Mayor Cupcake (2011)

To me, this movie is perfection.

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

IMDb doesn't call this a "TV movie", but it plays like one and doesn't seem to have had a theatrical run. Lea Thompson stars in it as the cupcake-making housewife who unexpectedly becomes mayor, and she also was the producer. My wife and I enjoyed it, basically a family movie and featuring Lea and her two daughters.I have been a Lea Thompson fan since the release of "Back to the Future" all those years ago. Now in her 50s she has aged very well and looks great. Hetre she is Mary Maroni who bakes cupcakes for sale in the local restaurant in this small Delaware community. Everyone likes Mary, and her husband, Judd Nelson as Donald Maroni , is on the town police force.One day for a school Civics project, one daughter gets the idea of putting her mom on the ballot for the upcoming Mayor's election. Mary doesn't take it very seriously, at first, but when she actually becomes mayor and finds out how poorly the previous administration managed the town's business, she sets out to get things straight.Her two daughters in the movie are her two daughters in real life, Zoey Deutch as Lana Maroni and Madelyn Deutch as Anita Maroni .SPOILERS: When the ballots are counted the corrupt incumbent mayor easily is re-elected. But as he nervously anticipates the results, eating cupcakes too fast, he chokes and ultimately dies. So by quirk of the rules, he cannot be declared mayor and the second place candidate, Mary Maroni, is declared mayor. She finds that the former mayor and his cronies were stealing from the town's resources, once she put a stop to that and cut expenses, with the help of some of the good townspeople, the town returned to solvency.

I was looking for a feel-good, light comedy with family and community values. This was perfect. I might have given it a 6 or 7 because it's not the greatest movie in existence that must be watched by one and all. However, I have a huge soft spot for cupcakes. Honestly. Such a cute word and one of my favorite desserts. That brought it up a star. Then when I saw that it took place in (and was filmed in) my home state, well state pride boosted it up to 9 stars. Punkin' Chunkin'--yeah baby!! I am so glad that made it into the movie. And my biggest laugh was at the end with one of Bart's signs. Only Delawareans will get just how hilarious that is--thank you for including it!By the way, a previous review mentioned typical mid-west town. I could see that, but knowing this is my home I do have to speak out and say it's an east coast town. Right next to the Shore (as the sign by town hall saying "Beaches" would indicate).

Mayor Cupcake is the tale of a baker who, through a series of unexpected and unwelcome events, becomes mayor of a small town.The film has a couple of surprises. Leah Thompson is in the title role and works wonderfully as the quintessential girl next door, but that's no surprise, she's always been the all-American girl. One of the surprises is that both of her own real-life daughters are in this film as her own daughters. Another surprise is that Judd Nelson (Suddenly Susan, Breakfast Club) plays her policeman husband. The twist in this surprise is that one of their daughters is in a band that, at one part of the movie is playing and updated version of "Don't you forget about Me" (from the Breakfast Club!)From a story telling perspective, as another reviewer suggests the movie works as a rather loose parable for contemporary politics; specifically in regards to Sarah Palin (who as a small town mayor and then as governor proved adept at taking on corrupt politicians and good ol' boy networks) and her Fox News pal Greta Van Susterin who make a cameo (as herself) in this movie. There are a couple of other minor surprise but I won't spoil those.The movie was enjoyable as Leah Thompson is always fun to watch (and quite honestly would be a great choice to play Sarah Palin in a bio-pic) and the movie serves as an inspiration and a warning to fight the good fight but beware of the (personal) costs. That said, just sit back and enjoy!

Mayor Cupcake stars Lea Thompson as a baker who through an electoral default ends up as the mayor a small mid-west town and sets about putting it to rights.The film is enjoyable at face value, but the parallels to contemporary national politics are a little too blatant, so rather than an allegory it becomes a parable.If you can just enjoy the film for what it is then it is fun and cute and has good performances.A pretty film and one that works well if the small town values ring true with you - we find it a little off-balance to be deeply enjoyable, but all in all, a nice film.