Pie-eyed
Pies
are a key feature of Adrienne Shelley’s wonderful, uplifting
film, Waitress. And just like the baked items it features,
this is a warm and inviting film; but one that will be tinged
with sadness for the real-life events surrounding its director,
writer and supporting star.
In case you hadn’t heard, after finishing
filming on Waitress, Adrienne Shelley was murdered in
her New York apartment in November 2006. The film went on to garner
considerable acclaim at this year’s Sundance Film Festival,
and is now (finally) getting a theatrical release Down Under.
Shelley previously worked as an actress, notably
in the Hal Hartley features, The Unbelievable Truth and
Trust in the early 1990s. She went on to act in some
20 plus films, as well as TV series; while dabbling at directing
in short films and the feature I’ll Take You There
(1999), which from memory was never released here. Now we have
Waitress as her lasting legacy.
This is an excellent “little” film (in
the best sense of that term) that – if there’s any
justice in the world – will find a broad audience. Like
the pies I mentioned earlier, the secret is in the ingredients.
The base is a sharply written but lovingly observed script by
Shelley herself. The filling is a fine ensemble performance from
a cast who deliver the film’s vision with aplomb. And the
icing is provided by Shelley’s whimsical but economical
directorial style and a soundtrack that hits all the right notes.
The waitress of the title is Jenna (Keri Russell),
who works at a diner in the Deep South, where her best friends
are her fellow waitresses Becky (Cheryl Hines) and Dawn (Shelley).
Aside from waiting the tables, Jenna’s real talent is pies,
as she whips up all manner of weird yet wonderful pastries for
the diner’s loyal band of customers. She also happens to
be trapped in a marriage to the perfectly awful Earl (Jeremy Sisto).
Things seem to have hit rock bottom when Jenna discovers she’s
pregnant; but her obstetrical needs bring her to the surgery of
the attractive new doctor in town, Dr Pomatter (Nathan Fillon).
While
the film is basically a romantic comedy, Shelley’s script
never strays into schmaltz. It’s also peppered with wry
asides and some particularly inventive expositions. Some of these
come via Jenna’s inventive descriptions for her new pie
creations (I Hate My Husband Pie...) and others via verbal “letters”
that she writes to her unborn child.
In the end though, Waitress succeeds because
it’s true to itself. The film doesn’t make any grand
statements; it simply sets out to present a story about ordinary
people facing ordinary problems, as seen through Shelley’s
unique and quirky prism. And that’s a refreshing change
of pace from much of the fare doing the rounds at the moment.
As Jenna, Keri Russell bounces back from her blink-and-you’ll-miss-it
role in Mission Impossible III with a bold and heartening
performance. She really captures the essence of the character,
and makes her a person we can genuinely empathise with. She also
deftly handles the comedy in a script. Nathan Fillon is the eye
candy of the movie, and fills the part with style. Cheryl Hines
and Shelley both score some fantastic moments as the other waitresses;
but Jeremy Sisto really makes the film as the loathsome Earl.
While he’s a perfectly odious character (done to perfection
by Sisto), without his nasty attributes, the film just wouldn’t
have the resonances it does.
Waitress is one of those rare films that
ticks all the boxes. It’s funny, insightful, romantic, and
yes, meaningful. It doesn’t have huge explosions, shattering
glass or mega-stars on the box cover, but this is one of the finest
films to be released on DVD so far this year.
David Edwards
