The movie doesn’t stand in judgment of its characters, which will probably disappoint audiences who think it ought to, but its breezy tone and ultimately affirming message should please comedy fans with an appreciation for the offbeat.
Waitress (2007)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:160
Fresh:142
Rotten:18
Average Rating:7.3/10
Consensus: Sweet, smart, and quirky, Waitress hits the right, bittersweet notes through this romantic comedy through its witty script and a superb performance by Keri Russell.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for language, drug use and some sexual content
Runtime: 1 hr 48 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:May 2, 2007 Limited
Box Office: $18,699,775
Synopsis: An audience hit at the Sundance Film Festival, WAITRESS serves up a sweet, sassy and delicious slice of life tale -- as it reveals the power of friendship, motherhood and the willingness to take a... An audience hit at the Sundance Film Festival, WAITRESS serves up a sweet, sassy and delicious slice of life tale -- as it reveals the power of friendship, motherhood and the willingness to take a chance. It's the story of a small town woman who transforms her hopeless life into a hilarious and unexpected love story. This vibrantly different romantic comedy is the final film from writer-director Adrienne Shelly. Starring in the title role, Keri Russell (MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 3, THE UPSIDE OF ANGER) leads a dynamic cast as a diner waitress stuck in a lousy marriage whose only solace is baking out-of-this-world pies. When the awkwardly charming new OB-GYN, Dr. Pomatter (Nathan Fillion, SERINITY), comes to town, she's inspired to mix-master her life into something far more satisfying. WAITRESS will surely do for pie making what SIDEWAYS did for Pinot Noir. As a favorite waitress at Joe's Diner, Jenna (Russell) is also a "pie genius," naming her tantalizing confections after the tumultuous events and emotions of her daily life. She's hoping that one of her pastries, like her "Kick In The Pants" Pie, might even change her life – if she can just win that $25,000 pie contest. But when Jenna discovers that she's pregnant, she immediately bakes an "I Don't Want Earl's Baby" Pie – a quiche of egg and cheese with a smoked ham center. After all, her husband Earl (Jeremy Sisto, THIRTEEN, SIX FEET UNDER) is a jealous jerk that is essentially a child himself and the last thing they need to do is start a family together. But the pregnancy eventually changes the course of events in her life, giving her an unexpected and newfound confidence via letters to her unborn baby. WAITRESS also stars Emmy® nominee Cheryl Hines ("Curb Your Enthusiasm," RV) and Adrienne Shelly (THE UNBELIEVABLE TRUTH, TRUST) as Jenna's quick-tongued fellow waitresses along with classic television star Andy Griffith ("The Andy Griffith Show," "Matlock") as the curmudgeonly Old Joe of Joe's Diner. Fox Searchlight presents a Night and Day production of WAITRESS, written and directed by Adrienne Shelly. The producer is Michael Roiff and the executive producers are Todd King, Jeff Rose, Danielle Renfrew and Robert Bauer. The behind-the-scenes talent includes director of photography Matthew Irving (WAITING, DALTRY CALHOUN, NORTHFORK), production designer Ramsay Avery (TEAM AMERICA), editor Annette Davey (SORRY, HATERS) and composer Andrew Hollander (GRAY MATTERS). --© Fox Searchlight Pictures [More]
Starring: Keri Russell, Jeremy Sisto, Cheryl Hines, Nathan Fillion
Starring: Keri Russell, Jeremy Sisto, Cheryl Hines, Nathan Fillion, Andy Griffith, Eddie Jemison
Director: Adrienne Shelly
Director: Adrienne Shelly
Screenwriter: Adrienne Shelly
Producer: Michael Roiff
Composer: Andrew Hollander
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
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Reviews for Waitress
A light and airy confection, only a bit too sweet and with a few ingredients missing.
Somewhere between the forced Southern quirkiness and the icky obstetrician-patient romance, this touches on something interesting about a woman's misgivings during pregnancy.
While the luminous Russell finds Jenna's heartaches and unexpressed sorrows, she also taps into her humor and warmth, particularly in her scenes with the thoroughly ingratiating Fillion...
has a fun, whimsical side to it (and lots of scrumptious looking pies), but also tackles some heartbreaking issues along the way
Full of verve, warmth, and a genuine love of life, and it is a fitting eulogy to a life cut short.
... a tartly enjoyable slice of romantic comedy served up with a dramatic bite.
A gentle film that never strains for laughs but that gets plenty of them.
Waitress shows Shelly, just 40 when she was killed, to be a filmmaker of poise and promise. It's tragic that promise was never realized beyond this sweet, if slight, project -- but still a decent tribute to Shelly's multifaceted abilities.
Written and directed by the late Adrienne Shelly, it's a scrumptious romantic comedy, a mostly adorable movie from a witty and winning movie talent whom we lost all too soon.
The film isn't averse to reaching for Hollywood fantasies, but there's a lot of what seems to be hard-earned wisdom here about women in bad marriages.
Among the joys here are the supporting players, each with well-defined stories and quirky personalities.
The ending is a bigger cheat than a diner charging for coffee refills.
The ending is both realistic and happy -- and I do mean happy, as in, make-you-cry, exit-the-theater-skipping-and-dancing, that kind of happy.
Boasts a distinctive style and tone, but the style is arch and quaint, and the tone too insistently quirky.
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| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 86% 86% | A Christmas Tale |
| 60% 60% | Paper Heart |
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