There were several TV specials last month celebrating the 30th anniversary of the release of Star Wars: A New Hope and one I watched explained how George Lucas employed the hero’s journey trope over the two trilogies, first from the positive side (Luke Skywalker) and then the negative (Anakin Skywalker). The protagonist must start from the small, face an initial challenge that draws him or her out of a comfortable, if drab, existence, gain a mentor (Obi-wan Kenobi in both instances) who provides a key push and then leaves the scene and then the hero must solve a major issue by mature application of that teaching and inner strength.
Waitress is a chick flick version of the hero’s journey though on a much smaller scale. Jenna (Kerry Russell) is a waitress and baker of wonderful, creative pies trapped in abusive marriage to Earl (Jeremy Sisto, showing again how well he plays twisted parts). She works at Joe’s Pie Diner, an odd restaurant where all the dishes are served in the form of pies, alongside Dawn (Adrienne Shelley, who also wrote and directed), Becky (Cheryl Hines in a role as far removed from the wife she plays on Curb Your Enthusiasm as seems possible) and Cal (Lew Temple), the manager and main cook.
The diner is owned by Joe (Andy Griffith), an octogenarian who puts his name on all the businesses he owns: Joe’s Gas Station, Joe’s Supermarket and so on. Everyone else thinks he’s a miserable old coot but other than being a bit impatient and fussy about his orders, we only see Joe as a man who’s probably a bit peeved about being so close to the end of his days. In any case, he is the mentor guiding Jenna.
A night of drinking with Earl, a most unusual event, results in pregnancy and thus she meets Dr. Pomatter (Nathon Fillion, of Firefly/Serenity) who is the new OB/GYN in this small semi-rural Southern town. Despite being married himself the two find themselves unable to resist the spark and, over the course of her pregnancy, combine normal checkups with passionate intimacy. Earl, meanwhile, never uncovers the affair but remains a menace Jenna yearns to escape.
Shelley has Jenna constantly inventing new pies to convey her emotional state; the names are quite expressive, akin to the way Iain Banks names his Culture starships: bad baby pie, I don’t want Earl’s baby pie and so forth. Pomatter even sneaks over to her house one morning after hubby’s gone to work to get a pie baking lesson.
Just as the lovers are about to run off, the water breaks and they have to go to the hospital instead; meeting the doctor’s wife, an intern, is enough to have her break off with him. Joe is there as well for some work on his kidney and he drops off a card for Jenna before she goes to delivery. Sitting forgotten until she’s forced to leave the hospital–Earl has refused to pay the bill because she’s finally told him to get stuffed–inside is a sweet pencil drawing of her by the now-deceased old man and a presumably large but unspecified check. As he urged, Jenna’s journey is complete and she can make a fresh start.
This movie is a chick flick, a term I do not use pejoratively, for obvious reasons but it’s a step above most of these because it treats the characters warmly, with intelligence and humor. The small town setting is used well for rich, natural visuals and not a redneck stereotype.
recommended
Note: As you probably know, Adrienne Shelley was murdered in her Manhattan office six months before Waitress was released; the Adrienne Shelley Foundation has been created in her memory to support aspiring female filmmakers. I’m saddened that we won’t see Shelley’s potential for growth fulfilled in future movies.
_feeding_the_friendly_sheep.jpg)
