Waitress was a good “date flick” … dare I say “chick flick.” (But I really enjoyed it… what does that make me?)
The movie is about small town waitress, Jenna, whose only joy is escaping her abusive husband each day to go to work where she creates incredible pies at a small time diner. Pregnant and miserable, she carefully plots her escape from her imprisoned existence.
This was one of the most creative scripts I’ve seen in a long time. That, combined with incredible performances from Russell, Griffith (he’s come a long way since Matlock), Shelly and the entire cast… made it a really enjoyable film.
But I admit, I’m a little torn. I’m a little bit polarized with this movie. On one hand, I’d almost go as far as to say this was one of the best films of 2007. But the film included an element that left a bad taste in my mouth. I’ll resort to bullets with the good and the bad.
The Good:
- Original storyline that hooked me from the first moment
- Great performances across the board
- A good balance of humor and heart
- The “pie making” sequences were very creative—the thread that wove the entire story together
- The story provided numerous redeemable characters. Call me simple, but I enjoy a film with a lot of “likeable” people.
The Bad:
- Adultery was a strong theme in the movie. And I really don’t think it was necessary in the script.
So as enjoyable as the film was, I’m going to have to give it a score of just a “rental.” Definitely worth the rent.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Nope. For one, they won’t really get a lot of it. Secondly, adultery and sexual situations (no nudity or actual sex scenes) are smattered throughout the film. The film truly is PG-13.
Side Note:
As said above, we don't recommend your kids see this film. But on the occasion that they actually have already seen it, you may want to dialogue about the film with them. These questions below may be a help to you.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
Jonathan McKee, president of The Source for Youth
Ministry, is the author of numerous books including the new
Should I Just Smash My Kid's Phone?, and youth ministry books like
Ministry By Teenagers,
Connect: Real Relationships in a
World of Isolation, and the award winning book
Do They Run When They See You Coming? Jonathan
speaks and trains at conferences, churches and events across North
America, all while providing free resources for youth workers and parents on his
websites,
TheSource4YM.com and
TheSource4Parents.com. You can follow Jonathan on
his blog, getting a regular dose of youth culture and parenting help.
Jonathan and his wife Lori, and their three teenagers Alec, Alyssa and Ashley live
in California.
