START FRESH! This one is destined to be a closet classic.
DEPTH 3
ACTING 4
PLOT 4
ORIGINALITY 5
PRODUCTION 3
ENTERTAINMENT 5
DEMAND ON VIEWER: Easy
OVERALL HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
This is a fun film for most ages and a great date flick!
Owner Joe's words, "Start fresh," come as a welcome tonic to the beleagured waitress Jenna, played endearingly by Keri Russell in this colorful film about relationships, affairs, and pie diners.
Jenna makes pies. Every emotion, every situation can be expressed in a pie. There's the "I hate my husband pie" and a dozen others shown lovingly made in the story. There's a reason she hates him: Earl, played by the eminently convincing Jeremy Sisto, is one of those moron husbands you love to hate.
Contrast him with the charming and easily lovable Dr Pometter (Nathan Fillian), and you have the chemistry for a great storyline, complete with sarcastic commentary by diner owner Joe (Andy Griffiths), and salted with the other waitresses' flings and love pursuits.
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| Cheryl Hines, Keri Russell, Adrienne Shelly |
The real-life untimely death (see NYT story) of actress and director Adrienne Shelly brings an interesting and nostalgic element to the film. I wish she could have made more films like this one. Its unusual blend of humor and deep emotion is rare.
The film presents a harsh and unforgiving working-class world with a light touch, where we can cheer for the underdog and enjoy a sexual tryst with Jenna and then recognize that eventually she must move beyond it and find her true self. That kind of journey is worth any film's and any viewer's time.
If you love pie, by the end you'll be salivating...
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