Waitress (2007)
Sometimes you watch a movie for its pure entertainment value; at other times you long for a film that will touch your spirit, feed your soul. The late Adrienne Shelly's Waitress fills the bill beautifully with both. Shelly wrote and directed Waitress which stars Kerry Russell of Felicity fame, Jeremy Sisto (Clueless), Nathan Fillion (Slither), Cheryl Hines, (Curb Your Enthusiasm), and the great Andy Griffith who plays Old Joe in the film. Shelly crafts a character-driven story that tells the other side of pending motherhood, but it's not the happy-go-lucky Disneyland version that Hollywood so often likes to sell to weary audiences. The heart of the film is Russell's character, Jenna Hunterson, a working girl who serves up delicious pies (they look good enough to eat through the screen) at a diner in a small Southern town. She's married to an abusive husband, Earl (Sisto), who commandeers her hard-earned money and keeps her in a controlling, smothering relationship where she has to reassure his overblown male ego. Earl is basically a mean bully. Jenna's two best girlfriends and co-workers, Dawn (Shelly) and Becky (Hines) encourage her to improve her life by opening a pie shop where she can sell her delectable pies. Jenna's pies are the real centerpiece; they serve as Jenna's alter ego in Shelly's film. From I-Don't-Want-Earl's Baby-Pie to Naughty-Pumpkin-Pie, the pies say what Jenna would love to say, if only she had the courage to tell the truth. Secretly, Jenna is saving money to leave Earl, and hopes that entering a national pie baking contest will secure her financial future so she can finally be free of Earl-the-Bum (okay, that's not in the film; I made it up). But jealous Earl won't let her enter the contest.
Her world is turned upside down when she finds out she's pregnant. She decides to keep the baby, but the interesting twist is that she's not the happy-go-lucky mother to be. She gripes about having the little bugger and her attitude in this respect mirrors the lovable curmudgeon, Old Joe, who owns the diner and several other establishments. At Jenna's first prenatal exam, she meets handsome Dr. Jim Pomatter (Fillion) who is temporarily filling in, while her regular doctor takes an early retirement. An odd, unlikely romance begins between the two which is not only dry-slapstick funny, but poignant because Jenna is able to find the love, romance, and understanding that her dead-end marriage to Earl sourly lacks. Waitress is not only a unique character study of a working girl but of working people period; people who bring us coffee, change our tires, teach our children, and prepare our meals. Ordinary people like Jenna take time out of their day to exchange pleasantries with us even if their lives are not going well. Shelly, through her careful direction in this film, honors the working men and women around the globe who have special talents and big dreams beyond their daily 9 to 5 gigs. Just like the pies in the movie, Waitress is a little gem. Kerri Russell has such a range in this movie. She fills her character with heart, humor, sadness, and strength. All of the performances are strong and have near perfect pitch. The characters feel like real people, and that's due in part to such a strong script, good direction, and able actors. The only gripe I have with this film is that I couldn't eat any of those pies!
It's so bittersweet that Mrs. Shelly didn't see her movie premiere at Sundance in 2007, which I understand was a dream of hers. The film was nominated for the Humunitas prize at Sundance and nominated for best screenplay at the 2008 Independent Spirit Awards. Waitress won the 2007 National Board Review prize for top independent film and was awarded the Jury Prize for best feature at the 2007 Sarasota Film festival. Shelly's widow, Andrew Ostroy, started a non-profit in her honor which helps women filmmakers make their cinematic visions come true. The Waitress DVD includes several interviews with Shelly's former co-stars and a film commentary with Kerri Russell and producer Michael Roiff. Watching Waitress will make you feel like you know something about the late Adrienne Shelly's spirit. She was tragically taken far too soon and had a bright future ahead. But she did leave us a great film and a consummate body of work for us to cherish and remember her by.
Thanks Adrienne.
Sometimes you watch a movie for its pure entertainment value; at other times you long for a film that will touch your spirit, feed your soul. The late Adrienne Shelly's Waitress fills the bill beautifully with both. Shelly wrote and directed Waitress which stars Kerry Russell of Felicity fame, Jeremy Sisto (Clueless), Nathan Fillion (Slither), Cheryl Hines, (Curb Your Enthusiasm), and the great Andy Griffith who plays Old Joe in the film. Shelly crafts a character-driven story that tells the other side of pending motherhood, but it's not the happy-go-lucky Disneyland version that Hollywood so often likes to sell to weary audiences. The heart of the film is Russell's character, Jenna Hunterson, a working girl who serves up delicious pies (they look good enough to eat through the screen) at a diner in a small Southern town. She's married to an abusive husband, Earl (Sisto), who commandeers her hard-earned money and keeps her in a controlling, smothering relationship where she has to reassure his overblown male ego. Earl is basically a mean bully. Jenna's two best girlfriends and co-workers, Dawn (Shelly) and Becky (Hines) encourage her to improve her life by opening a pie shop where she can sell her delectable pies. Jenna's pies are the real centerpiece; they serve as Jenna's alter ego in Shelly's film. From I-Don't-Want-Earl's Baby-Pie to Naughty-Pumpkin-Pie, the pies say what Jenna would love to say, if only she had the courage to tell the truth. Secretly, Jenna is saving money to leave Earl, and hopes that entering a national pie baking contest will secure her financial future so she can finally be free of Earl-the-Bum (okay, that's not in the film; I made it up). But jealous Earl won't let her enter the contest.
Her world is turned upside down when she finds out she's pregnant. She decides to keep the baby, but the interesting twist is that she's not the happy-go-lucky mother to be. She gripes about having the little bugger and her attitude in this respect mirrors the lovable curmudgeon, Old Joe, who owns the diner and several other establishments. At Jenna's first prenatal exam, she meets handsome Dr. Jim Pomatter (Fillion) who is temporarily filling in, while her regular doctor takes an early retirement. An odd, unlikely romance begins between the two which is not only dry-slapstick funny, but poignant because Jenna is able to find the love, romance, and understanding that her dead-end marriage to Earl sourly lacks. Waitress is not only a unique character study of a working girl but of working people period; people who bring us coffee, change our tires, teach our children, and prepare our meals. Ordinary people like Jenna take time out of their day to exchange pleasantries with us even if their lives are not going well. Shelly, through her careful direction in this film, honors the working men and women around the globe who have special talents and big dreams beyond their daily 9 to 5 gigs. Just like the pies in the movie, Waitress is a little gem. Kerri Russell has such a range in this movie. She fills her character with heart, humor, sadness, and strength. All of the performances are strong and have near perfect pitch. The characters feel like real people, and that's due in part to such a strong script, good direction, and able actors. The only gripe I have with this film is that I couldn't eat any of those pies!
It's so bittersweet that Mrs. Shelly didn't see her movie premiere at Sundance in 2007, which I understand was a dream of hers. The film was nominated for the Humunitas prize at Sundance and nominated for best screenplay at the 2008 Independent Spirit Awards. Waitress won the 2007 National Board Review prize for top independent film and was awarded the Jury Prize for best feature at the 2007 Sarasota Film festival. Shelly's widow, Andrew Ostroy, started a non-profit in her honor which helps women filmmakers make their cinematic visions come true. The Waitress DVD includes several interviews with Shelly's former co-stars and a film commentary with Kerri Russell and producer Michael Roiff. Watching Waitress will make you feel like you know something about the late Adrienne Shelly's spirit. She was tragically taken far too soon and had a bright future ahead. But she did leave us a great film and a consummate body of work for us to cherish and remember her by.
Thanks Adrienne.