Ah, the restaurant industry. Definitely an excellent muse for a movie script. Rob McKittrick was working in a restaurant while he wrote Waiting… The result is an alarmingly accurate depiction of what it is like to work in the food service industry, with some exaggeration to try to appeal to those have never been gainfully employed in this vocation.
Honestly there really is not much of a plot. The film mostly takes place during one day at work at Shenaniganz, a casual dining restaurant. It’s like any other restaurant; filled with guests who can’t order steaks at proper delicious eating temperature, poor tippers, assholes that complain about everything. The only real continuous storyline involves Dean (Justin Long) who has been a server for 4 years. Much like many servers, he took the job as a temporary gig, while taking classes at community college, but somehow ends up there longer than planned. When his mother tells him of his former classmate Chet, who now has a Bachelor’s degree, Dean becomes a bit more disillusioned and questions his position in life. His friend, roommate and co-worker, Monty (Ryan Reynolds) has no qualms with being a server (and also a pervert who likes underage girls). Other than that, we wander through some hilarious, but sometimes a bit over the top dialogue, in a pretty competently directed film.
I should say, that I have worked in many a restaurant. Perhaps this is why the movie resonated with me. It really is damn accurate as to how it is to work in the industry. I should say, that I have never worked in a restaurant where there was a game that involves exposing male genitalia, and I have NEVER seen anyone mess with anyone’s food. However, as a guest, you should know, the latter is possible. The ultimate question is, can this film translate to someone who has never been there? I think it does. It helps that it has mostly established actors in it. If it were cast with complete unknowns, it may not. Ryan Reynolds definitely does his comedy Ryan Reynoldsey thing, but his character is like that so it works. In fact another character calls him out on it (“…your personality is one small punctuated joke after another.”). The film is full of vulgarity, alcohol and drug abuse. It really is like a sort of Animal House for servers.
Perhaps the funniest thing about a film like this, is how folks who have never worked in a restaurant may react to the events of the film. They have no idea what it’s like on the other side. The disdain for having to make the deserts. The hatred for having to sing “happy birthday” to a guest. The inability to understand the shitty attitude and tip one can receive no matter how good the service they provide. The inexplicable rudeness involved walking into a causal dining restaurant 5 minutes before it closes to sit down and eat as if you were in a Denny’s. What results is a seemingly thoughtless wacky comedy geared toward a specific demographic, but believe me, it is specifically pointed at all people who are inept at the unwritten rules of eating out. This is what makes it awesome. Sure it’s funny. But, be careful. It could be real.
This is a definite comfort movie. Just watch it. It’s funny.
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