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Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek
(from Newport Beach Film Festival 2007)

Writer/Director: Adrienne Shelley
Starring: Keri Russell, Cheryl Hines, Adrienne Shelley, Nathan Fillion, Andy Griffith and Jeremy Sisto

From the very outset, all the right ingredients are poured together, mixing weird names, sisterly support, one-liners and Andy Griffith to fill a film with warmth and subtleties that make this movie transcend its chick-flick pedigree into a picture of pure enjoyment for everyone. Waitress is one of the most entertaining and certainly one of the most genuine flicks of the year. That writer/director Adrienne Shelley passed away just before the Sundance 2007 premiere marks the film with a hint of sobriety for what seems to be the moment a filmmaker found her voice.

Jenna (Keri Russell) serves up a perfect slice of Southern charm in one of the year’s best performances, holding the lens with a loveliness that will surely establish her as a go-to gal for future indie fare. Cheryl Hines and Adrienne Shelly as Russell’s asymmetrically boobed and “pasty pasty” skinned bathroom buddies are equal parts entertaining and adorable, and Andy Griffith as the gruff-yet-lovable pie-shop owner is a scene-stealer of surprising proportions.

Shot with a soft glow appropriate for a woman with child, the film’s humor and hope are well balanced by Jeremy Sisto’s sinister Earl, a villain at turns so annoying, dangerous and weirdly understandable as to have audience members cuss at him out loud during screenings. Nathan Fillion, as the competent and socially askew Ob/Gyn with whom Jenna has her affair, provides further proof that men are fools for pretty women. 

Since its opening, Waitress continues to woo audiences whether or not they’re prepared to be taken in. It’s the type of film you want to share with others, and second helpings provide just desserts.

Images © 2007 National Film Board of Canada.