Waiting...

When I first saw previews for this movie, I expected a soulless comedy about restaurant staff messing with customers. Although some people may feel that way even after seeing it, I was pleasantly surprised. From the introduction of 'the game' near the beginning of the movie, I knew this was going to be more interesting and even more disturbing than the previews.

Despite what appears to be rather thin characterization, 'Waiting' succeeds at being a good character-driven movie. I am not sure why this is. Perhaps what seem to be just childish antics add depth to the characters without us realizing it. Some people complain that 'the game' is a 10 second gag stretched out for the entire film, and on the surface, this is true. However, the game is really more of a mechanism for developing characters than anything on its own. The result is a set of very flawed, but surprisingly likable characters. Also, the ending, though a little abrupt, is entertaining largely because the movie does a good job of setting up the characters and situation.

This movie is not for everyone. If you do not like 'stupid' humor, then you will probably not be able to overlook that to enjoy the more subtle aspects. However, once you get past that, this movie is more than the sum of its parts.

I remember that when this movie came out in theatres, people didn't really know what to expect. And of coarse the movie bombed in the theatres. Well when I bought this movie, I watched it and realized that it is accurate, very funny and over really good. I have worked in a restaurant myself and I know all the sick things that some chefs would actually do. This movie just goes in depth on a day-in-the-life, of normal people working in a small restaurant. It shows when the day begins, all the way to the end of the shift. Another thing about this movie that made it so funny was a game that the men of the restaurant played. This game involves making somebody "unwillingly" look at their package down below. Well as you can see, the movie is hilarious and I definitely recommend it.

In many ways this movie can be compared to another successful cult comedy by the name of "Office Space". Both films are about what really happens in a stressful working environment. While "Office Space" and "Waiting" do share similar plots, first time director Rob McKittrick seems to have more of a flare for slacker comedy than Mike Judge.

What also makes this comedy stand out is the great casting and colorful characters. The always funny Ryan Reynolds leads the crew of misfits including Anna Faris, Justin Long and the incredibly hilarious Luiz Guzman.This movie can get a tad immature at times, but those who love movies like "The 40-Year Old Virgin" and "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle" will absolutely worship this picture.

First off just to clear this off: I work at an Applebees. I know that often times customers aren't any better than the dirt underneath your finger nails; so when I heard about this movie I was, in short, excited. Finally a movie that exposes the rotten customer, but after seeing it I felt empty. Half of this movie was one big long dick joke. I spent 96-ish minuets watching a movie that focused more on how guys flash each other when what I wanted to see was 96-ish minuets of real-to-life customer and server interaction. While yes, the customer interactions in here were very real, the truth is there wasn't enough. The acting was decent, but the loud screaming chick annoyed me to no end. The story danced around a decision. I snickered at a few parts but I never found myself laughing out loud. The sexual humor felt very American Pie-esquire in some cases when I was expecting more of an Office Space/Dilbert style. If you serve, cook, host, or bartend at a restaurant you'll find some of this movie to be funny, but not enough to save it's soul.

I hated (HATED!) being a waitress, but this movie is so hilarious and so ballsy that it almost makes me want to go back to the summer of 1999 to work one more shift at TGI Fridays. Waiting is the best, most accurate, most honest, and most riotously funny movie ever made about the service industry. Here's how I see it – the world is divided into two groups of people: those who have waited tables and those who haven't. Those who have never worked a day of their lives in a restaurant may find this movie amusing, but they'll think it's too absurd to be real, and they'll probably never give a second thought to this movie ever again.

But those of you who have felt the pain, degradation, and humiliation of waiting tables will p**s your pants laughing at how PERFECT this movie is. First-time writer/director Rob McKittrick has created a dead-on depiction of 24 hours in the restaurant biz. The movie opens at a late-night party with lots of underage drinking, smoking, and sex. Then we see the wait staff hung-over at work the next day. The restaurant they all work at is called "Shenanigans," but it looks an awful lot like the TGI Fridays I worked at.

All the characters in Waiting are based on the real people who work in every restaurant. There's the hot/slutty/underage hostess, the fat and ugly cook who somehow dates a really hot waitress, the stoner/punk bust boy, and the manager with the chip on his shoulder. All the customers in this film (the cheap red necks who don't know how to tip, the b****y women, the drunk and horny men) are all customers I've waited on. And no filmmaker has ever so accurately portrayed the complex and irreconcilable tension between the wait staff and kitchen staff.

But at the end of the night, no matter what drama unfolds, no matter what dishes brake, and no matter how much money you make in tips (or don't make), everyone gets wasted and parties together, and you all know you're in it together. Waiting simply tells a story about a profession that most people never give a second thought to. But it tells that story flawlessly. Can't wait for the DVD.