Half feminist fable, half fairy tale, Waitress is 'œby turns tart and sweet, charming and tough,' said A.O. Scott in The New York Times. The story takes place in a small Southern diner, and 'œif you feel as if you've been there before,' it's probably because you're conjuring Martin Scorsese's Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (and the subsequent sitcom Alice). Keri Russell displays a 'œdelightfully unexpected flair for the screwball' as Jenna, the waitress trapped in a marriage to a loathsome, controlling lout, said Kevin Crust in the Los Angeles Times. Despite Jenna's bleak predicament (she's also about to have the man's baby), Adrienne Shelly's script lays out how 'œan apparent dead end' can actually lead you to 'œthe expressway of your life.' The affecting film occasionally borders on Southern kitsch'”Andy Griffith, after all, plays the diner's owner. But Waitress never becomes saccharine, said Stephanie Zacharek in Salon.com. Its 'œoff-kilter rhythms ultimately keep it from being too treacly.' A melancholy twist also is added by real-life tragedy: Shelly was murdered in New York last year, just before Waitress' debut at Sundance. Make that doubly tragic: Waitress would have been Shelly's 'œbreakthrough.'
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Kaos review: comic retelling of Greek mythology starring Jeff GoldblumThe Week Recommends The new series captures audiences as it 'never takes itself too seriously'
-
How to spot and avoid ticket scamsThe Explainer Music fans who missed out on Oasis tickets and those looking to book other major events should be vigilant
-
Has Ukraine's invasion gamble failed?Today's Big Question Zelenskyy hoped to draw off Russian troops, but may have lost a strategic site instead
