“Waitress” is a quirky movie about a girl named Jenna (Keri Russell) who is married to an abusive husband. When she finds out she’s pregnant, she doesn’t want the baby. She’s had plans to leave Earl (Jeremy Sisto) but the baby will cut into her plans. She doesn’t want an abortion or to give the child up – she plans to raise it – but she’s not happy about it.
She works in a pie diner and is the best pie cook in the place. Whenever she’s feeling a strong emotion, she imagines a pie to go with it and gives it a whacky name. When she finds out she’s pregnant, she imagines a breakfast pie with cheese, egg and bacon, and calls it “Bad Baby Pie.” It becomes a hit at the diner.
When she goes in for her prenatal visit, she discovers that her regular doctor has retired and in her place is a new doctor, a young man named Dr. Pommater (Nathan Fillion). As she begins her prenatal care, they discover they’re attracted to each other. He gives her everything Earl can’t – attention, kindness, compassion. He understands that she’s not happy about the baby and takes care of her in a matter of fact way, seeing to her needs without making a big deal of the pregnancy. Before long, they’re having an affair.
Earl ruins all her plans to run away and leave him, and she has to tell him about the pregnancy. He tightens his hold on her like never before, and she feels like she’ll never be able to escape. Dr. Pomatter wants to help her win her freedom, but the day they plan to leave, she goes into labor.
After the baby is born and she discovers it’s a girl, everything in her life clicks into focus. She tells Earl to hit the road, and she also breaks it off with Dr. Pomatter. He’s married, and she meets his wife, also a doctor, while she’s at the hospital. She realizes that she needs a fresh start, and that’s what she and her baby are going to get.
This movie is a little gritty. There’s some language throughout and there are two bed scenes between herself and Earl that I skipped over with my remote—that’s one thing I love about watching DVDs. If something comes on and you don’t think you want to see it, one flick of the finger and it’s gone. I gathered from context that those were two scenes that probably should be skipped, just to give you the heads up on that.
I chose to review this movie, gritty stuff and bed scenes notwithstanding, for three reasons. First, it truly is funny. She has a great friendship with her fellow waitresses and there are some wonderful moments of comedy. Second, even though she and Dr. Pomatter were both married, they had a sweet relationship. He truly cared about her and gave her the self-esteem boost she needed. She’d never been treated that way in her life and it was great to see her finally start to recognize her own worth. And third, in the end, when she boots Earl out and tells Dr. Pomatter goodbye, we realize that she now feels strong enough to head out on her own and raise her daughter joyfully. I loved watching her progression from lost girl to confident woman.
This movie is rated PG-13.
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