The Happy Waitress

The Happy Waitress takes some of the material Martin Scorsese was simply afraid to touch in Alice Doesn't Live here Anymore, and advances it to the point that a mundane occupation becomes a fascinating spectacle.

It is the vision of director Terrence Smith that makes this film the eye-popper that it is. All the tricks are in Smith's bag, but he is not simply the master of formal conceits. His feel for the characters and their plight display a maturity seldom seen in such a young filmmaker.

To say that this film is recommended would be a gross under-statement. It is, simply, the finest film of the year.