Set in an unnamed Deep South town at Joe's Pie Diner, Waitress follows the story of Jenna (Keri Russell) as she confronts impending motherhood with dread. To cope with her life's complications (the baby's father is her abusive dumbass husband), Jenna whips up the unusual pies that keep the locals coming to Joe's. Serving them up her are her fellow waitresses and friendly support group...
...cynical seen-it-all Becky (Curb Your Enthusiasm's Cheryl Hines) and sweet and trusting Dawn (writer/director Adrienne Shelley). Jenna is the rock, in their minds, despite her marriage to the aptly-Southern-named Earl (Jeremy Sisto).
The discovery of her pregnancy leads to an introduction to the town's handsome new doctor (Nathan Fillion, of Firefly and the short-lived Drive), who despite being married develops a new-guy crush on Jenna -- fully understandable as Keri Russell is luminous on screen, but in the context of the story his crush and her returned affection are just something you have to go with. Between the Doctor's affection and the support of crusty old diner owner Joe (Andy Griffith), Jenna learns to accept her pregnancy, see herself in a new light, and take the first steps outside the boundaries of her current life. Her wry journal entries in the baby book that Becky and Dawn give her chart Jenna's changing attitudes and were my favorite parts of the movie.
Take good cast chemistry, throw in a big cup of fantasy, mix it up with a few improbable outcomes, and serve with a smile: Waitress is a charming first film and a tribute to Shelley, who was senselessly murdered just months before the film's debut. I, for one, would have liked to see what she did next.