Movie

It's 11:27 p.m. on a Saturday night. You and your fellow closers have just worked 8 hours of one of the busiest nights in quite sometime. You're tired and your feet are sore, but there's a party at one of the waitresses homes. Everyone you know is already there and you have three minutes before you can pack up and head to the party. All the line cooks are scrubbing down the grill, the salad guys are finishing off their final duties and the dishguy is putting away the last glasses in anticipation of the night ending.

And then it happens. You see the headlights. They park. They come to the door and the hostess greets them with the most deceptively charlatan like grin she possibly can. "Are you guys still open?" "Yes, yes we are...." This is one of the hilarious and unfortunately realistic scenes from the new comedy called Waiting. I have worked in the service industry for about ten years and this has happened to me ad nausea. In fact, I have it down to a science. The last customer doesn't come in at 11:15 or even 11:20. It is always 11:27. Waiting knows this and makes a mockery of it but nonetheless it is done to frustrating perfection.

Written and directed by Rob McKittrick, this man obviously has experience in the service industry as every caricature that has ever worked in the industry is here. From the hot young hostess, the male gigolo waiter, the busboys who think they are gangsters, the angry waitress and some of the questionable tactics that the staff use to amuse themselves and seek retribution on the customers, it's all here. And to say this is funny is like saying that peanut butter tastes better with jam. It is a no brainer. I realize that those of us that have worked in the industry will find it funnier than those who haven't, but even if you have never waited on one customer, there is enough humour in here to entertain you at least a bit.

It is obvious that McKittrick has worked in the industry. He must have or he would not have known some of the terms and many of the esoteric situations that happen behind closed doors. From the restaurant parties and romances to the absolutely asinine orientation tape we are all forced to watch, to the games, to the perfect description of the ridiculous customers, this film is funny from the first frame to the last.

The plot is really secondary to the action and the antics and the hilarity. While Office Space was about as funny a movie as you could see, it did not depend on you working in an office to get some of the humour. Waiting might be a bit different, but as I said earlier, the laughs come frenetically enough in here to entertain anyone.

It's fun to watch a film and relate to exactly what is happening on screen. Ryan Reynolds is pitch perfect in here and I actually know a guy who is just like him. There is so much truth in this film and it is refreshing to see someone finally tackle the issues that many of us have dealt with.

One of the feel good moments in this film came from watching other servers deal with the ignorant customers who tip 5-10%. I felt their diappointment and their pain and it is a nice word of warning to would be customers, treat your server nicely.

Waiting is the funniest film I have seen this year and even though I can admit that if you have not worked in the service industry, you might not get all the jokes, for those of us that have, this is the equivalent of Eddie Murphy and Jerry Lewis at their best.

Special Features

As for the DVD, it is loaded with a embarassment of rich features. Believe it or not, I watched all of them. The commentary is insiteful and humorous but it would have benefited from Ryan Reynolds and or Anna Farris to make some kind of an appearance. It's unfortunate that they were not present because it almost seems like they have distanced themselves from this production. They shouldn't, they should be proud of their work here.

Also priceless is some of the screen tests, especially that of David Koechner, who plays DAN, the manager of the restaurant. He had the casting director and the director in stitches almost from day one and it is easy to see why he was hired to play the character.
The extras are plentiful and it is a very very nice addition to the DVD package.

A smart funny comedy about those miscreants that take your order and serve you food. Not to be missed!!

Verdict: Spin It