Piece of Cake: Masterson Gets Behind the Camera

Mary Stuart Masterson on the set of The Cake Eaters, premiering at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival (Photos: The 7th Floor/57th and Irving)

Really, for Mary Stuart Masterson, it came out of nowhere. Not that she didn't want it; the veteran actress had her own scripts circulating in Hollywood in various stages of development -- as many as three, by her own count. In 2001, she had adapted and directed a half-hour segment for a Showtime sci-fi anthology (the other directors: Helen Mirren and Anne Heche). It was fun, but it didn't feel right, as though the writer and director in her were battling it out. There was more searching, more waiting, more roles -- a few indies, a lot of TV.

Then came the script. It arrived with financing and a funny name: The Cake Eaters. Very indie, kind of quirky. Sincere. Humane. Masterson had a read-through and that settled it.

She was directing.

Less than two years later, Masterson is preparing The Cake Eaters -- and herself -- for the film's world premiere this weekend in Tribeca. The story of two families and three generations facing emotional new challenges in the wake of a mother's death, a girl's illness and a lost brother's return, The Cake Eaters appealed to Masterson for what she calls "a beating heart and a kind of innocence" -- neither of which were traits she attributed to the contemporary independent film climate in general, but both of which she said she sought to emphasize onscreen and on-set.

Visit The Reeler's main feature page to continue reading Piece of Cake...

Posted at April 25, 2007 2:12 AM