Waiting... (2005) is an American independent film starring Ryan Reynolds, Justin Long and Anna Faris. It was written and directed by Rob McKittrick. McKittrick wrote the screenplay while working as a waiter. Friend and producer Dean Shull, who met McKittrick while he was dining at an Orlando, Florida, T.G.I. Friday's, teamed up with Rob to help make the film. The film is the first effort by McKittrick as a writer–director.
The script was initially sold in a movie 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$6,000,000, more than twice the budget of the movie, in its opening weekend.[citation needed]
Plot
The film focuses on several characters. One of the main protagonists, Dean (Long), has been a waiter for four years since graduating high school, and hasn't earned a degree during his four years at a community college. When Dean learns a former high-school classmate, Chet, now has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, he begins to rethink his directionless life. Dean's lecherous friend and co-worker, Monty (Reynolds), is in the exact same situation, but has accepted that his future lies with the restaurant, Shenaniganz. Monty is put in charge of training Mitch (John Francis Daley), a newly hired waiter who never seems to get a word in edgewise. Also working with Dean is Calvin (Robert Patrick Benedict), a hopeless romantic who can't hang onto a relationship, and Dan (David Koechner), the uptight manager who is grooming Dean as his protegé. Rounding out the staff are abrasive waitress Naomi (Alanna Ubach), waitress (and Monty's ex-girlfriend) Serena (Faris), stoner busboys T-Dog and Nick (Max Kasch and Andy Milonakis), head chef Raddamus (Luis Guzman),the pessimist chef Floyd (Dane Cook), and the pensive and philosophical dishwasher Bishop (Chi McBride).
The waiters preoccupy themselves with endless gossip, complaining about the customers, seeking covert revenge on particularly rude patrons, and playing a special kind of game which involves flashing genitalia at a fellow worker (the Penis Showing Game). Each employee has his or her own problems and stories, which are interwoven with the ebb and flow of business.
Minutes before the restaurant closes, however, Chet and his girlfriend come in for dinner and leave Dean a hefty tip out of pity. This prompts Dean to quit his job — turning down an assistant manager position Dan offered him at the beginning of the film — and seek a more promising future.
When the shift ends, the staff head to a party at Monty and Dean's house. At the party, Monty is able to resist having sex with Natasha (although he says they will have sex the following Wednesday, when she will be 18), Calvin's relationship problems begin to improve, and Mitch bashes most members of the staff after being constantly interrupted throughout the day. He concludes by giving them all The Goat from the "Penis-Showing Game," for which Monty declares him a god and swears his undying allegiance to him. The film ends with the staff talking about the incident with Mitch, Dan showing up at a disgruntled customers' house after Natasha gave him the wrong address to the party, and the hip-hop music video debut of Nick and T-Dog.
Cast
Music
Original score for the movie 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 to Waiting... called Still Waiting... was released on February 17, 2009. The second film is about Shenaniganz dealing with new competition from a Hooters-like sports bar called TaTa's Wing Shack.[1]
Box office and DVD
The film grossed over double its budget during opening weekend with $6,021,106 in 1,652 theaters. Its total gross was $18,637,690 with $16,124,543 within the U.S. and $2,513,147 in foreign box offices.[2]
A surge of popularity in Australia has seen the DVD sell over 350,000 units (5x Platinum) in that country alone. This has seen an Australian DVD gross of $7,982,500.
Since being released on DVD, the film has made over $53 million (theatrical and home video total) in the United States; while the total worldwide gross for the film is $63,841,978.
References
External links
