The Spitfire Grill

Winner of the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, this uplifting drama slathers it on a bit thick, but is redeemed by the heartfelt performances. Allison Elliot stars as Percy, who arrives in the close-knit Maine community of Gilead after being paroled from prison. Ellen Burstyn co-stars as Hannah, the crusty, indomitable owner of the Spitfire Grill, who hires Percy as her new waitress. Marcia Gay Harden is wonderful as a put-upon wife who finds new self-confidence in her budding friendship with the enigmatic Percy. Stirring the pot is Will Patton as Hannah's nephew, who doesn't trust Percy, especially when she organizes a contest to raffle off the Grill in a $100-per-entry essay contest. The Spitfire Grill plays like a cross between Fried Green Tomatoes and To Kill a Mockingbird. It even has its own Boo Radley, a mysterious woodsman who chops Hannah's wood at night in return for sacks of food. Recommended. (K. Lee Benson)