 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Waitress
- Review Date: November 26, 2007
- PG-13
- Genre: Comedy
- 2007
Common Sense Media says
Indie tackles tough topics but is as sweet as pie.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that although this quirky indie dramedy is ultimately heartwarming, it tackles very mature themes like spousal abuse (emotional and physical), loneliness, infidelity, and unhappiness. Protagonist Jenna's husband Earl constantly ridicules and demeans her, treating her like a possession. In one scene, he hits her in the face; other times he grabs and pushes her. Two different sets of couples commit adultery, but in one case the characters decide to part ways. In the end, the movie is very sweet and ends up being about a woman's immediate, undeniable love for her baby.
What's the story?
Keri Russell stars as Jenna, a waitress at a small-town diner best known for serving Jenna's creatively concocted and cleverly named confections (Bad Baby pie, Falling in Love pie, and Naughty Pumpkin pie, just to name a few). Jenna has just discovered that she's pregnant with her abusive husband Earl's (Jeremy Sisto) baby, which means she's tied to him for good. Through her pregnancy, she finds unexpected romance and realizes that instead of a burden, her baby is a chance for a fresh start.
Is it any good?
WAITRESS is Adrienne Shelly's only film as a director. The 40-year-old indie-film veteran was murdered in November 2006, and knowing that makes her lovely little picture all the more touching. As with her delectable pies, if Jenna can start from scratch, she'll create something beautiful. It's such a shame that after all of her hard work making her directorial debut, Shelly didn't live to see the sweet desserts of her efforts.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the movie's messages about starting from scratch, building self esteem, and staying loyal to friends. Why do you think Jenna stayed with Earl, even though he was a horrible husband? How should you deal with abuse if you encounter it in your own life? Families can also talk about the fact that Jenna says that her doctor is the first person who ever listened to her and cared what she had to say. Teens: Who really listens to you? And, on a lighter note: Which of Jenna's elaborate pie names is your favorite, and which one did you want to try?
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- Teens & kids
AGE
Sad social commentary!
I wanted to love this movie, but I was so turned off by, first, a women putting up with abuse and not leaving immediately; second, infidelity accepted as normal; third, casual abhorance for baby in the womb with no mention that this woman seriously needs therapy. Very good acting by former "Felicity" star.
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AGE
Sweet and touching indie flick deals with some tough stuff in amazing ways!
This was an AMAZING movie . . . The plot was great, and even though it delt with a lot of tough subjects, and so many characters were unfaithful to their husbands and wives, it was a great movie with good role models, and the end messages were great. Jenna was an amazing, well thought out character, and the movie in general, especially her life had a great, fairy tale happy ending. I love how this movie related her love of pies to the emotions she was feeling and things she was doing. I'd rate this a four or five stars, and recommend families with older kids who love indie flicks to definetaly catch this one, but screen it first for kids and younger tweens, as some stuff may be considered inapproprite.
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AGE
It's as easy as pie to say this: Waitress is the best indie film of '07!
This film isn't a chick flick. It's not a comedy or a drama. It's not an action film or anything you'd look for in a movie. I have to say: Waitress is a very good film that makes you laugh, cry, and cheer for the waitress named Jenna as she goes through an abusive marriage. Only one problem: she's pregnant. This film has a lot of mature themes, including infidelity, adultery, pregnancy, domestic abuse, and affairs. There's an implied sex scene, a lot of language and scenes of domestic abuse. Also the protagonist has an affair with her obstetrician, and her friend has an affair with the owner of the pie shop they work at. Also, one of the girls has a 5-minute date with a guy that is basically a sex addict who talks about sex all the time. At first she hates him but then they get married. The ending is very good and sweet, with Jenna having her baby and telling her husband to "get the h*ll out of my life". This movie was as sweet as pie even though there was a lot of mature themes. I recommend this film to teens 13+.
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AGE
THE WORST MOVIE IV SEEN IN MY LIFE!!!
i DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT THE MOVIE SUCKS!!!
-lovcandy906
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AGE
It's a chick movie 100% but I still loved it!
I'd buy it to keep. Okay, I will. I can't believe this movie is not filling up the theaters, while the big-3 sequels that are puffed up with overblown hype are still packing in people. Man, thats a shame. This movie is a gem. It does have some social problems, having a girl messing around with a married guy, she's obviously messed up in her head. But she figures it out in the end. Still, it's not for little kids. They wouldn't get the humor, nor would they make sense of the plot.
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AGE
Boring
This movie is very boring! The plot was okay, but it was boring. It did explore very tough issues. The showing of the pies every other scene was weird.
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AGE
Waitress
An awesome movie. It's sweet and funny, but also has some hilarious sarcastic humor added on to give it an edge. It reminded me a bit of Little Miss Sunshine, which is definitely a good thing.
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AGE
Has a great story with an amazing cast. Adrienne Shelly did such a good job with the script and made a very smooth blend of comedy, romance and drama. This movie leaves you feeling warm and happy because the end is just sweet. What is also good about this film is that it isn't stupid or fluffy. It has mature subjects that people can actually relate to. Other than that is it as sweet as pie. ~~Loving Memory of Adrienne Shelly~~ for making such a fabulous movie.
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AGE
GREATEST MOVIE IN YEARS!
I just saw "Waitress" this past weekend twice and both times i loved it! I love they plot and the whole story! Nathan Fillion is by-far one of the greatest actors of all time! I think "Waitress" will make him huge! GREAT MOVIE GUYS!
Love Bailey
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| Studio: | Fox Searchlight |
| Director: | Adrienne Shelly |
| Cast: | Cheryl Hines, Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Run time: | 104 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | May 3, 2007 |
| DVD release date: | November 27, 2007 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | sexual content, language and thematic elements. |
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