Customer Reviews

Waiting

5 star:		(70)
4 star:		(46)
3 star:		(22)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

Few movies drive home a point as sharply as this one does. Yep, I will never, ever be mean or angry with a waiter or food preparer again.

"Waiting" is definitely one of those F*** Bomb a minute, gross out sexual humor sort of movies. But what makes it stand out from the majority of these usually brainless and nearly unwatchable movies is the sharply written script by first time writer/director Rob McKittrick. McKittrick knows his subject, as he was writing from personal experience. The characters are well fleshed out and recognizable, and the dialogue is quite funny and intelligent. The ensemble cast - Ryan Reynolds, Anna Faris, and Justin Long among them - do a great job.

As others have already mentioned, "Waiting" is like "Office Space", in that it is a movie focused on one peculiar micro-culture of our modern society. Instead of Cubical-ville, the characters live in the world of those familiar chain restaurants with the ersatz instant "history" and "character" stuck to the walls, where the waiters gather at your table to sing "Happy Birthday". Think T.G.I.F. or Bubba Gump, more upscale than Denny's or Carrow's, less upscale than Macaroni Grill (the local one here has someone, usually the head waiter or a cute girl, sing "Happy Birthday" in Italian, as an aria).

And, I now appreciate so much more the budget steakhouses like Ponderosa/Bonanza that show you the cooks grilling the steaks right in front of the customers. Great idea, all restaurants should do that...

Yes, this movie is what happens after the "coming of age" movie, when the kids leave the comforts of home to figure out what to do with the rest of their lives. Have you noticed how the people in these sorts of jobs are usually young, usually turn over constantly? It's a way station in life, the entry point into the cold, hard, realities of our fiercely competitive society.

Be kind to them all, while they figure it out...

I found many similarities between the characters in the film and the people I work with. Everyone has a person who thinks they know it all, a smart-ass, a cursing-machine, a so-called ladies-man, the flirt, etc. We have many instances with irritations on the job. We've met customers who you hate, love, mean, friendly, and always wanted to say something to them, but risked losing their jobs. Sometimes a job is all you have.

Many critics call this an immature, gross-out snore, but I call it a hilarious, gross-out reality. Maybe some of the things don't happen in the restaurant, but we will think twice before insulting or harassing the waiter.

Waiting has a cast of young comedians who know how to have fun. Ryan Reynolds plays his usual Van Wilder style sacastic character, Anna Faris is the girl looking to help, fans of Dan Cook will love him as the cook. The rest of the cast represent parts of the "Office Space" characters. The movie definitely has its gross-out moments, but the dialogue is hilarious.

If you liked films like Van Wilder, Office Space, and American Pie, you will love this film. This will become a cult classic next to Dazed and Confused. This is a movie to watch with your friends as there are many one-liners. "Welcome to Thunderdome, b****!"

Story:

If you haven't seen the film, it's pretty great overall. Certain aspects like the smoking inside the restaurant cause it to feel dated for me, but overall it's funny and Ryan Reynolds is great.

Video Quality:

The problem with the blu-ray is that it is among the worst quality blu-ray transfers I have ever seen. I only watch new films on blu-ray at 720p, and even at that resolution a high quality blu-ray looks stunningly different than a standard dvd.

The video quality for this blu-ray is awful, instead of the picture being crisply detailed, it's like there's a filter that muddies and softens everything, literally. I would rather watch the DVD transfer than this blu-ray, and this is certainly not worth the additional money over the DVD. If you have any doubt, rent the blu-ray first, and then make your decision. Not a good transfer at all.

About one day in the life of a family-style restaurant, it's employees, and the horrors that happen within the kitchen to those that may or may not deserve it, I found this movie entertaining and like how the filmmakers said in the documentary, alot like Clerks, yet not nearly as clever. Ryan Reynolds plays the exact same character he's played in Van Wilder (and others) here and he's got it down to a sarcastic science. Apple computer lackey Justin Long does surprisngly well here too as the "hero" of the story who realizes this day that his life is slowly wasted there. Alot of other familiar faces spring up here too, and for the gross-out scenes, yes they will teach you not to anger your waiter until AFTER you've eaten. Mildly amusing while not a total gut-buster, gets a whole point for the plentiful bonus features and very inventive menus.
(RedSabbath Rating:8.0/10)

This movie is priceless, if you've ever worked in a restaurant this movie will be hauntingly familar to you. I worked as a server for about a year and change, and this is exactly what my life was like in that time period (minus the show your johnson game). I've never laughed as hard as I did watching this movie. It captures exactly how annoying and mean customers can be, and how naive they are to think you won't mess with them back. I mean obviously you can't yell at them or anything, so of course you mess with the food! And this movie shows this perfectly (and admitedly much more drasticly than real life). But as Ryan Reynolds character says (and its true) "Don't Mess with the people who handle your food." Its just not smart. So funny.

Words honestly can't even begin to describe just how realistic and funny this flick is. I would say that, for me anyways, it now joins "Clerks" and "Office Space" in what from this day forward will be known as "The I Hate My Job" trilogy, and as the 3 best comedies ever!

I was interested in seeing the film Waiting because I had been a waitress for 20 years, and wanted to see if the film was going to honestly reveal what actually goes on in the kitchen and the server station. After viewing the video and getting tired from laughing so much I can say, YES! IT'S ALL TRUE! IT IS REALLY LIKE THAT!. Speaking as a former professional server, I'm sure this film will open the eyes of (and perhaps frighten) restaurant patrons. It was all familiar to me, from the examples of customers the servers love--or, love to hate, to the behavior of the manager, and onward to the realtionships and personal lives of the employees. Did I enjoy my job and have as much fun and frustration as these workers? Yes, and if you ask anyone who has worked this type of job and seen this film I'm certain they will give you the same answer. I'm not going to be specific in the review because to tell anything about the situations you will see is to spoil the surprise effect of seeing what goes on while you are eating your meal. When we sit down and are served, the type of service we receive is always one of the topics of conversation. This movie reveals what is said when the people being served provide the topic of conversation for the servers. Watch the special features too, because you'll learn about the writer/director. He was a server and uses examples from his experiences. If you decide to buy this video, read this review again before you watch it. It will definitely add another dimention to the humor.

Ryan Reynolds is a funny guy. This is more like a real behind the scenes of a restaurant you wouldn't to eat at or work at unless you find this movie funny. Lots of characters with different sense of humor. You will either love this movie or hate it. I loved it because it was so different,had great acting and was over the top as to what goes on (I hope). A funny see if you are looking for something different. Also loved National Lampoon's Van Wilder starring Ryan Reynolds.

This is more of a character movie, since there is really no plot at all, other than the workers at Shenaniganz(a Benningans type of place) finding ways to expose themselves to each other. You have to like gross out comedy for parts of this film. You will be surprised at how many familar comedy faces you will see. Van Wilder, Scary Movie, Anchorman, Dodgeball, Anger Management to name a few. This wasn't the funniest movie I have ever seen, but it was entertaining enough to keep me watching and it had a few funny lines and situations. This one is worth a watch.

This movie is funny.. but there really isnt a storyline.. its just the day in the life of these diner employees. Thats why it gets 4 stars. It woulda had 5 if it had an actual plot!

If you have ever worked in a restaurant then youd get a kick out of the movie. Cause some of the stuff is true. lol.. of course the movie takes it to the next level.. but it is 'based on a true story' so to speak.

This film, funny with a very thin plot line, reminds us of every place we have gone out to eat at or even worked at that we have ALL been at that position of life. The actors virtually portray every person we encounter at every resturant with accuracy. I love this film,....not just for the sophmoric-toilet-grade humor,...but for the sheer reminder that I, who works in resturant businesses, should know that it is best to leave a generous tip and not aggrivate the person who is cooking your food for a little floor spice makes everything taste right.