Patti Cake$

       An Indie underdog story of a young girl in New Jersey with big dreams. Patti is a plus size white girl who aspires to make it big in the world of Rap. She lives at home with an alcoholic mother, whose own dreams were crushed once she got pregnant, and her loving "Nana", who is in failing health.

       Patti is played by Danielle MacDonald and she is just sensational. She is a big girl with a big personality and plenty of talent. You can't help but root for her. Her mother, Barb, is played by Bridget Everett, a regular on the downtown NY performance scene. Ms. Everett is also terrific and gets to showcase her own singing. "Nana" is played by Cathy Moriarty and she is, as is said, a hoot. The film also co-stars Siddharth Dhananjay as Patti's best friend Jheri and Mamoudou Athie as "Basterd", a mysterious outcast Patti befriends.

       Written and directed by Geremy Jasper, the film recalls "8 Mile" with a little "Rocky" thrown in the mix. The underdog story is a cliche but the film has enough originality and winning performances to overlook any flaws. While Mr. Jasper could have shown a little more restraint in the editing room, the film is a winner, anchored by a star turn performance by Ms. MacDonald.