History Film / Waitress

* BeautifulAllAlong: Dawn states that she's "almost pretty" when Jenna does her makeup. But Jenna and Becky are having none of it and tell her she's always been pretty.

* CloudCuckooLander: Dawn, somewhat. Her husband is nearly a full-blown case.
* CloudcuckoolandersMinder: Becky is this in regards to Dawn in the musical.

* CopeByCreating: Jenna uses her problems to inspire new recipes, a la “I Don’t Want Earl’s Baby” pie.
--> '''Dawn:''' I don’t think we can write that on the menu board, hon.

* CrazyJealousGuy: Earl is '''very''' violently jealous. He even tells Jenna not to love their baby more than him.
* TheCutie: Dawn. Especially in the musical.
* DeadpanSnarker: Jenna and Joe.

* DomesticAbuse: Jenna's husband Earl is a particularly nasty version because it's not physical (other than the scene where he smacks her when she tries to leave for the pie-baking contest in another state). All the damage is done through emotional put-downs, due to his misogyny and general ignorance of anything regarding her feelings, thoughts, or desires. The film does an excellent job portraying how difficult it is to extract oneself out of this sort of situation without being too heavy-handed.

* EvilSoundsDeep: Earl is a truly wretched piece of work with Jeremy Sisto's deep voice.

* GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion: On Broadway, despite openly admitting that she isn't happy about the pregnancy, Jenna says, "I'm not going to do... ''that''", when Dr. Pomatter naturally assumes that this means that she wants to terminate it.
* HateSink: Earl has ''zero'' redeeming qualities.
* HonkingArrivingCar: Earl blares his horn every time he arrives somewhere.
* HopelessSuitor: Ogie appears to be one at first. Dawn isn't the only one underestimating his determination to win her over.
* IncompatibleOrientation: Cal's wife Ethel may or may not be gay; the fact they haven't slept together in fifteen years is why [[spoiler:he's having an affair with Becky]]. PlayedForLaughs.
-->'''Becky:''' What kind of man leaves his wife just because she's gay?

* KarmaHoudini: Sweet and loving man that he is, Dr. Pomatter ''did'' cheat on his wife with no consequences other than eventually [[spoiler:losing Jenna, who realizes she doesn't need him to be happy and does see that his wife is a perfectly nice woman who doesn't deserve to have her own life get wrecked]].

* LawOfInverseFertility: Jenna, who doesn't want and can't really afford a baby, and almost never sleeps with her abusive husband, has unprotected sex with him once and ends up pregnant.

* MommasBoy: Ogie states to be this.
* MySecretPregnancy:
** Jenna tries to hide her pregnancy from her husband. It actually works for a while because he's such a thick-headed moron, but he of course catches on after a while.
** Jenna waits to tell her boss at the right time. [[EverybodyKnewAlready Truth is, he knew.]] "Nobody told me. Nobody needs to tell me. I mean, look at you. What'd you think; I thought you went and got fat? Truth be told, as long as you can carry a tray and fill a pie tin, I don't care if you give birth while doing it".

* PrettyBoy: Dr. Pomatter, [[LampshadeHanging as pointed out]] by Dawn.

* SupremeChef: Jenna is ''really'' good at making pies.
* SympatheticAdulterer: Jenna, who has an abusive husband. Becky, whose husband is barely there (physically ''and'' mentally speaking), also counts. [[spoiler:Likely averted with Dr. Pomatter, whose wife is slightly obnoxious at worst in the short time she's seen, although it's implied he's unhappily married.]] One of the main controversies surrounding the film was its portrayal of marital infidelity in a seemingly positive light. Of course, it's Deconstructed in the ending [[spoiler:when Jenna notices Mrs. Pomatter's loving devotion to her husband.]]
* ThousandYardStare: Jenna. Sometimes, it's PlayedForLaughs, but it's just as often used to show how much of a BrokenBird Jenna is.

* EmotionlessGirl: Jenna starts as this.

* JobTitle

* AppealToWorseProblems: Becky and Dawn acknowledge that while Jenna is gorgeous and has a great skill for making pies, as lonely (Dawn) or mundane and worrisome (Becky) their lives may get, they don't envy Jenna at all due to her asshole husband.

* CoolOldGuy: Joe. However much he tries to hide it behind his grumpy facade, his likability and kindness shine through anyway. He's even played by Andy Griffith, making him cool automatically..

* CoolOldGuy: Joe. He's even played by Andy Griffith.

* OddFriendship: Jenna develops one with Old Joe.

Directed by Creator/AdrienneShelly, whose shockingly random murder overshadowed the mostly positive reviews of the film, it stars Creator/KeriRussell as Jenna, Creator/JeremySisto as her husband Earl, Creator/NathanFillion as the gynecologist Dr. Pomatter, Creator/CherylHines as her promiscuous friend Becky, and CreatorAndy Griffith as Joe, the diner's owner.

''Waitress'' is a 2007 [[{{Dramedy}} dramedy]] about Jenna, an [[DomesticAbuse unhappily married]] waitress/pie-baking-genius from the deep south. When she discovers she is pregnant by her abusive and domineering husband, she decides to keep the unwanted baby against all reason, leading to a passionate affair with her new (and very much married) gynecologist. The film follows her small steps towards self-awareness, independence and happiness, while being accompanied by the staff and customers of the diner she works in and their own stories.

Directed by Creator/AdrienneShelly, whose shockingly random murder overshadowed the mostly positive reviews of the film, it stars Creator/KeriRussell as Jenna, [[Series/SixFeetUnder Jeremy Sisto]] as her husband Earl, Creator/NathanFillion as the gynecologist Dr. Pomatter, [[Series/CurbYourEnthusiasm Cheryl Hines]] as her promiscuous friend Becky, and [[Series/TheAndyGriffithShow Andy Griffith]] as Joe, the diner's owner.

As of April 24, 2016 there is now a [[Theatre/{{Waitress}} musical version]] on Broadway with music by Music/SaraBareilles and a book by Jessie Nelson, starring Jessie Mueller as Jenna Hunterson.

* AppealToWorseProblems: Becky and Dawn acknowledge that while Jenna has great skin and breasts with a knack for making pies, as lonely (Dawn) or mundane and worrisome (Becky) their lives may get, they don't envy Jenna at all due to her asshole husband.
* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: Dawn is worried her blind date will be a murderer, a stalker...or ''colorblind''.
* BabiesMakeEverythingBetter: Subverted. [[spoiler:Jenna finally does gather the courage to ditch her husband after her daughter is born, but this is merely the last step of a long [[CharacterDevelopment emancipation process. Rather, she makes things better for the baby]].]]

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Jenna escapes her abusive husband and opens a pie shop with her daughter, but Joe dies and Jenna ends things (albeit amicably) with Dr. Pomatter. For fans of their relationship, it's a bit disappointing, though it is realistic.]]
* BrokenBird: Jenna.

* CrapsaccharineWorld: On occasions the film's aesthetic is very similar to [[Series/PushingDaisies another piemaker's story]]. The darkness of the touched topics, however, prevents the idyllic Southern setting from becoming a SugarBowl.
* CrazyJealousGuy: Earl is '''violently''' jealous.

* DidNotGetTheGirl: [[spoiler: Disappointing to some, but Dr. Pomatter ''is'' a married man and it's a much more realistic ending than if they got together.]]
* DomesticAbuse: Jenna's husband is a particularly nasty version because it's not physical, though he does finally hit her when she tries to leave for the pie-baking contest in another state. All the damage is done through emotional put-downs, due to his misogyny and general ignorance of anything regarding her feelings, thoughts or desires. The film does an excellent job portraying how difficult it is to extract oneself out of this sort of situation without being {{Anvilicious}}.
* EarnYourHappyEnding: Jenna. And how!

* GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion: On Broadway, despite openly admitting that she isn't happy about the pregnancy, Jenna says, "I'm not going to do. . .that", when Dr. Pomatter naturally assumes that this means that she wants to terminate it.

* IncompatibleOrientation: Cal's wife Ethel may or may not be gay; the fact they haven't slept together in fifteen years is why [[spoiler: he's having an affair with Becky.]] PlayedForLaughs.
-->'''Becky:''' "What kind of man leaves his wife just because she's gay?"
* InsistentTerminology: Jenna refuses to call Dr. Pomatter by his first name (Jim).

* KarmaHoudini: Sweet and loving man that he is, Dr. Pomatter ''did'' cheat on his wife with no consequences other than eventually [[spoiler: losing Jenna, who spared him to repair his marriage without turmoil.]]

* PetTheDog: Rather deconstructed. Earl has a breakdown, cries about the possibility of losing Jenna and permits her to buy a crib for the baby. If anything, it does portray the abusive marriage even more realistically. Such PetTheDog moments in a husband like this are probably what makes leaving a cruel man harder, because after all, look, he can be good ''sometimes'', so maybe he can be good ''all'' the time, if only you just keep trying. They're the "honeymoon phase" in the cycle of abuse.

* SympatheticAdulterer: Jenna, who has an abusive husband. Becky, whose husband is barely there (physically ''and'' mentally speaking), also counts. [[spoiler:Likely averted with Dr. Pomatter, whose wife is slightly obnoxious at worst in the short time she's seen, although it's implied he's unhappily married.]] One of the main controversies surrounding the film was its portrayal of marital infidelity in a seemingly positive light. Of course, it's Deconstructed in the ending [[spoiler: when Jenna notices Mrs. Pomatter's loving devotion to her husband.]]

* ThreeFacesOfEve: Jenna is the Wife (though, as has been established, not a happy one), Becky is the Seductress, Dawn is the Child.

* CoolOldGuy: Joe.

** Joe.

Directed by Adrienne Shelly, whose shockingly random murder overshadowed the mostly positive reviews of the film, it stars Creator/KeriRussell as Jenna, [[Series/SixFeetUnder Jeremy Sisto]] as her husband Earl, Creator/NathanFillion as the gynecologist Dr. Pomatter, [[Series/CurbYourEnthusiasm Cheryl Hines]] as her promiscuous friend Becky, and [[Series/TheAndyGriffithShow Andy Griffith]] as Joe, the diner's owner.

As of April 24, 2016 there is now a [[Theatre/{{Waitress}} musical version]] on Broadway with music by Sara Bareilles and a book by Jessie Nelson, starring Jessie Mueller as Jenna Hunterson.

* AmbiguousDisorder: Dawn seems to have some severe social anxiety, as explained in "When He Sees Me", and shows some characteristics of having Aspergers Syndrome

* {{Cuckold}}: Cal and Becky cuckold their respective spouses by cheating with each other.