Waitress (2007)
This semi-feminist romp through a Southern pie shop met a tragic end in reality when the film’s writer-director-co-star, Adrienne Shelly, was killed just as it was being released. This sad truth is hard to bear when watching her fun and light comedy about a woman searching for her independence despite the lure of the men around her. This would have been a hige breakthrough for the indy mainstay, but instead it is her legacy.
Onto the film itself. It follows Jenna (Keri Russell), a pie waitress who invents a new pie everyday based on her own experiences. Each pie represents the emotional turmoil of her life as she copes with an annoying husband (Jeremy Sisto), a cranky customer (Andy Griffith), her friends (Cheryl Hines and Shelly herself) and a new love interest, her OBGYN (Nathan Fillion). Russell leaves Felicity behind once and for all and prepares to become a movie star in her own right with this star-making turn. She is delightful to watch and though her accent falters on occasion, we eagerly follow her exploits because she is so likeable. Russell could be the next big movie star, if those things still exist.
The main fault I have with the film is the soundtrack. The songs used are fairly generic and predictable and draw away from how special the screenplay is. Less famous songs should have been used, or no music at all because at times the film seems too much like a montage or music video rather than a cohesive film.
I loved the performances, Shelly is a great comic actress, the writing, loved the way the film ended as it brings out the independent spirit in me. Though some might see it as an awkward finish, I understand what Shelly is trying to say about the need for female interdependence.
A sweet treat.
Grade: B
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