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Overall Rating
  Awesome: 13.24%
Worth A Look: 25%
Average: 20.59%
Pretty Bad: 4.41%
Total Crap: 36.76%
7 reviews, 26 user ratings
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| Waiting... |
by William Goss
"A Dish Best Served Crude"
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There isn’t much of 'Waiting…' that audiences haven’t seen elsewhere. However, under that burden, first-time writer/director Rob McKittrick manages to polish up a made-to-order film with inspired humor of a both verbal and vulgar nature and exist as a worthwhile entertainment.Dean (Justin Long) is four years out of high school and still slaving as a server at a chain restaurant called Shenanigans. There, his co-workers include the sardonic Monty (Ryan Reynolds), the sweet Serena (Anna Faris), the sage Bishop (Chi McBride), and the steaming Naomi (Alanna Ubach), among many others. Throughout the dragging day, Dean tries to find some hope for a future career outside of a managerial position underneath the ever-incompetent Dan (David Koechner). The day also includes the training of newbie Mitch (John Francis Daley), who is often interrupted by chefs Raddimus (Luis Guzman) and Floyd (Dane Cook) in their enthusiastic participation in the Game.
Though Clerks, Empire Records, Barbershop, and Office Space seem to have covered the “daily grind” comedic subgenre, Waiting… takes place in the realm of the restaurant, which allows for more inspired incidents to occur. There are many touches that will undoubtedly ring true with employees of food establishments, while those who don’t grasp just enough of the joke to get a kick out of it. It is through the occasional tastelessness that the film adds some flavor. Few sequences seem to be gross-out just to spite the viewer. However, they manage not to be gratuitous gags, and they elicit the sad realization that the tainting of meals and flashing of genitalia were inspired by true events. For the most part, the pacing of laughs is consistent, and misses are few and far-between. The best example seems to be a subplot concerning Calvin (Robert Patrick Benedict) and his reluctance to urinate in pubic restrooms, a thread that is mildly amusing and never really pays off as much as intended.McKittrick, a veteran waiter, brings capable direction to his own screenplay, which carries a more tangible tone than most other comedies. The ensemble is solid across the board, especially Reynolds as Monty, with the sharp tongue and relentless charisma that has won him so many fans. At the end of the day, anyone looking to enjoy some laughs will leave a satisfied customer. 'Waiting…' manages to elevate itself just enough over all its reheated clichés, even if it’s not always in good taste.
link directly to this review at https://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=13160&reviewer=409
originally posted: 10/25/05 15:24:50
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USA
07-Oct-2005 (R)
DVD: 07-Feb-2006
UK
N/A
Australia
01-Dec-2005
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