Waitress 2007

Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: As satisfying and tasty as the pies baked with love (and sometimes hate, anger and frustration) by Jenna, a small-town waitress stuck in an abusive marriage. Read more

Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune: Written and directed by the late Adrienne Shelly, it's a scrumptious romantic comedy, a mostly adorable movie from a witty and winning movie talent whom we lost all too soon. Read more

David Edelstein, New York Magazine/Vulture: An overstuffed, overcooked pie -- too ungainly to eat all of, too generous to pass up, too heartbreaking to contemplate for long. Read more

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader: The film isn't averse to reaching for Hollywood fantasies, but there's a lot of what seems to be hard-earned wisdom here about women in bad marriages. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: Waitress would stand on its own as a remarkable achievement if you knew absolutely nothing about the woman who made it. Read more

Christy Lemire, Associated Press: Its heart is absolutely in the right place, and it strikes some real emotional truths. It will make you laugh, it might even make you cry, but it definitely will make you hungry. Read more

John Hartl, Seattle Times: This is an ensemble piece in which everyone is allowed to shine. Read more

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: As a gently fitting requiem for an unspeakable loss, it's perfect. Read more

Keith Phipps, AV Club: Though contrived and artificial in ways that don't always work, the film is also heartfelt and made with genuine affection for its characters, qualities in too short a supply to dismiss. Read more

Kerry Lengel, Arizona Republic: As sweet as the pies that serve as its central gimmick. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: Waitress isn't a great film, but it is great, deep-dish fun, with a generosity of spirit that extends first to the sisters on the screen and in the audience, then to the rest of humanity. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: The film is laced with lovely moments, from the leads and from Shelly as a waitress friend. Read more

Michael Booth, Denver Post: So why does it work, at least much of the time? Because of Russell, and because Shelly's uneven tone also provides hints at brilliance. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: Waitress is a wee romantic charmer, a delectable Dixie screwball romp that never loses its spry sense of discovery. Read more

Mark Bourne, Film.com: Waitress is not a perfectly cut, factory-line Safeway-brand slice. It does, though, serve up a generous deep-dish portion, homemade and heartfelt, that leaves a sweet taste goes down. Read more

Ella Taylor, L.A. Weekly: Washed in a honeyed 1950s glow, Waitress has a mildly puckish way with outlandish baked goods and pert dialogue. Read more

Bruce Newman, San Jose Mercury News: Russell is the magic ingredient that holds all this together. Read more

Shauna Lyon, New Yorker: Shelly deftly achieves a tone pitched between fantasy and reality, its levity belying an astute and humane study of an unhappy relationship steeped in inertia. Read more

Lisa Rose, Newark Star-Ledger: Heartfelt and intelligent, with a pinch of whimsy. Read more

Bob Mondello, NPR.org: The film is hardly flawless - even the pie-baking scenes sometimes seem half-baked - but it's hard not to read promise into every frame, and to wonder what Shelly might have cooked up in the future. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: While Shelly's stylized vision and sentimental intentions don't always gel, they do result in a warm, often charming fantasy. Read more

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: In the end, Shelly's script for Waitress has a pleasingly tart undertone that balances out what could have been an overly sugary confection. And she directs with a skill that makes me wish we could look forward to many more films from her. Read more

A.O. Scott, New York Times: With Waitress, Adrienne Shelly tamed and shaped realism, finding a perfect, difficult-to-achieve balance of enchantment and plausibility. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: This bittersweet romantic farce teeters and then tips into precious, a forgivable sin once you know this sweet movie's sad history. Read more

Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: Shelly left her daughter -- and her audience -- a wonderful gift, this movie about the transforming effects of motherhood. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Waitress is a pleasant dramatic comedy that overcomes its tonal inconsistencies by presenting an engaging lead character with whom its virtually impossible not to empathize. Read more

Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com: There are times when the spirit of a movie is enough to get you gliding over its obvious flaws. Waitress, which was directed by the late Adrienne Shelly, is one of those pictures. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: Waitress deserves an essay, not just a review. There are perfect moments that stand out, and the reasons for their perfection are interesting. Read more

Dana Stevens, Slate: A feminist fairy tale about a woman learning to develop her creative gifts while trapped in a stifling marriage, Waitress doesn't need to be subtle or original to hit home. Read more

Teresa Budasi, Chicago Sun-Times: We can only take comfort in the little slice of heaven she left behind. Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: Waitress is sweet, uneven and, ultimately, a heartbreaker. Read more

Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star: While Shelly's film trades in an especially outrageous form of girl-movie self-consciousness, she's completely sincere when it comes to making her heroine the irresistible repository of our sympathies. Read more

Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine: There's something spunky about those pies and there's something spunky about Waitress in general. Read more

David Fear, Time Out: Shelly's film (regrettably her last) may be a fine folly for foodies. But as a fable of female empowerment, it seriously lacks flavor. Read more

Wally Hammond, Time Out: Funny, gentle, unpatronising, if occasionally naive and quirky. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: Though some aspects feel like a sitcom, Waitress doesn't adhere to formula or resort to cliches. It's a rare chick flick that draws us in with its wit, warmth and quirkily appealing characters. Read more

Dennis Harvey, Variety: This tale of a pregnant small-town woman caught between a bad marriage and a risky affair is mostly as funny and charming as intended. Read more

Nathan Lee, Village Voice: Mildly quirky and zealously cute. Read more

Paul Farhi, Washington Post: Among the joys here are the supporting players, each with well-defined stories and quirky personalities. Read more