Waitress

Keri Russell is going to be fielding a lot of offers after this one. She plays Jenna, a waitress in a bad marriage to a scumbag (Jeremy Sisto, doing scumbag well). She finds out she’s pregnant. To further complicate things, she starts an affair with her married doctor (Nathan Fillion). Jenna is a pie chef, and the film has fun with her naming pies after all aspects of her life. Andy Griffith does some of his best work in years as the cranky owner of the diner where Jenna works, and Cheryl Hines delivers a great supporting performance as a fellow waitress. I absolutely love the way this movie ends and was impressed by the unorthodox turns the screenplay takes, right at the moments where you might feel the film is becoming a bit routine. As of now, it’s time to declare Russell as an early frontrunner for an Oscar nomination. Adrienne Shelly, who wrote, directed and costarred in this gem, was murdered last year while completing the film. This film is a testament to her talent.