The feminist overtones of the screenplay may not embrace the variation on the old saying that behind every good man is a woman, but Russell is given ample support from the great Nathan Fillion…Casting directors who see Waitress and don’t move Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion far up on their lists should be committed to a lifetime of finding game show contestants.

Waitress, no doubt, walks along a path populated by years of sitcoms and cutesy romantic concoctions, but there’s a genuineness that sets apart the sassy friends, wise old codgers and the men-are-dogs-until-the-right-one-comes-along mentality. Shelly doesn’t shy away from the threat of violence which lurks around Earl’s every scene, but also doesn’t turn it into a nasty cautionary tale either. Waitress is more optimistic and gives us characters like Eddie Jemison’s nerdy, impromptu poet and Andy Griffith (yes, Mayberry’s own) as the cantankerous diner owner with a heart to assure us that hope comes in all forms and usually not on the surface. My glass is half-full in thinking that fans of Shelly she acquired through the works of Hal Hartley and other independent cinema wouldn’t be quick with labeling Waitress as a reach for the vox populi. It’s even fuller having seen Waitress so I can honor it with a proper toast for the cast and the filmmaker who made it all possible.

• Full Review [WARNING: Contains spoilers]
  http://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=15777&reviewer=198

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 28th, 2007 at 8:11 am and is filed under Waitress Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.