Rating: PG-13
Starring:
Keri Russell as Jenna
Nathan Fillion as Dr. Pomatter
Cheryl Hines as Becky
Jeremy Sisto as Earl
Andy Griffith as Old Joe
Adrienne Shelly as Dawn
Eddie Jemison as Ogie
Lew Temple as Cal
Darby Stanchfield as Francine Pomatter
Heidi Sulzman as Exhausted Mother
Lauri Johnson as Nurse Norma
Sarah Hunley as Dr. Lily Mueller
Special Features:
This Is How We Made Waitress Pie Featurette
Commentary with Producer Michael Roiff and Actor Keri Russell
Written And Directed By Adrienne Shelly: A Memorial Featurette
“Hi! I’m Keri, I’ll Be Your Waitress” Featurette
The Pies Have It! Featurette
Fox Movie Channel Presents In Character With Keri Russell, Cheryl Hines, Nathan Fillion
Other Info:
Widescreen (1.85:1)
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Spanish Language
Spanish and French Subtitles
Running Time: 108 Minutes
Synopsis:
The following is from the official synopsis of the film:
“Don’t miss writer-director Adrienne Shelly’s sweet, sassy comedy about the power of friendship, motherhood and second chances, starring the radiant Keri Russell. Jenna (Russell), a small-town waitress with big dreams, has an uncanny gift for baking out-of-this-world pies. Her secret ambition is to win a $25,000 contest, so she can leave her obnoxious husband, open her own pie shop and transform her life. A chance meeting with a handsome newcomer to town just might supply the right ingredients to help Jenna find true happiness.”
“Waitress” is rated PG-13 for sexual content, language and thematic elements.
The Movie:
I was hoping I’d enjoy “Waitress.” I love the cast of this film. I’m a fan of Nathan Fillion from “Serenity” and I like Keri Russell and Andy Griffith. Unfortunately, I don’t fall in the target audience for this movie. This is most definitely a ‘chick flick’ and if you don’t enjoy them, you have no hope of enjoying “Waitress.”
I guess my big problem with this movie is that I didn’t like any of the characters. Half of them, including our heroine, are having affairs. The other half has character traits that make them unbearable. Keri Russell as Jenna also annoyed me. I don’t think the story ever really established how she could end up with an abusive moron like Earl. The movie didn’t help matters much in its portrayal of Earl. In the first half of the movie it’s hard to understand what’s so bad about Earl. He’s loud and obnoxious, but you don’t see why Jenna hates him. But things take a dramatic turn as he becomes physically abusive and completely mental. By then you wonder why Jenna hasn’t left him sooner (or what she saw in him to begin with). Overall you want to slap around every character in this movie.
I’d really only recommend “Waitress” to fans of chick flicks and anyone that’s a fan of Keri Russell. Everyone else will probably be bored with this movie.
There’s a generous offering of bonus features on this DVD. You find your usual commentary and ‘making of’ featurette. There’s also a feature focusing on Russell and her character as well as the myriad of pies shown in the movie. But most notable is “Written And Directed By Adrienne Shelly: A Memorial Featurette”. In case you didn’t know, writer/director/actress Shelly was tragically murdered before this film was released. This featurette is a touching tribute to her by the cast and crew.
