Joshua Land Time Out Nov 18, 2011 3/5

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Ben Kenigsberg Time Out Nov 17, 2011 2/5

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MaryAnn Johanson Flick Filosopher Jul 6, 2010

[W]hat seems at first like a lean, spare psychic space in which much is left unspoken swells to burn white-hot.

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Jason McKiernan Filmcritic.com Apr 17, 2009 2/5

formulaic tripe, catharsis-by-the-numbers.

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Michael Esposito Chicago Tribune Apr 10, 2009 3/4

In her first feature film, Masterson creates a slice of life that is very believable (especially if you've ever seen The Jerry Springer Show), and often endearing.

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Jeff Vice Deseret News (Salt Lake City) Apr 9, 2009 2/4

The Cake Eaters mistakes characters and story quirks for character and story development.

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Stan Hall Oregonian Mar 27, 2009

The story is so wispy that it feels only half-written; basically, nothing much happens here. Not a total washout, but it seems more like a TV movie.

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Erin Meister Boston Globe Mar 27, 2009 2/4

There are only so many story threads an ensemble cast can hold.

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Ben Lyons At the Movies Mar 23, 2009

Stand out performances, interesting character dynamic but overall, kind of a flat film that really doesn't have you too emotionally invested.

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Ben Mankiewicz At the Movies Mar 23, 2009

I think there is a future in directing for Mary Stewart Masterson.

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Bill Goodykoontz Arizona Republic Mar 18, 2009 4/5

These are people whose company you enjoy, in good times and bad. Taking place over a short period of time, it's a small slice of life, yes. But as the title implies, it's a tasty one as well.

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Wade Major Boxoffice Magazine Mar 16, 2009 2.5/5

As directing debuts from actors and actresses go, Masterson's falls somewhere on the upper-end of the middle, a better-than-respectable effort given the difficulty of the material and the constraints of the budget.

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Eric Monder Film Journal International Mar 16, 2009

Pleasant, low-key drama about two small-town families with secrets. Though familiar in many respects, Mary Stuart Masterson's feature directorial debut has a quiet charm.

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V.A. Musetto New York Post Mar 13, 2009 3/4

With so much junk cluttering movie houses, it is a shame that it took two years for this sweet, intelligent drama to get a release before heading for DVD. But such is the sad state of the movie business.

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Marcy Dermansky About.com Mar 13, 2009 4/5

Kristen Stewart is lovely, as is Masterson's beautifully crafted first film.

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Stephen Holden New York Times Mar 13, 2009 4/5

Superior acting elevates a small, overcrowded ensemble piece set in rural upstate New York into something a little deeper.

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Gary Goldstein Los Angeles Times Mar 12, 2009 2/5

The Cake Eaters is a bland ensemble drama with an unremarkable script.

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Geoff Berkshire Metromix.com Mar 12, 2009 3/5

A small movie in every way, but solidly crafted and respectably acted.

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Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Mar 12, 2009 3/4

Masterson, like many actors, is an assured director even in her debut; working with her brother Pete as cinematographer, she creates a spell and a tenderness and pushes exactly as far as this story should go.

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Rex Reed Observer Mar 11, 2009

The Cake Eaters is a small but rewarding slice of realism that is a nice antidote to the surfeit of slasher movies that have been polluting the ozone lately.

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