Follow TV Tropes

Following

History Film / Cake2014

Go To

OR

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
crosswick

Added DiffLines:

* GriefInducedSplit: In the time since losing their son in a car accident, Claire and Jason have separated.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Per TRS, this was renamed to Sex Starts Story Stops


* SexForSolace: {{Implied}} with Claire's hook-up with Arturo, which otherwise would be a case of CoitusEnsues.

to:

* %%* SexForSolace: {{Implied}} with Claire's hook-up with Arturo, which otherwise would be a case of CoitusEnsues.Arturo.

Added: 208

Changed: 5

Removed: 214

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Merged tropes


* ChristmasCake: When Silvana meets up with some old friends from school, they just ask if her daughter has married yet. [[SkewedPriorities The fact that she's a qualified nurse goes in one ear and out the other]].



* DrivenToSuicide: Claire is tempted to many times throughout the filmkill - walking into her backyard pool in the middle of the night, jumping into her local pool while holding weights and lying down on the train tracks. [[spoiler: She ultimately doesn't go through with it]].

to:

* DrivenToSuicide: Claire is tempted to too many times throughout the filmkill film - walking into her backyard pool in the middle of the night, jumping into her local pool while holding weights and lying down on the train tracks. [[spoiler: She ultimately doesn't go through with it]].


Added DiffLines:

* OldMaid: When Silvana meets up with some old friends from school, they just ask if her daughter has married yet. [[SkewedPriorities The fact that she's a qualified nurse goes in one ear and out the other]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Shes Got Legs is not longer a trope


* FanDisservice: Jennifer Aniston with a ShesGotLegs scene? How about when it shows off scars her character has from her car accident.

to:

* FanDisservice: Jennifer Aniston with Claire showing her legs isn't played as a ShesGotLegs scene? How about when it shows off fanservice LegFocus scene due to the scars her character has she got from her car accident.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
If the character is Australian then the accent isn't unexplained.




* UnexplainedAccent: It's rare for an American film not about show business to feature an Australian character - so Sam Worthington using his natural accent is a bit surprising.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


Creator/JenniferAniston stars as Claire Bennett, a chronic pain sufferer left partially disabled after a car accident that killed her son. The film opens some time after a woman in her support group, Nina (Creator/AnnaKendrick), has committed suicide, and follows Claire's attempts to deal with both that and the grief of her accident, as well as her OddFriendship with her housekeeper Silvana (Adriana Barraza). Creator/SamWorthington, Creator/FelicityHuffman, Creator/WilliamHMacy, Creator/LucyPunch and Creator/BrittRobertson also star.

to:

Creator/JenniferAniston stars as Claire Bennett, a chronic pain sufferer left partially disabled after a car accident that killed her son. The film opens some time after a woman in her support group, Nina (Creator/AnnaKendrick), has committed suicide, and follows Claire's attempts to deal with both that and the grief of her accident, as well as her OddFriendship with her housekeeper Silvana (Adriana Barraza).(Creator/AdrianaBarraza). Creator/SamWorthington, Creator/FelicityHuffman, Creator/WilliamHMacy, Creator/LucyPunch and Creator/BrittRobertson also star.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


''Cake'' is a 2014 drama film, directed by Daniel Barnz and written by Patrick Toblin.

to:

''Cake'' is a 2014 American independent drama film, directed by Daniel Barnz and written by Patrick Toblin.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cake_poster2.jpg]]

to:

[[quoteright:300:https://static.[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cake_poster2.jpg]]



Creator/JenniferAniston stars as Claire Bennett - a chronic pain sufferer left partially disabled after a car accident that killed her son. The film opens some time after a woman in her support group, Nina (Creator/AnnaKendrick) has committed suicide, and follows Claire's attempts to deal with both that, and the grief of her accident - as well as her OddFriendship with her housekeeper Silvana (Adriana Barraza). Creator/SamWorthington, Creator/FelicityHuffman, Creator/WilliamHMacy, Creator/LucyPunch and Creator/BrittRobertson also star.

to:

Creator/JenniferAniston stars as Claire Bennett - Bennett, a chronic pain sufferer left partially disabled after a car accident that killed her son. The film opens some time after a woman in her support group, Nina (Creator/AnnaKendrick) (Creator/AnnaKendrick), has committed suicide, and follows Claire's attempts to deal with both that, that and the grief of her accident - accident, as well as her OddFriendship with her housekeeper Silvana (Adriana Barraza). Creator/SamWorthington, Creator/FelicityHuffman, Creator/WilliamHMacy, Creator/LucyPunch and Creator/BrittRobertson also star.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Dewicked per TRS


* FamousLastWords: Discussed in Claire and Nina's last 'conversation'.
--> "Your last thoughts are important. They're all you get to take with you."
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* TomHanksSyndrome: Creator/JenniferAniston is of course mainly known for sitcoms and romantic comedies. Although she already had ''Film/TheGoodGirl'' to her dramatic credits, Website/RottenTomatoes describes her "making the most of an overdue opportunity to test her dramatic chops."

to:

* TomHanksSyndrome: Creator/JenniferAniston is of course mainly known for sitcoms and romantic comedies. Although she already had ''Film/TheGoodGirl'' to her dramatic credits, Website/RottenTomatoes describes her "making the most of an overdue opportunity to test her dramatic chops."
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:


* TomHanksSyndrome: Creator/JenniferAniston is of course mainly known for sitcoms and romantic comedies. Although she already had ''Film/TheGoodGirl'' to her dramatic credits, Website/RottenTomatoes describes her "making the most of an overdue opportunity to test her dramatic chops."
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None



!!Tropes:

to:

\n!!Tropes:\n----
!!''Cake'' provides examples of:
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* PullTheIv: Claire painfully yanks the IV out of her arm, begging for "no more drugs" after having a nightmare about Nina committing suicide.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
GABA now needs two affairs, one being more sympathetic than the other


* GoodAdulteryBadAdultery: Claire and her husband are still married and amicable but definitely separated. So Claire having sex with her gardener straddles the line; Silvana doesn't approve of it but the film doesn't demonise Claire for it.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


Creator/JenniferAniston stars as Claire Bennett - a chronic pain sufferer left partially disabled after a car accident that killed her son. The film opens some time after a woman in her support group, Nina (Creator/AnnaKendrick) has committed suicide, and follows Claire's attempts to deal with both that, and the grief of her accident - as well as her OddFriendship with her housekeeper Silvana (Adriana Barraza). Creator/SamWorthington, Creator/FelicityHuffman, Creator/WilliamHMacy, Creator/LucyPunch and Britt Robertson also star.

to:

Creator/JenniferAniston stars as Claire Bennett - a chronic pain sufferer left partially disabled after a car accident that killed her son. The film opens some time after a woman in her support group, Nina (Creator/AnnaKendrick) has committed suicide, and follows Claire's attempts to deal with both that, and the grief of her accident - as well as her OddFriendship with her housekeeper Silvana (Adriana Barraza). Creator/SamWorthington, Creator/FelicityHuffman, Creator/WilliamHMacy, Creator/LucyPunch and Britt Robertson Creator/BrittRobertson also star.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* MetaCasting: The media has often loved to paint Creator/JenniferAniston as a huge Woobie with a mess of a personal life - especially when it comes to children. So it seems oddly fitting that she be chosen to play Claire.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


Creator/JenniferAniston stars as Claire Bennett - a chronic pain sufferer left partially disabled after a car accident that killed her son. The film opens some time after a woman in her support group, Nina (Creator/AnnaKendrick) has committed suicide, and follows Claire's attempts to deal with both that, and the grief of her accident - as well as her OddFriendship with her housekeeper Silvana (Adriana Barraza). Creator/SamWorthington, Felicity Huffman, William H Macy, Creator/LucyPunch and Britt Robertson also star.

to:

Creator/JenniferAniston stars as Claire Bennett - a chronic pain sufferer left partially disabled after a car accident that killed her son. The film opens some time after a woman in her support group, Nina (Creator/AnnaKendrick) has committed suicide, and follows Claire's attempts to deal with both that, and the grief of her accident - as well as her OddFriendship with her housekeeper Silvana (Adriana Barraza). Creator/SamWorthington, Felicity Huffman, William H Macy, Creator/FelicityHuffman, Creator/WilliamHMacy, Creator/LucyPunch and Britt Robertson also star.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


Creator/JenniferAniston stars as Claire Bennett - a chronic pain sufferer left partially disabled after a car accident that killed her son. The film opens some time after a woman in her support group, Nina (Creator/AnnaKendrick) has committed suicide, and follows Claire's attempts to deal with both that, and the grief of her accident - as well as her OddFriendship with her housekeeper Silvana (Adriana Barraza). Sam Worthington, Felicity Huffman, William H Macy, Creator/LucyPunch and Britt Robertson also star.

to:

Creator/JenniferAniston stars as Claire Bennett - a chronic pain sufferer left partially disabled after a car accident that killed her son. The film opens some time after a woman in her support group, Nina (Creator/AnnaKendrick) has committed suicide, and follows Claire's attempts to deal with both that, and the grief of her accident - as well as her OddFriendship with her housekeeper Silvana (Adriana Barraza). Sam Worthington, Creator/SamWorthington, Felicity Huffman, William H Macy, Creator/LucyPunch and Britt Robertson also star.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* SexAsSolace: {{Implied}} with Claire's hook-up with Arturo, which otherwise would be a case of CoitusEnsues.

to:

* SexAsSolace: SexForSolace: {{Implied}} with Claire's hook-up with Arturo, which otherwise would be a case of CoitusEnsues.

Added: 458

Changed: 132

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* AllThereInTheScript: The other women in the support group, as well as Leonard, the person whose car crash caused the whole plot.



* PosthumousCharacter: Nina is already dead when the film begins, but features prominently as a character through Claire's hallucinations.

to:

* PosthumousCharacter: Nina is already dead when the film begins, but features prominently as a character through Claire's hallucinations.the movie is largely about how Claire and Roy are dealing with her suicide. She also appears in {{Dead Person Conversation}}s.


Added DiffLines:

* SexAsSolace: {{Implied}} with Claire's hook-up with Arturo, which otherwise would be a case of CoitusEnsues.


Added DiffLines:

* SmallRoleBigImpact: Leonard only appears in one short scene, but his car crash with Claire is the cause of all her problems, and his [[TheAtoner attempt to apologize]] leads to her third-act crash into rock bottom.

Added: 1871

Changed: 77

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* AmicableExes: Jason and Claire appear to be separated (she still refers to him as her husband) and he seems to be living somewhere else post-accident.



* BeardOfSorrow: Roy sports a rather wild looking beard that suggests he hasn't shaved since Nina's death.



* BirdsOfAFeather: Claire and Roy both leave their support groups because they're grumpier and more aggressive in dealing with their grief.



* FamousLastWords: Discussed in Claire and Nina's last 'conversation'. Nina says "your last thoughts are important. They're what you take with you."

to:

* FamousLastWords: Discussed in Claire and Nina's last 'conversation'. Nina says "your
--> "Your
last thoughts are important. They're what all you get to take with you."


Added DiffLines:

* GoodAdulteryBadAdultery: Claire and her husband are still married and amicable but definitely separated. So Claire having sex with her gardener straddles the line; Silvana doesn't approve of it but the film doesn't demonise Claire for it.


Added DiffLines:

* HiddenDepths: Claire parodies this with Becky - saying "someone's taken a Shakespeare class".
* HollywoodCalifornia: The Orange County variety - with the film hitting the 'boring middle-class suburbia' points. There's also a runaway teen who's trying to get to Los Angeles to become an actress.


Added DiffLines:

* LonelyTogether: Both Roy and Claire find no comfort at their support groups and bond over losing Nina.


Added DiffLines:

* NiceToTheWaiter: Claire at times is nice to her housekeeper - though it's implied she was much nicer before the accident.


Added DiffLines:

* OddFriendship: Claire makes friends with Nina's husband - a woman she barely knew - and Roy says Nina never talked about her.
* OlderThanTheyLook: Claire is surprised when she discovers that Nina was 31 when she died. Her actress Anna Kendrick was 29 at the time.
* OneHourWorkWeek: Averted. Both Claire and Roy are on career breaks as a result of their traumas.


Added DiffLines:

* RageBreakingPoint: Silvana seeing Claire lying on the train tracks is what pushes her to snap.


Added DiffLines:

* UnexplainedAccent: It's rare for an American film not about show business to feature an Australian character - so Sam Worthington using his natural accent is a bit surprising.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* NiceGuy: Jason clearly still cares about Claire and is also suffering from the accident, as pointed out by Silvana during her rant; he also wanted to take care of Claire, but she drove him away and repeatedly treated him coldly afterwards. [[spoiler:In the end, he returns a large picture of Claire and their son, which moves a thankful Claire to tears.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* BeautyInversion: Jennifer Aniston (who would go on to be People's Most Beautiful Woman Alive the following year) gained weight, stopped wearing makeup, and generally looked dumpy for the film -- completely appropriate for a pain-stricken, grieving woman full of anger.

to:

* BeautyInversion: Jennifer Aniston (who would go on to be People's named World's Most Beautiful Woman Alive the following year) in People Magazine a couple of years later) gained weight, stopped wearing makeup, and generally looked dumpy for the film -- completely appropriate for a pain-stricken, grieving woman full of anger.

Added: 270

Changed: 127

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* BeautyInversion: Jennifer Aniston (who would go on to be People's Most Beautiful Woman Alive the following year) gained weight, stopped wearing makeup, and generally looked dumpy for the film -- completely appropriate for a pain-stricken, grieving woman full of anger.



* EstablishingCharacterMoment: The film opens in a support group after Nina has killed herself. All the other women there say heartfelt things about Nina. Claire's introduction has her describing the gory bits of the suicide in great detail.

to:

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: The film opens in a support group after Nina has killed herself. All the other women there say heartfelt things about Nina. Claire's introduction has her describing the gory bits of the suicide in great detail.detail, and she also applauds Nina for the pain her suicide caused her family, as Claire doesn't like suicide to be easy on survivors.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


Creator/JenniferAniston stars as Claire Bennett - a chronic pain sufferer left partially disabled after a car accident that killed her son. The film opens some time after a woman in her support group Nina (Creator/AnnaKendrick) has committed suicide, and follows Claire's attempts to deal with both that and the grief of her accident - as well as her OddFriendship with her housekeeper Silvana (Adriana Barraza). Sam Worthington, Felicity Huffman, William H Macy, Creator/LucyPunch and Britt Robertson also star.

to:

Creator/JenniferAniston stars as Claire Bennett - a chronic pain sufferer left partially disabled after a car accident that killed her son. The film opens some time after a woman in her support group group, Nina (Creator/AnnaKendrick) has committed suicide, and follows Claire's attempts to deal with both that that, and the grief of her accident - as well as her OddFriendship with her housekeeper Silvana (Adriana Barraza). Sam Worthington, Felicity Huffman, William H Macy, Creator/LucyPunch and Britt Robertson also star.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cake_poster2.jpg]]

''Cake'' is a 2014 drama film, directed by Daniel Barnz and written by Patrick Toblin.

Creator/JenniferAniston stars as Claire Bennett - a chronic pain sufferer left partially disabled after a car accident that killed her son. The film opens some time after a woman in her support group Nina (Creator/AnnaKendrick) has committed suicide, and follows Claire's attempts to deal with both that and the grief of her accident - as well as her OddFriendship with her housekeeper Silvana (Adriana Barraza). Sam Worthington, Felicity Huffman, William H Macy, Creator/LucyPunch and Britt Robertson also star.

Not to be confused with the [[Series/{{Cake}} TV series]], [[Music/{{Cake}} band]] or [[Webcomic/{{Cake}} webcomic]].

!!Tropes:

* {{Bathos}}:
** Silvana catching Claire trying to kill herself is played with some edge of comedy, particularly the fact that she rants in Spanish. The scene gets interrupted when they discover the car being towed.
---> '''Silvana:''' That's all we need!
** Claire goes over to Roy's house in the middle of the night just to see him again. She claims she thought he looked depressed earlier. He finds this ActuallyPrettyFunny.
* ChristmasCake: When Silvana meets up with some old friends from school, they just ask if her daughter has married yet. [[SkewedPriorities The fact that she's a qualified nurse goes in one ear and out the other]].
* DeadpanSnarker: Claire has her moments. Notably when giving a lift to a runaway teen, she says she got disabled by "my parachute failed to open and I got dropped 10,000 feet."
* DeadPersonConversation: Claire frequently imagines that she's having these with Nina.
* DrivenToSuicide: Claire is tempted to many times throughout the filmkill - walking into her backyard pool in the middle of the night, jumping into her local pool while holding weights and lying down on the train tracks. [[spoiler: She ultimately doesn't go through with it]].
* DrowningMySorrows: Claire is often seen with a glass of wine as a way of coping.
* EthnicMenialLabor: Silvana is Mexican and acts as Claire's housekeeper. Claire also appears to have a Mexican gardener.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: The film opens in a support group after Nina has killed herself. All the other women there say heartfelt things about Nina. Claire's introduction has her describing the gory bits of the suicide in great detail.
* ExtremeDoormat: Silvana puts up with a lot of grief from Claire, partially out of affection for her, but mostly due to this. Her daughter calls her as much.
* FamousLastWords: Discussed in Claire and Nina's last 'conversation'. Nina says "your last thoughts are important. They're what you take with you."
* FanDisservice: Jennifer Aniston with a ShesGotLegs scene? How about when it shows off scars her character has from her car accident.
* {{Foil}}: Nina is a clear one to Claire. Even in the first scene, her cheerful and well-loved reputation is immediately contrasted with Claire's bitterness. In the {{Dead Person Conversation}}s however, it's hinted that she was actually a StepfordSmiler. Both characters lives are defined by tragedy; Nina's suicide affects her husband and son, while the death of Claire's son heavily impacts her in the present day.
* FriendshipMoment: When some of Silvana's old friends are clearly making her feel bad, Claire stands up for her and helps her out of the restaurant.
* GoodScarsEvilScars: Claire has a small scar on her chin as a souvenir of the car accident.
* HopeSpot: Claire having Roy and Casey over for lunch shows her finally making an effort to improve her life. [[spoiler: Then the man who killed her son shows up, sending her even further off the wagon]].
* ImpliedLoveInterest: There seems to be something of a spark between Roy and Claire; though they never have sex, they do connect emotionally somewhat and have scenes that imply a romantic attraction.
* {{Irony}}:
** Claire and Silvana buy prescription drugs over the counter in Mexico. They get stopped at the border - for the laundry detergent they also bought.
** [[spoiler: Silvana finally has enough and chews Claire out when she sees her lying on the railway tracks. The irony here is that Claire has finally made a conscious effort to get better]].
* LampshadedDoubleEntendre: When Claire's physiotherapist asks her to spread her legs a little wider.
--> '''Claire:''' Shouldn't we go on a date first?
* LatinLover: Early in the film, Claire has sex with a young Latino man Arturo, who does her gardening.
* TheLostLenore: Nina naturally is this for her husband Roy.
* MaybeEverAfter: [[spoiler: Roy mentions that he's considering moving, which puts doubt on whether he and Claire will stay in touch]].
* MoodWhiplash: The pleasant, mellow scene of Claire having Roy and Casey over for lunch takes a sharp u-turn when [[spoiler: the man who killed Claire's son shows up]].
* MustMakeAmends:
** Claire buys Annette - the head of the support group - a bottle of vodka to apologise for her behaviour. She also apologises to Bonnie, her physiotherapist.
** [[spoiler: Leonard, the man driving the other car, tries to do this for the accident. It doesn't go well.]]
* NoEnding: [[spoiler: The last scene is Claire and Silvana at the graveyard, laying flowers on Nina's grave. Claire has attempted to make amends with Roy and is shown deciding to sit up on the car chair instead of lying down. While it shows she's trying to really get better, most threads aren't really resolved]].
* PosthumousCharacter: Nina is already dead when the film begins, but features prominently as a character through Claire's hallucinations.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Silvana gives Claire one after she catches one of her suicide attempts. In Spanish no less.
--> '''Silvana:''' You want to kill yourself, then kill yourself!
* SheCleansUpNicely: Downplayed. Claire has her hair done for lunch with Roy and Casey, which Roy compliments her on. It's also the only part of the movie where Jennifer Aniston wears any make-up.
* SliceOfLife: A particularly gloomy example. The film's main point is to show Claire's current life and how she's coping with her grief.
* SugarAndIcePersonality: Claire is very cold and distant to everyone. She shows little bits of affection and vulnerability to several characters once they get close to her however.
* TeensAreMonsters: Becky, the runaway teen Claire gave a lift to, steals Claire's purse after making her the cake.
----

Top