Cancer-movie formula gets a well-acted new entry with Sitting in Bars with Cake

I can’t say Sitting in Bars with Cake, an Amazon original movie, was at the top of my list to watch as a way to spend Friday night. Movies about people who get cancer can obviously be very tough to watch. But they are also important to digest, especially since so many of us can relate and it can be helpful to watch how others process and handle our loved ones dealing with cancer.

All cancer stories are unique, and this one is no exception. It’s uplifting because the work and fun two girls in their 20s who have been friends since they were little amounts to something by the end. Yari Shahidi, formerly of Black-ish, is Jane, who can make beautiful cakes. Odessa A’Zion plays her best friend Corinne, who is outgoing and gets diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer halfway through their quest to take 50 different cakes to 50 different bars as a way to find the quieter Jane a boyfriend.

That diagnosis changes the plan, but maybe not entirely. A’Zion is a daughter of Pamela Adlon of Better Things and is a star in the making. For one, she’ll be in the next season of American Horror Story. Also making this movie, which is based on a true story, more compelling for me is the supporting cast, played particularly well by Bette Midler, Ron Livingstone of Office Space, and Martha Kelly of Baskets.

3.5 out of 5 stars