Waitress: The Musical movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Waitress: The Musical

This musical delight is now available on Video on Demand on sites like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Vudu.

RATING: PG-13

LENGTH: 2 hours 24 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: B+

IN A NUTSHELL:

The hit Broadway musical about a small-town pie baker with big dreams gets the silver screen treatment. I never got to see the show on Broadway, so I’m thrilled they made it available to all of us sitting at home!

This is directed by Diane Paulus and Brett Sullivan and written by Jessie Nelson and Adrienne Shelly

THINGS I LIKED:

The lovely Sara Bareilles lights up the screen every time she’s front and center, and boy, does she have a delicious voice! She wrote all of the music and lyrics. Wow. This limited theatrical release began on her birthday! She and Joe Tippett have great chemistry together because they’re a couple in real life!
The music is fun, varied, and sung by beautiful voices.
The stage crew and supporting cast did a fantastic job of providing props and quick scene changes in clever ways.
The movie was filmed in front of a real audience, so we get to hear their reactions to everything.
Filled with baking puns, this movie is going to make you hungry for pie. The names of the various pies that were created are pretty cute.
You’ll laugh, cry, and want more.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

It’s very melodramatic and depressing at times.
All of the characters have affairs. It’s supposed to be funny and cute, but I don’t find infidelity charming at all. In fact, once all of those shenanigans started up, my view of the whole show started to change.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Kids will be bored
Some profanity, including an F-bomb
Talk and portrayal of infidelity.

THEMES:

Sisterhood
Restaurant work
Pregnancy
Marriage and divorce
Infidelity
Hope for a better life
Searching for happiness

FUNNY LINES:

“My mamma used to say, ‘You can live to 100 if you give up all of the things that make you want to live to 100.’” – Jenna Hunterson (Sara Bareilles)
“I love what you’ve done with your hair. How did you get it to come out of your nostrils like that?” – Becky (Charity Dawson)
“I’m starting to think I look like something Picasso would have made.” – Becky (Charity Dawson)
“I’m going to leave before I die of estrogen asphyxiation.” – Joe (Dakin Matthews)

INTERESTING LINES:

“What’s the shelf life on that excuse?” – Becky (Charity Dawson)
“You are the queen of kindness and goodness.” – Dawn (Caitlin Houlahan)shy waitress (What a sweet compliment to say to someone.)
“I haven’t felt in a very long time.” – Jenna Hunterson (Sara Bareilles)