Waitress

If you are looking for something completely different from your summer movie going experience, it does not get much better or more different than this little gem of a movie. There is heart, drama, comedy, pie and Andy Griffith- what more could you possibly need? First off though, I have to talk about the writer/director/co-star, Adrienne Shelly because it is a tragic story. Months before this movie came out she was murdered in her apartment and knowing that made my movie going experience a bit bittersweet. However, she did write a fantastic movie and finding out it was her actual daughter at the end of the movie made the whole thing that much more tragic.


Jenna(Keri Russell) is a waitress and baker of pies living in a tiny town and she hates her life. She believes she is destined for more but her absolute jerk of a husband, Earl(Jeremy Sisto), keeps her down by taking her money, hitting her and constantly putting her down. Things get even more complicated when she finds out she is pregnant. This happened on a night when Earl got her incredibly drunk (the only way she'd sleep with him). The biggest problem is that Jenna wants nothing to do with the child. She is not excited and does not want to be congratulated, yet she refuses to even consider an abortion, she just doesn't plan on loving the child inside her. Dr. Pometter(Nathan Fillion) is the new doctor in town and right off the bat we can see the sparks flying between the two of them. Eventually this leads to a torrid affair that starts with pure sex and ends in an incredibly warm, touching and loving friendship. This is the heart of the film. The relationship between Dr. Pometter and Jenna moves the film along in some vortex of whimsical movie love and it is a joy for us to see Jenna finally smile because we have fallen in love with her and now we get to see what it is like for her to be happy. Sadly, the Doctor is married as well, so in reality we are watching a double affair happen and when you think about it in that term, it sucks, but that is life and this movie is pretty grounded in life.


Along for this wild ride are Jenna's two waitress friends (Shelly and Cheryl Hines) and they offer some laughs, some sympathy and some inject more of that heart that keeps this film pumping. Andy Griffith shows up as the owner of the diner and the first person who finds out about the pregnancy and the affair. He comes along to drop little gems of wisdom and a few dirty comments that just seem even dirtier coming from him. Everything about this movie works- the acting, dialogue, music, camera angles and the story. We cringe and groan every time we hear Earl driving up (he always honks like 7 times) and it takes us completely away from the joyous moments we witness and it is perfect. The uses of music mixed with swooping circular camera shots really punctuate a moment of sweetness or joy. Russell is absolutely flawless with her sparkling blue eyes and incredible subtle performance. Fillion makes the change from action star to warm romantic comedian seem easy as the somewhat bumbling doctor and all the supporting characters really help keep this film moving. I don't want to ruin the end of this movie, but it is satisfactory in a way a lot of movies aren't and gives the great woman's touch on the story.