WAITRESS

Written by Anonimo

Waitress is a chick flick done well starring Keri Russell (best known for her former role in the TV series Felicity) as Jenna, a southern gal in a bad marriage with a knack for making out-of-this-world pies at a hole-in-the-wall pie shop. The movie stars off with Jenna finding out she’s pregnant by her controlling abusive husband, Earl, played by Jeremy Sisto. Jenna forces her best friends and co-workers Becky (Cheryl Hines) and Dawn (Adrienne Shelly) to keep the pregnancy a secret due to the fact that she hates Earl, and she is only pregnant because he had his way with her on a drunken night. The pregnancy only complicates Jenna’s plan to participate in a pie contest in which the prize money is just enough for her to skip town and leave Earl for good.

Jenna is not at all excited about motherhood and much less the fact that she must see a doctor. She goes to see her long-time female OB/GYN only to find that Dr. Pomatter (Nathan Fillion) has taken over the practice. Although married, the doctor is immediately infatuated with Jenna and it isn’t long before sparks fly and they begin to have an affair.

The love affair continues as Jenna’s stomach grows, and Earl, stuck in his own little world remains clueless. Jenna knows she cannot continue the affair or remain with her husband. It is only with the advice of Joe (Andy Griffith), the elderly but quick-witted pie-shop owner that she manages to keep her head on straight.

We think Earl has discovered Jenna’s affair during a raging outburst at Dawn’s wedding reception, but he only found cash hidden around the house, the money Jenna would have used to ditch Earl, race to the pie contest, and hopefully win the grand prize.

Soon enough, Jenna is in the hospital room where she will give birth to a baby she stills doesn’t want. Joe suddenly comes in to say hello and drops of a card before going into surgery himself. Things couldn’t be more awkward for Jenna when she gave birth with the man she married and the man she is having an affair with both in the same room during the delivery of her baby.

Jenna has a girl whom she magically falls in love with at first sight. Earl is unhappy it’s not a boy and demands Jenna love him more. It is at this point where Jenna finds the courage to tell “Earlie” that she doesn’t love him anymore and wants him out of her life. Earl is pushed out of the room by hospital staff and Jenna remains with her new bundle of joy.

On her way out of the hospital, Jenna breaks off her affair with the doc, reminding him that he is after all married. Not before leaving the hospital does Jenna open her card from Joe to discover a check for two-hundred seventy odd some-dollars. She uses this money to fix up the pie shop, renames it Lulu’s after her daughter and lives happily ever.

I took on this movie reluctantly and ended up liking it in the end. It is funny at times, but takes on a more serious tone. It’s good, definitely a great rental to watch with the significant other on Friday night.

Extras include audio commentaries by Russell and producer Michael Roiff and features about the actors that aired on Fox Movie Channel, the making of the movie, and a memorial to writer/director Shelly.

J.J. Cale - Rewind: The Unreleased Recordings

Written by Anonimo

Who is J.J. Cale? Let’s see, only one of the most influential musical figures in American music. Being a fan of music with more of an electronic flair, I would have never known that Cale has had an impact on major artists spanning generations and genres. His songs have been covered by artists such as the likes of Johnny Cash (“Call Me Breeze”), Eric Clapton (“After Midnight” and “Cocaine”), Santana (“The Sensitive Light”), The Band (“Crazy Mama”), Lynyrd Skynyrd (“Bringing It Back” and “Same Old Blues”), and Widespread Panic (“Ride Me High”) just to name a few.

I had the pleasure of being introduced to the music of Cale through his newest album, Rewind: Unreleased Recordings, a treasure of songs, the first three of which (“Guess I Lose,” “Waymore’s Blues,” and “Rollin’”) were my favorites. However, after falling in love with what is known as the “Tulsa Sound,” (a musical style that originated in Tulsa, Oklahoma consisting of a mix of rockabilly, rock 'n' roll, and blues sounds of the late 1950s and early 1960s) I’ve come to love the whole album.

It is a compilation of songs recorded in the ‘70s and early ‘80s, which may be Cale’s most influential years. He seduces us in “Guess I Lose,” whispering the lyrics as if they were sweet nothings into our ears. “My Baby and Me” makes me want to grab a bottle and drink to alleviate my inner turmoil, although I’m not much of a drinker. I could go on, but that would spoil the anticipation of Cale devotees looking forward to his laid-back style and shuffle rhythms.

What will surely be of interest to his fans is the inclusion of covers, a rare occurance. Cale performs Eric Clapton’s “Golden Ring,” Leon Russell’s “My Cricket,” Randy Newman’s “Rollin’,” and the previously mentioned “Waymore’s Blues” by Waylon Jennings. On that last track, Cale makes me realize I’m not the only man with a wandering eye when he sings: “Well I got a good woman/ what’s the matter with me/ What makes wanna love/ every woman I see.”

Bottom line the album is a must-have for all J.J. Cale fans, country-blues listeners, or fans of bands that owe their sound to the influence of his music. I consider myself lucky for the opportunity to have in my hands some of the greatest American music ever written.