My friend made this with my face.

Really no way to review this one without reiterating what others have said. It's just really, really sweet. Keri Russell's great. Really good natured. Etc.

The story isn't especially inventive, but the direction is unique. I actually didn't have any problems with shifts in tone; I found it pretty consistent. It stays in that quirky/fairy-tale-esque middle ground between strict drama and comedy, with some funny moments, and a few dramatic ones.

Shame about Adrienne Shelly. It's likely that the film wouldn't be receiving as much attention as it is had the circumstances been different, but this still would have likely been a breakout for her career.

B+/A-

"Sweet" is the perfect word for this film in so many ways. Can't really add much to what others have said (A little extreme in tonal shifts, Russell was wonderful), though I must agree with Baumer that Griffith was an absolute delight to watch, and I'd love to see him resonate to awards season, however unlikely that seems at the moment. Just purely delightful.

***.5/****

I doubt it'll happen, but I hope Keri Russell gets an Oscar nomination. She's really, really wonderful here, as is the whole movie.

My favorite film of the year so far.

BUMP!

Everyone rent it on DVD today. I bought it this morning and will be watching it the second I get home from school.

just watched and i cant believe i'm saying this, but i fuckin loved every minute of it.

A.

B



Okay...this is a tad overrated. It's just your usual, quirky, indie that we've seen before and better. The humor doesn't work as well as in other similar flicks and Russell and Fillion barely have any chemistry.

Now how does the movie work at all then? Thanks to some truly great performances, coming from Keri Russell on the one hand (too bad she's being snubbed during this year's awards race) and Andy Griffith on the other hand. I loved each scene with these two. The very ending of the movie is a bit unpredictable (especially conserning the part that she ends her affair with Fillion) and predictable at the same time (like getting the money and ending up loving the baby). I also think that Jeremy Sisto did a very good job with what could have been a very one-note character and Eddie Jemison provided some of the film's sparse humor bits.

Overall, however, it is a sweet (as many have said), but ultimately forgettable movie that certainly doesn't reach the heights of many other recent indie comedies. Neither the screenplay nor the direction are really any special. The best job Adrienne Shelly did here was with her acting bit, as another of this film's loveable characters.

Speaking of which...the only character I wasn't really fond of was Fillion's because, well, his motivations are pretty much never explained or delved into. He remains fairly one-dimensional during the film.

I guess I agree that it's slightly overrated as is the acting. Russell is wonderful but she is not exactly Oscar worthy...though I didn't really see many people mention her as an awards contender other than here...

The thing about her character (and most characters in the film) and the movie itself it's that it's so lovable and I think that's why it might be made to be more than it is. It is not one of the best movies of the year but it IS one of the most likable/memorable. Bittersweet film if there ever was one. I wouldn't rank it as one of the year's best films but it is one of the few I really want to see again sometime and that on its own should mean something.
B+

Hmm, one of the most likeable movies of the year? Yeah. Memorable? Hardly...

Wow, this really surprised me. It has everything a great romantic comedy needs - Simple premise, great script, believable romance and comedy. But most of all, the cast. Keri Russell will be snubbed an Oscar nomination here, but while I was expecting great work from her coming in, I was not expecting Adrienne Shelly herself to deliver such a knockout. It makes the death even more sad, because she could've even had a future as a comedic actress as well as director.

Also loved the always great Nathan Fillion, Andy Griffith(also will be snubbed), Jeremy Sisto, Eddie Jamison, Lew Temple. There wasn't a single not great and charming member in the cast, large part or small. I'd actually go as far to say it's one of the best ensemble works I've seen all year.

And not many movies this year say more to me about life than Waitress.

Loved it. It's just so damn charming! It makes my top ten of the year.

4/5

"Cute little film" pie:

Take a likable lead and put her in a career-best role (damn it, Keri Russell deserves more attention! I mean, not even a Globe nom?), add a charming supporting cast, with a small but extremely sweet role for the writer/director herself, and a genuine script, that's funny and ultimately poignant because it relates us to the characters. And there you have it: as sweet as you get without getting too sweet if you know what I mean...




Adrienne Shelly will surely be missed. At least by me.

A very sweet and funny little movie. Keri Russell indeed did a great job with the character.

A-

I'll be the one who spoils the fun...

Although I want to love this movie, it just leaves me this iffy feeling that this could've been thousand times better than it really is. The main problem is the directing. It's just all over the place for no apparent reason. Shelly doesn't know what to do with her characters and how to really bring them to life. Keri Russell and Andy Griffith are superb and it's because of them this movie works. All of the other characters are merely a rough sketch and not a fully live character.

I've seen a lot of house abuse, and Jenna's husbands comes of more as being unsure of himself and too desperate for her love. I mean, all other characters talk as if he's the incarnation of the devil, Jenna's fellow waitress' say they have awful lives but still they would never trade lives with her... It's not fully believeable.

Jenna's relationship with the doctor is also handled lousy.

But Keri and Andy make each and every scene they're in a delight. Kudos to them for being able to surpass Shelly's inability to make good movies and give her at least one good movie on her biography...

C+

I didn't like it, either.

I was reading through the thread, getting a grasp on what everyone though and forming my review in my mind, and I read it right here! Ditto everything Lecter says.

As for the amount on the check, I went back to that scene and paused it out of curiosity. I looks like $220,00. Holy. Shit.

Hehe, another agreement with Sommie.

It's fucking scary.

I'm not kidding. I'm scared.

I've found, though, that a lot of people in our age "group" have pretty similar views. Although they aren't nearly as consistent as you have proven to be, MovieDude, Magnus, Zingaling, Mr. X, and torri are all my go-to guys, and they are all the same age as us.

Funny how things work out that way.

Nice little movie. Keri Russell is amazing as the lead. It was a funny movie that has a lot of heart. Solid movie that I would recommend.

I loved it too. Keri Russell was amazing and should have gotten a oscar nom. The movie was, like almost everyone here said, really sweet and very enjoyable. Only complaint would be that Russell and Fillion don't stay together at he end or at least stay friends. B+

Aw I finally got around to seeing this. Cute, funny, poignant. Yeah, and I loved Kerri Russell.

B+

Funny story. I had heard something about Away from Her today so I decided to watch it. And I don't subscribe to that particular cable channel it was On Demand on, so I ended up on Waitress. Ha.

This is a wonderful film and I can understand why it resonated with so many people but the movie has tonal issues which cannot be ignored and its unable to balance comedy and drama shifts seamlessly. Keri Russel is wonderful but I never found her chemistry with Fillion convincing but that's because of how his character is written here. I thought Jeremy Sisto does a great job being loving and menacing at the same time, I didn't like how his character is written off from the finale. The whole fairy tail ending was great but it was too safe and comes in too fast.

B