? Comment below and let us know!

• For a review of Kristen Stewart's role in Adventureland, see here.

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