Waiting... (2005/I)

Director:

Rob McKittrick

Writer (WGA):

Rob McKittrick (written by)

Release Date:

7 October 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Hungry for Laughs? (DVD)

Plot:

Young employees at Shenaniganz restaurant collectively stave off boredom and adulthood with their antics.

Plot Keywords:

Waiter | Hostess | Decision | Employee | Trainee

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Feb. 14	7:00 PM	COMEDY
Mon. Feb. 15	2:30 PM	COMEDY

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Ryan Reynolds	...	Monty
Anna Faris	...	Serena
Justin Long	...	Dean
David Koechner	...	Dan
Luis Guzmán	...	Raddimus
Chi McBride	...	Bishop
John Francis Daley	...	Mitch
Kaitlin Doubleday	...	Amy
Rob Benedict	...	Calvin (as Robert Patrick Benedict)
Alanna Ubach	...	Naomi
Vanessa Lengies	...	Natasha
Max Kasch	...	T-Dog
Andy Milonakis	...	Nick
Dane Cook	...	Floyd
Jordan Ladd	...	Danielle

Also Known As:

Waiting (UK) (poster title)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Australia:MA | UK:15 | USA:Unrated (unrated DVD version) | Ireland:16 | Brazil:16 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Malaysia:18SX | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/16 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Eden Rock Media

Trivia:

The ShenaniganZ restaurant was actually a converted Bennigan's restaurant (hence the extreme similarities). It has since been completely renovated and is now a Verizon Wireless retail store. (2009)

Goofs:

Continuity: Before Naomi pulls up her skirt, you see a for a second that she really has underwear on.

Quotes:

Dean: Excuse me, sir. You forgot your change.
Redneck: No, that's for you, that's your tip.
Dean: Oh, no, no, no, I insist. You take it. You obviously need this more than I do.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "American Dad!: In Country... Club (#5.1)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Frantic

Disturbing, disgusting, offensive, and better than I expected

When I first saw previews for this movie, I expected a soulless comedy about restaurant staff messing with customers. Although some people may feel that way even after seeing it, I was pleasantly surprised. From the introduction of 'the game' near the beginning of the movie, I knew this was going to be more interesting and even more disturbing than the previews.

Despite what appears to be rather thin characterization, 'Waiting' succeeds at being a good character-driven movie. I am not sure why this is. Perhaps what seem to be just childish antics add depth to the characters without us realizing it. Some people complain that 'the game' is a 10 second gag stretched out for the entire film, and on the surface, this is true. However, the game is really more of a mechanism for developing characters than anything on its own. The result is a set of very flawed, but surprisingly likable characters. Also, the ending, though a little abrupt, is entertaining largely because the movie does a good job of setting up the characters and situation.

This movie is not for everyone. If you do not like 'stupid' humor, then you will probably not be able to overlook that to enjoy the more subtle aspects. However, once you get past that, this movie is more than the sum of its parts.