‘Waitress’ holds a special place in my heart right off the bat because after the screening we, in spirit of the film, were served pie.
I love pie.
What does this have to do with the price of tea in China? I shall reveal all.
‘Waitress’ is about Jenna (Keri Russell), a waitress and pie baker in a small-town pie café (everything on the menu is a pie or in pie form). As the story opens she discovers she’s pregnant just as she’s making her final preparations to finally leave her abusive husband Earl (Jeremy Sisto).
Her two friends Becky (Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Cheryl Hines) and Dawn (writer/director Adrienne Shelly) have man problems of their own, or in the case of Dawn lack of man problems.
To make matters even more complicated Jenna begins an affair with her OB/GYN (Nathan Fillion). Through a series of letters written to the unborn child and newly invented theme pies, Jenna tries to plan how to unfetter herself and escape this life she detests.
In doing so, she discovers the importance of letting go, trusting yourself, and starting again.
The heart of this movie is Jenna, played so well by Keri Russell. As I was watching this I was struck by the similarities to the character Jennifer Aniston played in ‘The Good Girl’ (2002).
The central players are commonplace: the abused wife, her malicious and jealous husband, a young wife cheating on her invalid older husband, the lonely unmarried friend. But what Shelly did in writing Jenna and the other characters was take out all judgments that would be made against these people and their actions. It’s so tangibly rooted in reality but flavored with a stylized southern humor and charm that works surprisingly well, though got off to a clunky start.
Another very strong theme in this film is the power and comradeship between women.
Through it all: the affairs, the loves lost and found, the dangers, these three women support each other unwaveringly and just “handle things”. It’s the men in this movie who are ultimately lonely, right down to the final shot of Dr. Pomatter (played irresistibly by Fillion) who is left standing solitary, out of focus in a the background of a long shot as our three heroines move forward into the future.
Another lonely man trying to warm himself just ever so slightly in the warmth of the women’s bond is veteran actor Andy Griffith as the town’s crusty miser Joe. In the twilight of his life Joe connects with Jenna and offers her sage advice based on a lifetime of mistakes and misadventures and a helping hand. Producer Michael Roiff talked about how the part was written with Griffith in mind and the opportunity to have the actor actually play the role was nothing short of incredible.
I’ll state unequivocally that this is a chick flick. But it’s a chick flick with an edge. A lot of the edge is due to the powerful performance from Jeremy Sisto. Earl easily could have been a cookie-cutter bad guy but subtle layers of insecurity and fear often surface and you understand him as the person and as the monster. There is one scene in particular, a pivotal moment for Jenna, when Earl has discovered her deceit and reacts in a completely unexpected but truly human way.
There are some that criticize the buzz generated at Sundance as simply being a residual effect of the film’s history. The question is: would the film have stood on its own as potentially this year’s Little Miss Sunshine if not for the fate of its director?
I would argue that based on the performances of the cast and the quality of the writing that yes, on its own this movie would have garnered attention. And that’s not the pie taking.
Limited release May 2, USA. MPAA: Rated: PG-13 for sexual content, language and thematic elements.
Your Talkback on this Story