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On a rainy Calgary Sunday afternoon I decided that it was time for me to go to the movies. I was still trying to the bad taste of Spiderman 3 out of my mouth so I was looking for something artsy. Something to think about. Since I couldn’t find anyone to come to 28 Weeks Later with me, I had to choose between. Molly Shannon’s Year of the Dog or Keri Russell’s Waitress.
Even though Molly put in a stellar showing as host of this week’s SNL, I decided to go see Waitress. Ever since the days of Malibu Shores, Bon Jovi videos and Honey, I blew up the kids, I’ve always had a big crush on Keri. I mean how could you not.
Waitress only had one showing in all of Calgary all weekend. I thought this was strange, but didn’t think to much of it. As soon as I got to the theatre I realized why. The one time showing of the movie was meant as a promotional screening for mothers and their daughters on Mother’s Day. I was surrounded by track suit wearing moms and sweat pant wearing daughters. It was the thing Sex and the City nightmares are made of.
I decided to work through the awkwardness of a 25 year old guy going alone to a movie meant for mothers and daughters. Boy am I glad I did.
Waitress is a cute movie about a waitress, obviously, played by Keri Russell who finds out she is pregnant after a drunken night with her husband who she just happens to hate. The movie revolves around her and her co-workers at Joe’s Diner. Jenna (Russell) also has an imagination for making the most amazing looking and tasting pies. She uses her imagination and love of cooking to escape her less than ideal life.
Sadly, you might have heard of this movie because it’s director, writer and co-star Adrienne Shelly was murdered last year in her NYC office. Even more tragic is that it was widely reported that she had committed suicide when in fact it was just made to look like a suicide. Watching Shelly on screen, you can’t help but feel sadness. She also plays a waitress, an optimistic one that is also stuck in a life that she didn’t envision. But knowing the tragedy that eventually befell Adrienne Shelly makes you appreciate her charismatic portrayal of Dawn even more.
My favorite line in the movie is one that I also use to describe both the movie and it’s director. “tragically cute.”
The movie is not perfect, but it’s pretty near close to it. It currently has 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and I really think it deserves it. It is the kind of movie that leaves you with an extra skip in your step. And because it was a movie studio promotion we were all given Mother’s Day gift bags. They were filled with make up and girly magazines. Never one to pass up free stuff, no matter what it is, I snatched up a bag. Would it hurt my roommate if she wore a little more makeup?
The movie left me feeling very creative. I would imagine that some people even went home and experimented with making a pie of their own. But since I can’t cook, I popped in frozen dinner. Not as glamorous, but that’s what your imagination is for.
