RATING:

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Anna Faris, Justin Long, David Koechner, Kaitlin Doubleday, Alana Ubach, Vanessa Lengles, Chi McBride, Luis Guzmán, John Francis Daley, Robert Patrick Bennedict, Andy Milonakis. Written and Directed by: Rob McKittrick.

Rated R for strong crude and sexual humor, pervasive language and some drug use.

If you’ve ever concerned about what happens to your food when you send it back at a restaurant, don’t go see Waiting. Actually, after getting out of the theater from this film, you may not want to go out to eat again!

Raunchy is probably the best word to describe the movie, from the wait staff to the bus boys to the cooks to even the manager – there’s no stone left unturned. Waiting is written and directed by first timer Rob McKittrick, who had to have worked in at least one or two restaurants in his day. You just can’t know that much about the inner workings of wait staff unless you’ve been there yourself.

I’ll start with prior to when I entered the theater. Lions Gate had a pre-viewing dinner complete with wine and beer. Normally, when we’re given alcohol before a screening, there’s already a pre-conceived idea of how the movie is – not so up-to-par. But, I had heard good things about, so the beer just came as an extra perk.

The movie focuses around the wait staff of Shenaniganz, a TGI Friday’s or Applebee’s style restaurant. A very happy place – yeah right! The waiters and waitresses have so many internal and external issues, you could right 10 books on each of them. From Ryan Reynolds’ character, Monty, who is so obsessed with himself, he doesn’t care that he has sex with under aged girls. Or we’ll tackle Alanna Ubach, who’s just angry at herself, at the wait staff, basically at the world. And then there’s Anna Farris, who’s just too sexy for her own good. Everywhere you look, someone’s got issues.

The heart of the story is one waiter in particular – Dean, played by Justin Long. After a successful high school career, Dean went on to attend a community college and work at Shenaniganz to earn money. Unfortunately for him, four years later, he’s still at the restaurant. It’s not until his mom tells him about a high school classmate of his graduates from college with a degree in electrical engineering. It’s also at this time, the manager of the restaurant asks him to become assistant manager. That’s when Dean begins to take a look at where he wants his life to go.

Throughout the course of one day at Shenaniganz, we get to see how trainee’s are taught. And that trainee is John Francis Daley, from Freaks and Geeks. He gets introduced to ‘the game.’ What is ‘the game’ you ask? Well, it was started by the head cook, Luis Guzman. The object of ‘the game’ is to get any of the male employees to look at your private parts without intentionally pulling your pants down and showing them. You’re probably thinking to yourself ‘What kind of f-ed up game is that?’ And you would be 100% correct in thinking that. But as you’re watching the film, the game takes shape; it grows on you. Towards the end of the film, we find out why it’s only a game for the guys.

Now, back to my first sentence, what does happen if you send your food back to the cooks? Well, if you’re a good customer, probably exactly what you asked for. But not at Shenaniganz; when you’re rude to the staff, the staff gets rude back. The cooks ‘take their jobs very seriously.’ Again, take that with a grain of salt. They carefully make sure the amount of rudeness you’re shelled out, gets back in your food. That is scratching dandruff on steak, nice sweat moistened bread, and nice twine pubic hair as a topping. Yes, I said pubic hair.

There are a ton of laughs, of the toilet bowl variety. When the staff is grossed out, you’re grossed out. It’s a win-win movie however you look at it. Funny, and did I mention how hot Anna Farris is!

Waiting also stars comedian Dane Cook as one of the cooks, Boston Public’s Chi McBride as the dish washer and restaurant psychologist, and Anchorman’s David Koechner as the manager.

I give this film 3 out of 4 stars! A definite laugh-out-loud film!