Waitress

Play trailer

2:25

Waitress

PG-13

Released May 2, 2007

1h 47m

Comedy

Drama

Romance

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

89%

Tomatometer

171 Reviews

74%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Jenna (Keri Russell) works in a diner in a small Southern town and is a genius at creating luscious desserts, but her marriage to an overbearing lout (Jeremy Sisto) makes happiness impossible. When she discovers she is pregnant, she makes plans to skip town before her condition is obvious. However, she begins an affair with the new town doctor (Nathan Fillion), who is the only one who knows her secret.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Sweet, smart, and quirky, Waitress hits the right, bittersweet notes through this romantic comedy through its witty script and a superb performance by Keri Russell.

Read Critics Reviews

Shauna Lyon

The New Yorker

Shelly deftly achieves a tone pitched between fantasy and reality, its levity belying an astute and humane study of an unhappy relationship steeped in inertia.

Feb 10, 2014

Full Review

Wally Hammond

Time Out

Funny, gentle, unpatronising, if occasionally naive and quirky.

Rated: 3/5

Nov 18, 2011

Full Review

Mark Bourne

Film.com

Waitress is not a perfectly cut, factory-line Safeway-brand slice. It does, though, serve up a generous deep-dish portion, homemade and heartfelt, that leaves a sweet taste goes down.

Nov 28, 2007

Full Review

Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

It's hard to picture an actress other than Russell so beautifully blending the drama, desperation, hopefulness, sweetness, and sensuality of her character.

Rated: 4.0/4.0

Sep 26, 2020

Full Review

Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

Adrienne Shelly's 'Waitress' is a bittersweet comedy-drama that has good intentions when it establish its romantic dilemmas, but I feel it lacks grace and emotionality. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 6/10

Aug 26, 2020

Full Review

Brandy McDonnell

The Oklahoman

The experience is enjoyable but bittersweet, because Waitress will leave you with a taste for more.

Rated: 3.5/4

Aug 9, 2018

Full Review

Read all reviews

Jerry R

There is only one thing to be said about this excellent movie, the performance of magnificent actress Keri Russell. Enjoy it!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/24/25

Full Review

SkyRo P

I recently watched the 2007 film "Waitress," featuring Keri Russell in the lead role. The movie has a light comedic touch, but it leans more towards romance, telling the story of a woman trapped in a terrible relationship. She finds solace and escape in her passion for baking pies, dreaming of one day owning her own pie shop. Overall, I found the film quite enjoyable and watched it from start to finish. While I believe the stage play offers deeper character development and a richer portrayal of the protagonist, the film does explore her relationship with the doctor in greater detail. However, I felt that their connection developed too quickly, lacking a proper buildup, which can be attributed to some shortcomings in the screenwriting. The sudden shift from him being her gynecologist to a romantic interest felt a bit awkward. The cast did an amazing job in their respective roles. Personally, I preferred the portrayal of the character by the actress in the stage musical over the film's counterpart. Nonetheless, I believe the film was well-directed, with strong performances that effectively conveyed the emotional journey intended for the audience. I would definitely recommend it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/16/25

Full Review

Bob G

Great actors having a really bad go at it. With a sappy, after school special story line. I couldn't even finish it.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/02/25

Full Review

Trafalgar L

A sharp and witty story about an overworked pregnant waitress who has to deal with an abusive husband. "Waitress" is exactly what we need this day and age, it not only deals with a serious topic, but presents in a very respectful way. Also the performance of Jenna by Keri Russell is top notch.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/29/24

Full Review

Ram L

There are just too many things to like about this gem of a movie! Romantic yet realistic, dramatic with no "dramatic scenes," surreal yet earthy (if that's possible)—and there's no guessing how it's going to end!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/06/23

Full Review

Courtney K

this is fine; there's a few cute/funny scenes & i like the cast, but it's nothing special. i'm not sure i liked it quite as much as other people did, but it was a decent one-time watch.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/18/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Adrienne Shelly

Director

Keri Russell

Jenna

Nathan Fillion

Dr. Pomatter

Cheryl Hines

Becky

Adrienne Shelly

Dawn

Lew Temple

Cal

Broken English

65%

62%

Broken English

Watchlist

In the Land of Women

43%

52%

In the Land of Women

Watchlist

Lars and the Real Girl

81%

84%

Lars and the Real Girl

Watchlist

Elizabethtown

27%

66%

Elizabethtown

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Elizabethtown

Meet the Browns

33%

90%

Meet the Browns

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

10 Hidden Gems of The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Stars

RT on DVD: A Warm Slice of Waitress, A Side of Futurama, Hold the Lindsay Lohan Career Killer

Box Office Guru Wrapup: "Fantastic Four" Clobbers Box Office Foes

Waitress: Trailer 1

2:25

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Jenna (Keri Russell) works in a diner in a small Southern town and is a genius at creating luscious desserts, but her marriage to an overbearing lout (Jeremy Sisto) makes happiness impossible. When she discovers she is pregnant, she makes plans to skip town before her condition is obvious. However, she begins an affair with the new town doctor (Nathan Fillion), who is the only one who knows her secret.

Director: Adrienne Shelly
Producer: Michael Roiff
Screenwriter: Adrienne Shelly
Distributor: Fox
Production Co: Night & Day Pictures
Rating: PG-13 (Sexual Content|Language|Thematic Elements)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 2, 2007, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 12, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $19.1M
Runtime: 1h 47m

Most Popular at Home Now