Waitress (Widescreen Edition)good

Customer Rating :

List Price : $14.98 Price : $3.66

Description

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 who serves up "a hilarious and heartfelt performance" (Rolling Stone).

Amazon.com

Much like the films of Hal Hartley, Waitress is funny in a deadpan sort of way, but a sadness lurks below the surface. After making a splash in Hartley's The Unbelievable Truth and Trust, Adrienne Shelly turned to directing with Sudden Manhattan and I'll Take You There. Set in a small Southern town, her third picture revolves around waitress Jenna (Felicity's radiant Keri Russell), who works at Joe's Pie Diner (Joe is played by Andy Griffith). Jenna is the pastry genius who makes Joe's joint shine. Her co-workers include the forthright Becky (Cheryl Hines, Curb Your Enthusiasm) and insecure Dawn (Shelly). All three have man trouble, but Jenna has it the worst. Her husband, Earl (Jeremy Sisto, Six Feet Under), treats her like a piece of property. When she finds out she's pregnant, Jenna fears she'll be stuck with him forever. Then, she develops a crush on her married obstetrician, Dr. Pomatter (Nathan Fillion, Serenity). With the aid of her fanciful confections, like peachy keen tarts, their flirtation develops into a full-blown affair. It appears to be a no-win situation, but Shelly finds an empowering way to bring this bittersweet story to a close. If the candy-colored conclusion plays more like fantasy than reality, it's a fantasy worth embracing. Sadly, Shelly was murdered before Waitress ever saw the light of day (leaving behind a husband and child of her own). Fortunately, her final film is far more life-affirming than morose, although it does end with the word "goodbye." --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Beyond Waitress

Food Films

More from Adrienne Shelly

More from Fox

Stills from Waitress

Waitress (Widescreen Edition) Reviews

Waitress (Widescreen Edition) Reviews

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review

 ( 201 customer reviews)

201 Reviews

5 star:		(86)
4 star:		(65)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(21)

65 of 69 people found the following review helpful Heartfelt and Artistic, June 3, 2007 By  Ron "true faith" (Berkeley, CA USA) - See all my reviews "Waitress" is one of the best films I have had the privelege to see so far this year. It is right up there with "Namesake." I loved everything about this movie: the directing, acting, writing. Let's start with the directing. Just as Scorsese did in "After Hours" and Truffaut did in "The 400 Blows," Shelly showed her heartfelt and artistic vision in "Waitress." There's one particular scene sequence that comes to mind that exemplifies this vision. It happens right after Jenna made love to Dr. Pomatter. There's a silly afterglow on her face. You see it when she's carrying trays in the restaurant. You see it when she's making pies. And you especially see it when she's sitting on a bench, waiting for the bus. That look on her face and the way the film was cut with those quick scenes left a profound impact on the viewer. You knew you were in a moment of brilliance. You can just feel how happy and liberated Jenna felt at that moment in the movie. Now let's talk about the... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you?  Report abuse | Permalink   Comments (4) 44 of 49 people found the following review helpful Dropped Into the Pie Shop Universe, June 9, 2007 By  Lee Armstrong (Winterville, NC United States) - See all my reviews             While "Waitress" is not flashy, it puts a smile on your face. Kerri Russell will probably forever be tagged as TV's Felicity - Senior Year Collection (The Complete Fourth Season). As Jenna, she turns in a comic & varied performance that bounces between joy & despair, submissiveness & assertiveness. Under director Adreienne Shelly's deft touch, the film handles the subject of domestic abuse with sensitivity and caring. Jeremy Sisto who will probably be remembered for his appearances on TV's Six Feet Under - The Complete Third Season plays Jenna's controlling husband Earl. I kept flashing on the Dixie Chicks' song, but it was never used in the film that has a great musical... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you?  Report abuse | Permalink   Comment 41 of 47 people found the following review helpful Pie, May 27, 2007 By  MICHAEL ACUNA (Southern California United States) - See all my reviews       Towards the end of Adrienne Shelley's poignant "Waitress" there is a scene involving a very pregnant Jenna ( a luminous Kari Russell) and Dr. Pomatter (Nathan Fillion) in which, as described by Jenna in voice-over, Pomatter embraces Jenna for 20 minutes with warmth, caring and empathy and more importantly for Jenna without a hint of lust. It's the kind of embrace that an intimate friend would give you: an embrace of platonic love, an embrace of understanding and commiseration. It is also an embrace which pretty much encapsulates all that is good and real about "Waitress": a film that is ultimately about hope and love and the redemptive properties of Pie. Though often bordering on the sitcomishness of "Alice," Adrienne Shelley's ("Trust") "Waitress" manages for the most part to get at the heart of its concerns with humor and a good hearted wistfulness that never turns sour or maudlin: terms that can also be applied to Kari Russell's career making performance as Jenna... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you?  Report abuse | Permalink   Comments (7)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

›  See all 201 customer reviews...