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Greetings again from the darkness. Very personal and intimate story from the very talented Adrienne Shelly. Ms. Shelly was tragically murdered before the film was released, but what a legacy and gift she left for her husband, daughter and film lovers.

Keri Russell ("Felicity") stars as Jenna, a fabulous pie maker who is a lost soul married to the world's worst husband - played brilliantly by Jeremy Sisto. She works at a diner with her two friends played wonderfully by the bubbly Cheryl Hines and the film's writer and director, Adrienne Shelly. The relationship between these three is very realistic, touching and entertaining. They love and cherish each other.

Outstanding support from Eddie Jemison ("Ocean's Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen"), Nathan Fillian ("Serenity") and the great Andy Griffith, who has some great lines and definitely should work more often!! Jemison's spontaneous poetry capture the heart of Ms. Shelly's character and Fillian's Dr. Pomatter shows Russell what it is like to be adored, rather than abused.

This is not slick Hollywood film-making. It is quirky ... just like real life. These are characters, who for the most part, make the best of their situations. Every now and then, if we are lucky, we capture a moment of pure bliss ... whether it is in the selfless hug from another, or the miracle of childbirth. The script analyzes loneliness and bad relationships with a twist of humor and much insight.

While it is heart-breaking that Ms. Shelly did not live to see the final product, we see her heart and soul on screen. And don't miss her real daughter (Sophie Ostrey) as Ms. Russell's 3 year old LuLu. This is a wonderful little film with some terrific moments and a nice message to enjoy your life.

I wasn't looking forward to this movie... I went because it was a free preview and more importantly to support Nathan Fillion. It was a lot better than I expected. Nathan was great of course - all of his nervous business was hilarious. It was fun to see him playing a sensitive guy. And I loved Cheryl Hines.

I enjoyed the story a lot, although it does tend to get a little cloying. There's plenty of acid humor to balance it out.

I was hysterical crying at the end of the film, thinking what a horrible tragedy it is that Adrienne Shelly won't be making any more films. She definitely had a lot of talent - I can't get her "Gonna Make a Pie" song out of my head.

It's hard to imagine that Adrienne Shelly who wrote, directed, and co-starred as lovable Dawn Williams in the film has been gone for 5 years after a brutal murder in New York City. This film was her lasting legacy. When you watch the film, you are seeing genius at work. Granted, there are some flaws in the film but nothing could take away from what it brought. The cast stars Keri Russell as Jenna (a pie making genius) who works as a waitress at Joe's Diner in a small town. She's pregnant and in an unhappy marriage to abusive Earl. Cheryl Hines plays Becky, another waitress who has an invalid husband at home. Adrienne Shelly plays Dawn, the awkward but lovable waitress who finds love unexpectedly. Anyway, Jenna's pregnancy and her job as a waitress makes her realize a lot about herself. She has an interesting relationship with Dr. P. (played by Nathan Fillon) in the cast. It's a great small film. One of those gems that you wished there were more of. I loved seeing Andy Griffith play Joe. He's great.

Waitress could have turned into a middling mess, or something with characters that are hard to like (or, I should really note, sociopathic) if done in a more hard-lined Hollywood 'rom-com' assembly-line output (in 2007 those were still done). But Adrienne Shelley was more, for lack of a less precise word-choice, sweet-hearted about her characters. Even the villain of the story, and he is a villain who stands firmly in the way of our hero Keri Russell, her character's husband played by Jeremy Sisto, takes a break (if only in the tiniest moments) to not be a scumbag and show how he too can be vulnerable and afraid.

He surely shows his humanity the least - Sisto is scarily adept at making his Earl into a presence that's felt off camera too, if not more so - but Shelley had with Waitress a real chance to make a commercial picture and she took it. Prior to this she directed a couple of low budget independent films, and with this may have seemed to go 'mainstream'. The casting choices though are what count here especially; Russell carries so much screen presence that it's a wonder the lens doesn't make out with her before Nathan Fillion's Doctor does. And in small parts she gets things right too with Cheryl Hines as another waitress at the diner where Jenna serves and (especially, well, uniquely) makes pies, and Andy Griffith is the nice-but-demeaning water (he better get his two waters AND have time to read the horoscope!)

There are times when the movie goes into perhaps being too 'cute' or 'quirky'; this is from the same studio, Fox Searchlight, that would a few months later put out another story of an uncertain-in-her-life young woman, Juno, and there's points this dips into being a story that is so light it might float away (or another way to put it on the other extreme is that it's a more grounded version of Pushing Daisies). And oddly enough if there's one part of the movie that doesn't work for me it's ironically Shelley's own sub-plot, where she's another waitress courted by a stone-cold Nebbish with a capital N, and who have an argument in the diner which kind of grinds the movie to a halt.

But I can forgive (most of) that for how pure the relationship is between Russell and Fillion on screen; I wish I saw more of Nathan FIllion in movies, or at least in leads like this where he gets to develop a character and he shows us just enough to get to understand why he's doing the things he is. Or, on the reverse, not entirely know why, again this is from Jenna's point of view and that's crucial - we're seeing it through HER eyes, through the downtrodden hero we want to see get out of her loveless marriage. Though some parts are funny (scattered really), it's actually more of a drama with a light touch, and it feels harrowing at times in the scope of a low-middle class, blue collar existence: what does one do with the options presented, i.e. bad marriage, a baby on the way that may/may not be loved, and an affair that is hot but untenable?

Russell guides all of these conflicts of the character beautifully, leading up to a conclusion that is genuine and moving. To a further point, knowing about the horrible circumstances outside of the production - Shelley was murdered just before the film was released, though it was finished at the time - makes the very ending a real lump-in-the-throat moment (or just cry your eyes out, go for it). Waitress wears its emotions on its sleeve, but it carries its sincerity along both in the writing and performances, so it's a tough film to ever put down all that much.

It is awfully difficult to write about the new pie-filled romantic comedy Waitress without indiscreetly mentioning the tragic death of its writer, director, and co-star Adrienne Shelly. Whenever a wonderfully unique moment occurred in the film, there was a realization that Shelly will sadly never reach her true potential made evident in the film. A major hit at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, one would think Waitress would be a strange, oddly funny gem of a film, due to the festival's independent sensibilities. Yet what starts as that refreshing, different type of a film, turns into another familiar, mainstream romantic comedy.

The film starts with Jenna, perfectly played by Keri Russell, a waitress at a southern diner, who soon discovers that she is pregnant. Jenna's greatest gift is her apparent extraordinary ability to create amazingly delicious pies. Making her own original pies with inventive names seems to help her escape from life with her angry, insecure, narcissistic husband (Jeremy Sisto). Giving Jenna more of a reason to simply run away from her marriage is her new gynecologist, Dr. Potmatter (Nathan Fillion), whom she soon has an affair with. The film is loaded with other memorable roles including her fellow waitresses Becky (Cheryl Hines), and Dawn (Shelly), Dawn's eccentric poetry shouting stalker/boyfriend Ogie (Eddie Jemison), and Old Joe, the diner's owner, and the man whom only Jenna can tolerate, unforgettably brought to life by Andy Griffith.

Waitress is one of the better romantic comedies a wife would drag her husband to, with supremely enjoyable moments, hilarious bits of dialogue, and a first-rate performance by Russell. Her performance is key to the film, as she is basically the only fully developed character. Yet, by the end of the day, the Waitress is still a very light, undoubtedly sentimental, but genuinely pleasant offering by a filmmaker who should have had a great future as an auteur.

It is a tribute to the creator of this film, Adrienne Shelley, that she left such wonderful memories with this viewer. Firstly, when we discovered her in the early Hal Hartley's films. She was a dynamo; she packed such strength in her tiny body that she loomed bigger than life in most of her screen appearances. We also had the opportunity to catch her in one of her rare theatre appearances at the Ohio theatre in New York in a play that wasn't that great, but every time she was on stage, Ms. Shelley projected a fantastic intelligence and wit.

"Waitress" was a labor of love for Adrianne Shelley. As a writer and director, she was generous to a fault. She always took a step back to let others shine, as is the case in this film. This film reflects how far she had gone in her work as well as the bright future she had ahead of her. All that, alas, was taken away from Ms. Shelley in a senseless moment by a deranged mind.

The best thing in the film is Keri Russell, who as Jenna gives a good performance. Nathan Fillion is seen as Dr. Pomatter, a confused individual who loses his head when he meets Jenna. Jeremy Sisto appears as Jenna's abusive husband Earl. Cheryl Hines, Andy Griffith, Eddy Jemison and Ms. Shelley complete the supporting cast.

Even though Adrienne Shelley is not with us, she'll live forever through the films in which she appeared. Let's hope she's smiling at us from heaven.

Ever since the Felicity days I've loved Keri Russell, so I was excited to see a screening of this in Santa Monica a week or so ago. I also have enjoyed Nathan Fillion in Serenity and the short-lived show Firefly that preceded that. But even with those expectations I was pleasantly surprised with this movie. It seems like in the past few years movies have become (or maybe they have always been) incredibly predictable. You go see a romantic comedy and it's almost like you can write the next line. I don't know about you, but I kind of like not knowing what is going to come next. That is part of the intrigue. The characters in this movie were diverse, funny, and completely endearing. In Waitress the dialogue is surprising and different. I really enjoyed the quirkiness of the characters. The crowd I viewed this movie with spanned many generations and it seemed to me that nearly everyone was laughing and enjoying themselves. I would recommend this to guys, girls, whoever...if you go in thinking it is going to be like every other movie you will really be happy when you leave the theater. I am definitely going to see it again when it is released this weekend.

Jenna Hunterson (Keri Russell) is a pie shop waitress who makes amazing pies with strange names. She is dismayed that her husband Earl (Jeremy Sisto) got her pregnant. He's a controlling, obnoxious, and demeaning. Her best friends are her fellow waitresses Becky (Cheryl Hines) and Dawn (Adrienne Shelly). The owner of the pie shop is Old Joe (Andy Griffith). She's trying to save money to run away from Earl. She wants to enter a $25k pie contest in a nearby town but Earl won't permit it. Then she meets the new doctor Jim Pomatter (Nathan Fillion). She falls for him only that he's already married.

It's a whimsical movie about slightly quirky characters by Adrienne Shelly. It's really sad that she got murdered. She showed herself to be an interesting emerging filmmaker. It's more charming rather than laugh out loud funny. The heart of it is the adorably sweet Keri Russell.

Waitress is a film that is almost impossible not to love. It is such an obvious labor of love for all involved and brings out some of the best work of many of those involved. And unlike many "labor of love" films, this one is actually both highly entertaining and easily accessible. From start to finish, it is a heart moving and amusing film with many quirks and magnificent originality. While it is a romantic comedy, it is not a "Hollywood" romantic comedy in that the film rarely -- if ever -- goes where you expect it to go.

The story follows a young waitress (played by Keri Russell) who is married to a full-time loser (Jeremy Sisto) with a mean spirit. She finds out she is pregnant which ultimately puts her on a collision course with the new doctor in town (Nathan Fillion) whom she falls into a passionate love affair with. The film follows this waitress as she tries to sort out her own problematic relationship with her husband, understand what her heart is telling her about her affair, all the while dealing with her everyday life with her fellow waitress friends (Adrienne Shelly and Cheryl Hines) and a grumpy old customer (Andy Griffith) who happens to own the restaurant where she works.

Every character in this film is memorable for one reason or another, including several minor character such as the short-order cook of the restaurant, and even a mother and her young, obnoxious son who frequent the restaurant and strike fear into the pregnant protagonist. Andy Griffith in particular grabs the audience's attention and makes his role a true standout.

The only major criticism that can be brought against the film is some of the camera work. At times the focus is unclear with the camera seemingly unsure which actors it should be staying on and at times simply not being in focus at all. However, it is such a minor issue and would go unnoticed to most audiences that it certainly doesn't bring the quality of the film down in any way.

Adrienne Shelly who acted in, wrote and directed the film (as well as co-set designed, co- costume designed and even provided one of the songs for the film) has left one perfect little film here. It is such a tragedy that she did not live to see this film's release as it certainly would have given her the success she so richly deserved. This film can easily be recommended to anybody who has a heart.

I just returned from seeing this delightful film at the Harkins Camelview 5 in Scottsdale, AZ. I was so excited to see it. And my anticipation was well worth the wait. This is a tiny, little story with a big heart shaped pie.

From the moment the story started I was totally absorbed. The writing is so smart, and so funny. Throughout the film my heart laughed and ached with longing. Each actor was perfectly attuned to their character. And it was so wonderful to see Andy Griffith on the big screen.

I am sorry to say that I had not heard of Adrienne Shelly until this film. But from this film alone, I can see what a remarkable writer, director, and actress she was.

If you enjoy slice-of-life stories and pie, this is the film for you.

I never expected to see a movie with a title like this, so out of sheer curiosity I watched a quick scene in the middle of the movie and thought - wow, I have to see this from the beginning!

This movie is very unusual. Yes, it's about a waitress, but it's very clever. The dialog is really well done and the unexpected things the characters do is really amusing. Even though the story seems clearly targeted at a female audience, it's kind of brilliantly done - so it works well for both genders.

Basically, the movie is about a young waitress who is planning to leave her abusive husband, but gets pregnant and her life immediately becomes more complicated. And by the way, she also makes great pies and falls for her obstetrician ...

OK - that sounds like it belongs on the Lifetime movie network for women. Even the men are very one-dimensional characters! However, don't let that stop you from watching it - you have no idea what you're giving up until you give it a chance (it only needs about 5 minutes in any part of the movie to prove itself). It's fun.

*** On a sadder note, we won't ever see another movie from the director/writer of this movie (who also acted in it), Adrienne Shelly. She was killed (homicide) while this movie was being finished. ***

Have you ever noticed how, if a review praises a movie, any movie, the, "helpful", votes pile up? If a review is critical in any way, forget your percentages. It will be, "3 helpful out of 1209 total", especially if you dare go against a popular trend, one that should have died long ago, that of hating men. This was one of the most enabling movies ever made. Sure, if a wife finds herself married to that brute, she should do whatever it takes to get out of the marriage. The Doctor was, however, just as abusive, dismissive, selfish and manipulative, not helping her, but in a different way, being maybe worse, since appearing to be what she wanted in a man. The harm in this movie rests in the fact that, in general, everyone feels, at one time or another, picked on, under-appreciated and taken advantage of by others. If a woman is sensitized , and looking for sources, other than herself, sensitized to look for it in signs in her husband, then he takes the brunt of the hate which is in most cases conjured up in the minds of everyone, occasionally, man or women. The net result of the mother and daughter walking off alone, being perfectly happy to be without a man, now that, my friends, is misleading and completely detrimental to those women who might otherwise try to work things out with their real-life husbands. Not with husbands like he was in the movie, but with the average husband who only occasionally is a jerk and, I might add, not too many more times than the average wife is to her husband, in real life. Man-hating movies get a pass by the general public. During the feminist movement, men were, "put in their place," regularly and some of that actually needed to occur. It has gone too far, past being equal, rebounding now to hating men and leading many women to trying to live without them, a really, really stupid outcome of the entire feminist movement. You would think there were no worthy men out there, if you listen to these movies, (and another of my favorite worst movies called, "This Boy's Life.") Very few men are misogynists. Most men are well worth living with. Women are NOT better off without them altogether. What The Waitress does is take a case, where dumping the jerk IS more than appropriate, and causes lingering anticipatory angst in a woman's mind, seeing similar things in the men she lives around, stretching now to find them, when, in fact, those things looked for so hard are not even close to really being part of what the men around those women will do or are being, in degree nor goal, even being capable of mimicking. Women and men, both, tend to blame the wrong person, the easy one to blame, the man, in this movie, when it is many times their own sadness they cannot deal with. Are women really this helpless in general? These kinds of victim movies are an indictment of the powerlessness of women, a lack of power that most men do not see or perceive. Most men would never come close to treating their wife in that manner, yet he might just inordinately get his head bit off if he even approaches what might look like the impending doom of emerging expected bad behavior, as was truly seen by the husband in the movie. "Running away." as she said many times, will be too often a result for many women after seeing that movie, when that is the stupidest thing they could do, not warranted and not beneficial, thinking life is better without men altogether. The three girls as waitresses were three of the biggest losers imaginable. You are telling me that fact was entirely the fault of the men around them? The only acceptable boyfriend was the sister-like wimp in which one of them saw little enough of a threat that he was OK! That's the kind of a man women want? The only "acceptable" man, now, can't be one? Some reviewers I read thought this was just a great comedy. Folks, if you have a clue, if you discern anything about anything, you must know there is not a single funny thing in or about this movie.

Waitress is a great, funny movie starring Keri Russell as a small-town waitress who discovers that she's pregnant just as she's planning to leave her jealous, controlling husband. The typical Hollywood approach for a movie like this would be to film it in ultra-serious "movie of the week" mode, but writer/director/actor Adrienne Shelly chose to tell her story in an extremely stylized, almost fairy-tale style. The stylized dialogue, super-sharp photography and primary-color palette even reminded me of the movies of Joel & Ethan Coen at times, but in the end, this movie packs an emotional punch that the Coen brothers have rarely achieved. It also features a brilliant (and brilliantly human) performance by Andy Griffith as the horny old geezer who owns the diner where Russell works.

This movie has a good chance at achieving a Little Miss Sunshine-style breakout this year. It's funny, quirky and honestly touching. Waitress stands as a fine legacy for Adrienne Shelly, but if things had been different, it could have been the movie that launched her into the mainstream instead of her swan song.

This hit and miss comedy has an inherent poignancy because of the fact that its writer and director, Adrienne Shelley, was murdered before the film was released. Not knowing all of the details about her life or death, I can't help but wonder if this story about an insecure waitress who dreams of a life away from her loutish husband and dull existence was in some ways the fantasy of Shelley herself. This makes me want to be lenient on the movie's faults, of which there are many.

The biggest is the casting of Keri Russell in the lead role. She's a fine actress, but she doesn't fit the part. She's far too pretty and self-assured, and too much of a firecracker for so much of the movie, to understand why she's let herself settle for a husband and life that's way beneath her. And the film's resolution is too glib, and bordering on irresponsible. Obviously, Shelley, in her screenplay, was responding to the empowering act of becoming a mother that she no doubt felt in her own life (the daughter of Keri Russell's character in the movie is Shelley's real-life daughter), but to suggest that Russell's character could simply tell her husband to get out of her life without any ramifications rings completely false.

But I am a fan of Nathan Fillion, who plays a doctor with whom Russell strikes up a heated affair, and he brings a lot of charm and charisma to the film. Cheryl Hines, who I can't stand on HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm," is a breath of fresh air as one of Russell's fellow waitress friends (she's reminiscent of Flo from the film "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore"), and Shelley herself plays another, mousier, colleague. Andy Griffith also makes an appearance as a cranky but lovable old man.

An honest effort whose strengths mostly outweigh its weaknesses.

Grade: B+

The late writer-director Adrienne Shelly's Waitress is a fine quirky film. But I have to admit one of the prime reasons for my catching this movie, is that it stars Keri Russell. Somehow I didn't find her all that attractive during her Felicity days, but my, how have things changed, and her very short role in M:I:III was somewhat a pity. Here, she plays the lead role as Jenna, a waitress at a pie diner, who's secretly wishing to save enough money to get away from a miserable life.

And what a miserable life that is. Stuck in an unhappy marriage, her life is the home to work to home cycle, putting up with customers in the diner, but worse, having to tolerate her husband Earl (Jeremy Sisto) and his nonsense. A possessive, insecure man, he controls Jenna, even as ridiculous as the things she has to say to him, and makes life an emotional, and sometimes physical hell for her. Your blood will just boil when you see the kind of treatment he dishes out, especially the miscellaneous blackmailing techniques.

But Jenna's thoughts and plans of escape get put on hold as she becomes pregnant. And having secret desires with a newcomer doctor Dr. Pomatter (Nathan Fillion of Serenity) just happens to complicate things, not that he's a good looker, but finally here's someone who lends a listening ear, but wait, is also married! The story dwells upon life in general, and the choices and decisions one makes, and I thought for a moment it nearly gone into Little Children territory.

Waitress contains a lot of charm, in having the good looking leads in Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion play off each other. Those into bakery will also be smiling at the numerous pies that Jenna bakes, whose ingredients and inspiration come from her life situations and events. Andy Griffith, whom I have watched as a boy his television series Matlock, lends himself to a role as Old Joe, who owns the pie diner, a fussy man who dictates his every wish at the diner, but one who also dispenses invaluable everyday life advice to Jenna when she needed it most. But as much as I like the many characters in the movie, I still take my hat off to Jeremy Sisto's Earl, as the asshat husband. Those who behave like he does ought to be ashamed, and it's a constant reminder never to degenerate into a complete prick like he is.

It makes a wonderful date movie this week, even though it's not a romance movie per se and is heavy on dialogue. But definitely one of the major issues raised and as observed here, is for the guys to take stock of our behaviour when dealing with our loved ones. This, despite Waitress being a chick flick.

Gorgeously filmed story of Romance/Comedy in a southern town. Russell is sweetly brilliant- soundtrack is soulfully supportive of storyline.. Loved this one and can't wait to see it again in my neighborhood. Andy Griffin couldn't have been more on target. Other characters Cheryl,Nathan, Jeremy- what can I say? brilliant casting. Was thrilled to hear the film was picked up for distribution. The viewer can't help but walk away from WAITRESS with good vibes. Adrienne Shelley was VERY good and her talent as writer, producer will be sorely missed. Was so sad to hear of her tragic murder. Unbelievable. Truth is stranger than fiction.

The story of a young pie cook and waitress, Jenna (played by gorgeous Keri Russell), who struggles to survive emotionally to the tyranny of a jealous and possessive husband in a small town in southern USA.

I did not think it was an independent film worthy of Sundance, --where, however, triumphed--, but rather a Hollywood film. The film has an interesting script, but it's too pretentious as touches too many issues (domestic violence, loneliness, deception, creative cuisine, unwanted pregnancy, the need to escape the village and her husband to have a better life) but none of them deep enough or with enough originality.

Several elements deserve praise. Firstly, the culinary part. The food and pastries that Jenna creates are an emotional expression of her daily mood and feelings, and the scenes connected with their preparation are beautifully presented, filmed with intimacy and warmth; it somewhat reminds me of the emotional food story presented in Like Water for Chocolate. Secondly, the relationship(predictable and many times told) between Jenna and the grumpy old man who owns the Cafe where she works, played by a delightful Andy Griffith. Thirdly, the dialogs between the three waitresses and their personal stories, really nice and funny, with that southern accent full of grammatical inaccuracies so charming! Finally, the unloving letters that Jenna writes to her unborn child. Moreover, the film has beautiful colors, a 1950s feeling in it too, and a great cheerfulness, that makes the watching very enjoyable.

The three waitresses Keri Russell, Cheryl Hines and Adrienne Shelley) are great in their roles, but are Jeremy Sisto, as the insecure and jealous husband, and Griffith, the ones that really stand out and steal the show.

I thought this was a wonderful feel good movie. It developed the characters well, especially Keri Russell's (Jenna). Thanks for making a fun movie that's not afraid to show real 'flawed' people in real situations!! I would recommend this movie to anyone who is sick of phony perfect main stream characters that really don't have any problems. The late Adrienne Shelly did a great job directing and acting in a supporting role. Cheryl Hines adds her great comedic flare! She's also good in Scrubs. I'm glad to see Keri acting in a main role again. She's such a naturally lovable personality on screen as she was in the TV show Felicity. This movie's perfectly fitting since she is currently pregnant! GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!

In this chirpy romantic comedy, Keri Russell plays Jenna, a waitress at a pie diner in the middle of nowhere. She passes the time by inventing a new pie everyday, often with neurotic names like "I hate my husband and want to leave him pie". Her life is a mess, she is married to a pig she yearns to escape from, but soon realises he somehow managed to get her pregnant. Deciding she wants to keep the baby, she hides the news from both her work and her husband for as long as possible. She meets a neurotic doctor (Nathan Fillion) who initially charms and repels her in equal proportion, before both of them start a hidden affair together.

Although Waitress has received a few lousy reviews, there is nothing in the movie worth getting terribly irked about. The cast are all charmingly played, and even if the writing is not up to scratch, the chirpy charisma of the characters allows you to see through the script. But the real star is Nathan Fillion. Every scene he is in is lit up with warmth and charm - and his talent for making ordinary dialogue seem funny is as prominent as ever. Yes it is predictable. No it is not anything truly substantial. But true fans of the genre will get their money's worth.

Ever since she was a little girl, Jenna (Keri Russell) has been concocting world-class pie recipes - a different pie, in fact, for every mood and occasion that life has to offer. Now, in her thirties, she finds herself stuck working as a waitress in somebody else's pie shop and trapped in a loveless marriage to a domineering and physically abusive lout named Earl. And, oh yes, she also happens to be pregnant.

This is the set-up for "Waitress," a slick, low-budget independent romantic comedy that was one of the genuine sleeper hits of 2007. It is also the movie that marked the final work of the gifted writer/director/co-star Adrienne Shelley who was tragically murdered by a burglar about six months prior to the release of the film.

That morbid taint notwithstanding, "Waitress" is a generally amiable comedy that, despite its small town New England setting and naturalistic performances, isn't always as genuine and authentic as it needs to be to be effective. The scenes between Jenna and her fellow waitresses (Shelley, Cheryl Hines) do have the ring of "girl talk" truth about them, but those involving Jenna and the dreamy young pediatrician who's just set up his practice in town come across as pure Hollywood contrivance and hokum.

Russell has warmth and appeal as the deeply unhappy and conflicted Jenna, and she receives excellent support from Shelley and Hines as her encouraging and understanding co-workers and friends. Nathan Fillion, however, makes for a rather bland love interest as the gallant and gorgeous - albeit married - Doctor Pomatter, while the truly talented Jeremy Sisto ("Six Feet Under") struggles under the weight of a poorly written part as Jenna's irredeemably smarmy and churlish husband - a character that's at least a half a dozen shades too dark for a comedy as innocuous and lighthearted in tone as this one is. In fact, one of the major weaknesses in the script is its insistence on seeing its main male characters in two-dimensional rather than three-dimensional terms. Of the actors, though, it is the venerable Andy Griffith who steals every scene he's in as the crusty but wise owner of the diner who sets Jenna straight on a thing or two regarding how she's choosing to live her life.

There's a nice fairy tale ending to leave you feeling uplifted and good about life - which is just about all one really asks for from a film such as this one, I guess.

Be forewarned, however: this movie is not recommended for anyone who is on a strict diet or who is in any way serious about reducing calories.

I thought I was going to have to start scratching my eyes out during this movie to make the time pass. There were no "up's and down's" in this flick. It was completely monotone. I could have watched the first 5 minutes of this movie, then left and come back for the last 3 minutes and not missed a thing. So boring. It reminded me of a low budget soap opera. The acting was okay. But the storyline really didn't go anywhere. I felt ripped off seeing this movie at the theater. It's definitely one I could have waited for to come out on TELEVISION. I saw that it received 8 out of 10 stars and that's why I went to see it. I'm not quite sure what everyone enjoyed about this flick unless it was their great popcorn or they received free tickets to the flick.