WAITRESS

Relationships are the heart of Waitress, and they are brought to life beautifully by this memorable cast of characters.

Jenna (Keri Russell) is an unhappily married waitress with a gift for making the most delicious pie you've ever tasted. If she can just make it to the Pillsbury Bake Off, she's almost certain to win, and with her winnings, she could leave Earl (Jeremy Sisto), her ignorant, cloying, whining, abusive husband. She's been plotting her escape for months, squirreling money away whenever she can, but her plans are brought to a grinding halt when she discovers she's pregnant. She doesn't want Earl's "bad baby", but she's not the kind of girl to get rid of it either. Grudgingly, she makes an appointment with the same obstetrician who delivered her and puts herself on the path to proper prenatal care.

You can imagine Jenna's surprise when she learns that her doctor has gone into semi-retirement and her practice has been taken over by the young, handsome, and rather befuddled Dr. Pomatter (Nathan Fillion). At first she's not even sure she wants him to have the Marshmallow Mermaid Pie she brought, but she decides she might as well give it to him, and in doing so, she wins his heart.

After a series of awkward encounters, Jenna and Dr. Pomatter begin a full blown affair. At first it's just a lot of messing around at the doctor's office, but it's clear that their affection for one another is far more than physical. Dr. Pomatter sees Jenna as the fabulous, funny, flawed person she is, and he's always willing to hear her out. While Earl breaks her spirit in countless ordinary ways (calling her fat when she's pregnant, telling her she's not allowed to love the baby more than him, honking the horn obnoxiously when he arrives to pick her up), Dr. Pomatter offers unconditional love and assures her that she deserves a better life. In short, he elevates Jenna while Earl degrades her. Their relationship is impossible, but it's vital to Jenna's survival.

Relationships are the heart of Waitress, and they are brought to life beautifully by this memorable cast of characters. Each is perfect in their imperfection, and the actors shine in their respective roles. As Jenna, Keri Russell is absolutely luminous. She is lovely, capable, and accommodating, but she possesses a strong will and a wicked wit. Her co-workers, Becky (Cheryl Hines) and Dawn (Adrienne Shelly), are both struggling to find happiness, but never waver in their loyalty to Jenna. Hines, who usually grates on my nerves, offers up a wonderfully subtle performance, and Shelly makes Dawn radiant in spite of her "pasty, pasty skin" and shy ways. Jeremy Sisto's Earl is as pathetic as he is despicable. Andy Griffith is a crusty, vaguely lecherous old man with a heart of gold. And what can we say about Nathan Fillion? Who wouldn't fall in love with him on the spot?

Though there are a few scenes where the movie loses momentum, there is little to complain about in Waitress. Because the characters seem like real people, it's easy to lose yourself in their world. What's going to happen to Jenna? Will she run away with Dr. Pomatter? Or are there more options available to her?

With Waitress Shelly reveals herself to be a truly gifted writer, director, and actress—an inspiration to female filmmakers everywhere. I kept choking up throughout the movie as I thought of her creating this masterpiece, but being murdered before its release. I can only hope she's peering down from heaven, watching audiences laughing and crying in all the right places.