An effervescent young waitress illuminates the dim environs of a gritty roadside beer joint, enchanting the shy and corpulent chef. Winner of a Special Jury Recognition Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

An offbeat drama about Victor, a shy, overweight man who lives with his widowed mother and works as the cook at her tavern. Although he has been content to stay in the rural New York town he has grown up in and lead a dull life in which nothing ever seems to happen, he starts having second thoughts when a pretty young college dropout named Callie (Liv Tyler) enters his life. Callie takes a job as a waitress at the tavern and she opens Victor's eyes up to the world outside. Before long, he starts trying to lose weight and even considers signing up to study at the nearby chef's academy.

An Available Light production.

Winner of the grand jury prize for best direction at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival.

Released theatrically in the USA June 5, 1996.

Color by DuArt.

Additional credits: Trish Hofmann (production manager), Priscilla Guastavino, Scott Ambrozy, Ashley Johnson (assistant directors), Tracy Warbin (make-up/hair), Mary Ramos & Michelle Kuznetsky (music supervisors), Jim Villone (music editor), and David Alvarez (production sound mixer).

Rated BBFC 15 by the British Board of Film Classification.

DVD Features:

Region 1
Keep Case
Special Edition
Letterbox - 1.78
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary: by Mangold
Trailers: Theatrical Trailer

Liv Tyler: Actress, model, THE STRANGERS, THE INCREDIBLE HULK (2008)
Pruitt Taylor Vince: Supporting Actor
Shelley Winters: Oscar winning actress, THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (1959)
Deborah Harry: Of "Blondie" fame
Joe Grifasi: Supporting Actor
Evan Dando: Singer/leader of the Lemonheads
David Patrick Kelly: Star, began in late '70s, Jerry Horne of TV's Twin Peaks

James Mangold: Director/ Screenwriter - OLIVER & COMPANY, GIRL INTERRUPTED

"...Director James Mangold's tender, touching film sneaks up on you in ways that are quietly devastating..."
"...James Mangold's film moves with quietly atmospheric authority..."
"...A modern-day MARTY, a kitchen-sink drama that doesn't condescend....Vince is touchingly vulnerable..." -- Rating: B+
"...A decent level of cinematic intelligence....HEAVY is a quietly affecting portrait of desperation....Deborah Harry gives an outstanding performance..."
"...Touchingly attentive....[Mangold endows] each relationship in the picture with its own individual warmth and tension..."