Waitress is a film by the late actress-director Adrienne Shelly. It is a bittersweet comedy romance based in a small American town. Keri Russell plays the main character, Jenna, who is a pie-making waitress in a typical American diner. The story revolves around her life, married to an overbearing husband, her pregnancy, work at the diner, an affair with her doctor (played by Nathan Fillion), and the life choices that she makes.
I found the film moving and very funny but it’s not an over-the-top gag fest like some other modern films. The humour centres around the characters and their personal foibles. In particular, Jenna’s relationships with the other waitresses (Adrienne Shelly and Cheryl Hines) and the diner owner (played by Andy Griffith) are sympathetically illustrated with realism and warmth.
One of the main themes of the film is Jenna’s pie making which she uses to reflect her life. Each pie is made and named in her mind according to her daily mood. For example, “I Don’t Want Earl’s Baby” pie (an egg and cheese pie with ham!)
The film is made even more poignant by the murder of the director Adrienne Shelly in New York just after the film was finished. It’s a real life tragedy that puts everything into perspective.