Waiting... (film)
Waiting... is a 2005 American independent black comedy film written and directed by Rob McKittrick (in his directorial debut) and starring Ryan Reynolds, Anna Faris, and Justin Long. McKittrick wrote the screenplay while working as a waiter.
| Waiting... | |
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Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Rob McKittrick |
| Written by | Rob McKittrick |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Matthew Irving |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Adam Gorgoni |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Lions Gate Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 94 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $3 million |
| Box office | $18.6 million |
The script was initially sold in a film deal to Artisan Entertainment, but was released by Lions Gate Entertainment (which purchased Artisan in 2003). Producers Chris Moore and Jeff Balis of Live Planet's Project Greenlight fame also took notice of the project and assisted. The film made over US$6 million, more than twice the budget of the film, in its opening weekend.[1]
Plot
The film takes place during a single day at "Shenaniganz", a franchise restaurant. Dean, who has been working there for four years, learns from his mother that a schoolmate recently graduated from college and has secured a high paying job in electrical engineering.
Dean's co-worker Monty takes new employee Mitch through his training, introducing him to the staff both in the restaurant and kitchen. Monty also shows Mitch the "Penis Game", where the male staff deliberately expose their genitalia to their unsuspecting coworkers, as well as the ways the staff deal with rude and entitled customers. In one scene food is sent back which the kitchen staff then gladly contaminate with spit, dandruff and other unsavory bits.
The remaining waitstaff are Serena, Monty's ex-girlfriend; Natasha, the underage hostess who shares a mutual attraction with Monty; Amy, who is Dean's girlfriend; Calvin, a hopeless romantic who cannot urinate in public, and Naomi, a constantly angry waitress. Managing them is Dan, who offers Dean the Assistant Manager position in competition to Calvin. However, an altercation with a customer who left a pitiful tip to Dean results in Dan demanding an answer from him by the end of the day.
As the day winds down, Dean is left on his own during the final hour of business. In the last few minutes of opening time two new guests arrive, one of which Dean quickly realizes is Chet, his successful schoolmate. Initially annoyed, Dean is humbled by Chet when he leaves Dean $100 for his $30 meal, leaving Dean with $70 in tips. Ironically, Chet reiterates 'You look like you need it more than me', which Dean had retorted to the earlier customer. When Dean is called to Dan's office to give his decision in regards to the promotion, Dean ultimately turns it down and quits instead to return to college for a more promising future.
When the shift ends, the staff all head to a party at Monty and Dean's house, where Monty refrains from having sex with the underage Natasha as she is not of legal age yet, but promises they will when she does the following week. Mitch, who had been unable to speak all day largely due to Monty's interruptions, finally rants in regards to the entire staff and quits. Prior to leaving, Mitch exposes his genitals in the form of "The Goat", which head chef Raddimus had said earlier would grant him instant god-status. Monty declares his allegiance to Mitch, having now replaced Dean in his absence.
In a post credits scene, Dan is shown arriving at the customers house who Dean had insulted earlier, incorrectly believing it was the location of the party. The customer angrily demands from Dan the milkshake he was earlier promised.
Cast
- Ryan Reynolds as Monty Cook
- Justin Long as Dean Saunders
- Anna Faris as Serena Vowles
- David Koechner as Daniel Christopher Pratt
- Luis Guzmán as Raddimus Lopez
- Chi McBride as Bishop Coleman
- John Francis Daley as Mitch Haim
- Kaitlin Doubleday as Amy Presley
- Robert Patrick Benedict as Calvin Costanza
- Alanna Ubach as Naomi
- Vanessa Lengies as Natasha Willett
- Max Kasch as Theodore "T-Dog"
- Andy Milonakis as Nick
- Dane Cook as Floyd Biggs
- Jordan Ladd as Danielle
- Emmanuelle Chriqui as Tyla, The Bartender
- Wendie Malick as Monty's Mom
- Skyler Stone as Cook #1
- JD Evermore as Redneck
Production
Waiting... was filmed in New Orleans; Jefferson Parish, Louisiana; and Kenner, Louisiana.[2][3]
Release
The film grossed over double its budget during the opening weekend with $6,021,106 in 1,652 theaters. It opened at #7 in the U.S. box office. Its total gross was $18,637,690 with $16,124,543 within the U.S. and $2,513,147 in foreign markets.[1]
Reception
Waiting... received mixed to mostly negative reviews. As of June 2020[update], the film holds a 30% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 92 reviews with an average rating of 4.18 out of 10; the site's consensus states: "Waiting... is a gross-out comedy that's more gross than comic."[4] Metacritic gave the film a 30/100, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[5] Roger Ebert gave the film a 1.5 stars out of 4 claiming that "Waiting... is melancholy for comedy".[6] Despite negative reviews from critics, Waiting... has garnered a small cult following.[7][8][9]
Soundtrack
The original score for the film was composed by Adam Gorgoni. A soundtrack was released and is available only through the iTunes Store. The track listing is as follows:
- "Callin' Out" – Lyrics Born
- "No Tomorrow" – The Blackouts
- "Hardcore Days, Softcore Nights" – Aqueduct
- "I Started Running" – The Talk
- "The Gay '90s" – Alternative Champs
- "Will My Lord Be Gardening" – Lilys
- "Fashion Fatale" – Read Yellow
- "Frantic (Roman Polanski version)" – Aqueduct
- "Dance" – Snatches of Pink
- "Nick and T-Dog's P-H-Fat Rap (radio edit)" – Andy Milonakis and Max Kasch
The film also included songs by The Rattlesnakes, The New Pornographers, Reaching Forward, Spoon, REO Speedwagon, Peaches, Leftfield, Goldfinger, Spin Doctors, Sunday's Best, High Speed Scene, and Large Pro.
Sequel
A direct-to-DVD sequel, titled Still Waiting..., was released on February 17, 2009. The second film is about another Shenaniganz location dealing with new competition from a Hooters-like sports bar called TaTa's Wing Shack run by Calvin from the first movie.[10]
References
- ^ a b "Waiting..." Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2007-10-26.
- ^ Waiting... (2005) - IMDb, retrieved 2021-04-01
- ^ Bachchan, Vrinda (2020-09-29). "Where Was Waiting Filmed? 2005 Movie Filming Locations". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
- ^ "Waiting (2005)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
- ^ "Waiting..." Metacritic. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (October 6, 2005). "Waiting..." Retrieved September 13, 2016.
- ^ "The Best Cult Comedy Movies". Ranker. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
- ^ Phillips, Patrick (2020-08-20). "A Totally Underrated Ryan Reynolds Movie Is About To Hit Netflix". Looper.com. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
- ^ "They Made A Sequel To Waiting Called Still Waiting. For Real". Stereogum. 2009-02-17. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
- ^ MediaBlvd Magazine, The source for Celebrity Interviews and Entertainment News - Still Waiting... on DVD
External links
- Waiting... at IMDb
- Waiting... at AllMovie
- Waiting... at Rotten Tomatoes
- Waiting... at Metacritic