Happy Anniversary, Mystic Pizza!

Mystic Pizza - the movie - celebrated its 20th anniversary here in the town that made it possible. Tricia Cunningham, an occasional WBMW morning co-host, and the rest of the folks at the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce put together a birthday celebration this past Friday at the Mystic Hilton. We were there for a live broadcast and, of course, the pizza! Director Donald Petrie and actor William R. Moses (the one being mobbed by the women) were on hand. A special screening of the film was held afterward at the Mystic Village Cinema for this "romantic comedy with the works." This modest $3 million film is best known nationally as the breakthrough for Julia Roberts. A lot of local people have plenty of memories of the making of Mystic Pizza. Our own afternoon driver Jody was a script runner and I hear she has "some stories" about the making of the movie. The movie also was the start of the trend toward more movies being made in Connecticut and helped propel Mystic to the forefront as a tourist destination. It was certainly a birthday well worth observing. Yes, the pizza served was from Mystic Pizza!