Mayor Cupcake (2011)

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

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 saw this on late night pay cable a couple of days ago...This is a 100% Propaganda offering for the Sarah Palin camp. Regardless of the yellowed newspaper clipping photo at the end of the movie might suggest otherwise.. Yeow!What I mean by this is.. Mayor Cupcake is Propaganda and should be described as such. It is NOT a movie.. nor a "True Story" or ??? To entertain the idea that "Mayor Cupcake" is a commercial movie is to make a grave mistake!The Icing on this cupcake is the "Fox News" stamp of approval (which of course makes this movie a TRUE story!) Greta Van Susteren makes an appearance gushing all over this "Cupcake Mayor"! (was Greta even alive when the real Ms Mayor was around?) I about fell out of my chair when "Greta" called at the end of the movie. As if to say.. "Do you want to run for Vice President Sarah Palin?"Sure there are technical differences between the real Mayor and Vice President Conservative wannabie Palin. Sarah has 4 kids (3 girls and a boy).. We really have no idea what the real Mayor Cupcake was all about. And I haven't been able to find much on the real Mayor of this town on the Internet. (not a big surprise) If this person was such a big inspiration... Where is the best selling book?If this really was an independent story about a "Different" soccer - cupcake mom?? Why is Lea Thompson made up to look exactly like Palin?>>Spoilers<<The "Evil" that you find in this story is what the viewers subconscious will do with the information after the movie. (Transposition)Here is this good hearted business woman who just happens to get elected because the fat ugly bad guy dies. Dies before the election could be certified.Offered the choice.. She (along with permission from her cop husband) accept the job. Didn't Hilary Clinton consult Bill on all of her career choices? (LOL) What is implied here is that every Tea Party Wife would defer to the Man. To do otherwise would be unthinkable. Ms Cupcake is respected and loved by everyone except the Baddies. Which includes a character who looks JUST LIKE Snidely Whiplash. Black mustache and everything. I might have missed him chuckling and twirling his mustache while cooking up his evil plans.. Did I say he was having an affair with the ExMayor's mean - LARGE daughter? Like something out of a story book for kids. Along with these "Rocky & Bullwinkle" protagonists.. She finds that her whole town has been totally mismanaged. Her solution? Move the Mayor's office to a section of her Cupcake shop. Put her (token) African American heart of gold restaurant manager in charge of the city's books. Defer to the wise old African American townie lawyer. (Personally I have never in my life met such a person.. maybe I should get out more??)One of the strong messages that the viewer will take from this movie is how Mayor Cupcake solves the community's problems? Incredible but true.. they actually work! (They work because movies are not reality!)Of course.. At the end of the movie everything works out and is set right! (Moms are always right!)This kind of "Gut" simpleton problem solving reminds me of how the tea party looks at the world. Lets not forget GW Bush's "Gut" problem solving that has bankrupted America. ..sigh.. All of this information will be tucked away into the viewers subconscious.. And will color how they view Sarah Palin in the future. I gave this a rating of 10 because it's a wonderful example of Propaganda. It would be a good movie to deconstruct for a College media class.

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!