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Lew Temple, Keri Russell and Cheryl Hines in 'Waitress'

Movie Info

RATING:

PG-13 for sexual content, language and thematic elements.

GENRE:

Comedy

RELEASE:

May 2, 2007

STARRING:

Keri Russell, Jeremy Sisto, Cheryl Hines, Nathan Fillion, Andy Griffith

DIRECTOR/WRITER:

Adrienne Shelly

DISTRIBUTOR:

Fox Searchlight Pictures

 

Please Note

In providing movie reviews on our site, CBN.com is not endorsing or recommending films we review. Our goal is to provide Christians with information about the latest movies, both the good and the bad, so that our readers may make an informed decision as to whether or not films are appropriate for them and their families.

MOVIE REVIEW

Waitress

Movieguide Magazine

CBN.com - Richly written and directed by the late Adrienne Shelly with bittersweet images and comedic overtones, Waitress is the story of a young woman (played by Keri Russell) in a bad marriage. What she does have going for her is good friends and a fantastic gift for creating pies.

Jenna works as a waitress in a diner who serves pies morning, noon and night. Her uncanny knack for creating such delights keeps her sad life from getting the best of her. She creates pies in her head and titles them to reflect her current life situation. ("Pregnant- Miserable- Self-Pitying- Loser- Pie," is what she calls her creation of blackberries and blueberries crushed into a chocolate crust, for example.

Played brilliantly by Keri Russell, Jenna gives viewers just enough hope in her sad eyes to keep herself and the audience going. She is married to an abusive, controlling, selfish jerk, Earl, disgustingly and perfectly played by Jeremy Sisto.

Jenna's only saving grace is the escape she finds as a waitress who creates pies and her two friends who wait with her. Becky, a loving know-it-all, and Dawn, a loving naive bumpkin, are not able to fix Jenna's life, but they do make things funny and interesting along the way.

Andy Griffith comes out of retirement to play Joe, the owner of the diner and every other establishment in town. Joe comes in everyday and sits at Jenna's station. He reads her his version of her horoscope and his version of advice to the "Miss Lonelyhearts" column in the local newspaper. Griffith's performance is nearly perfect as a curmudgeon with a twinkle in his eye.

Another engaging character was Dawn's ardent suitor Ogie, played by Ed Jemison. He turned what could have been a cornball role into "spontaneous poetry."

Much of the movie concerns another of Jenna's attempts to escape and that is the love affair that develops with her doctor, the young Dr. Pottaker. Why would he want to come to this little town, wonders Jenna? His wife is doing residency. The plot suffers here somewhat and the morality of the movie does too, but unlike most movies today, it ends with Jenna's understanding and change of heart.

Jenna's choice to have an affair was not wise, and she knew it. The catalyst for her change was based on what Jesus said about accusing or judging others. In John 8:7 he asks that we look at ourselves before we act. Her friend Becky, married to an invalid and looking for fun, began having an affair, and Jenna was outraged. It took her a minute, but then she saw the plank in her own eye and knew she had to get it out. Her affair was just as wrong as Becky's.

A good movie is like a good pie. The choice of the ingredients is what makes the difference. Waitress is an entertaining movie with a delightful surprise ending. The late Adrienne Shelly, the movie's writer and director, has given moviegoers a wealth of characters, and they are all cleverly scripted and presented. Although adultery is rebuked, the depiction of adultery in one sex scene requires extreme caution in viewing Waitress.

Address Comments To:
Peter Rice, President
Fox Searchlight Pictures
(Fox Atomic)
20th Century Fox Film Corp.
A division of Fox, Inc. and News Corp.
10201 West Pico Blvd., Bldg. 38
Los Angeles, CA 90035
Phone: (310) 369-1833
Fax: (310) 369-2359
Website: www.foxsearchlight.com

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NOTE from Dr. Ted Baehr, publisher of Movieguide Magazine. For more information from a Christian perspective, order the latest Movieguide Magazine by calling 1-800-899-6684(MOVI) or visit our website at www.movieguide.org. Movieguide is dedicated to redeeming the values of Hollywood by informing parents about today's movies and entertainment and by showing media executives and artists that family-friendly and even Christian-friendly movies do best at the box office year in and year out. Movieguide now offers an online subscription to its magazine version, at www.movieguide.org. The magazine, which comes out 25 times a year, contains many informative articles and reviews that help parents train their children to be media-wise consumers.

 



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