Waiting... (film)

Waiting... is a 2005 American independent comedy-drama 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.
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$6,000,000, more than twice the budget of the film, in its opening weekend.
Plot.
Dean (Justin Long) has been a waiter at a restaurant called Shenaniganz for four years since graduating from high school, and has not earned a degree during his four years at a community college. When Dean learns from his mother that a former high school classmate, Chett (Travis Resor), now has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, he begins to rethink his directionless life.
Dean's roommate and co-worker, Monty (Ryan Reynolds), is in exactly the same situation, but has accepted that his future lies with the restaurant. Monty is put in charge of training Mitch (John Francis Daley), a newly hired waiter who is constantly interrupted throughout most of the film before he can speak, usually by Monty. Also working with Dean is Calvin (Robert Patrick Benedict), a hopeless romantic who cannot urinate in public, and Dan (David Koechner), the uptight manager who is grooming Dean as his protégé. Rounding out the staff are 17-year-old hostess Natasha (Vanessa Lengies), abrasive waitress Naomi (Alanna Ubach), waitress (and Monty's ex-girlfriend) Serena (Anna Faris), Dean's girlfriend and fellow waitress Amy (Kaitlin Doubleday), stoner busboys T-Dog and Nick (Max Kasch and Andy Milonakis), head chef Raddimus (Luis Guzman), the insane, unsanitary chef Floyd (Dane Cook), lesbian bartender Tyla (Emmanuelle Chriqui), 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 or annoying patrons, and playing a special kind of game which involves flashing genitalia at a fellow worker (the "Penis Showing Game," which was referred to informally as the "penis game" in some movie reviews, including the "Toronto Star" and "BBC" in film reviews from 2005 and 2006 respectively). 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, Chett and his girlfriend come in for dinner and leave Dean a generous 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 to 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, who has a predilection for sleeping with teenage girls, is able to resist having sex with Natasha, although he says they will have sex the following Wednesday, when she will be 18. Calvin attempts to fix his relationship problems, and Mitch finally speaks, angrily ranting about his coworkers and quitting. He concludes by giving them all "The Goat" from the "Penis Showing Game", which Raddimus had told him earlier would instantly grant him god-status. Monty swears his undying allegiance to Mitch, telling Dean he's been "replaced." The film ends with the staff talking about the incident with Mitch, and Dan showing up at a disgruntled customer's house after Natasha gave him the wrong address to the party on purpose.
Production.
"Waiting..." was filmed in New Orleans; Jefferson Parish, Louisiana; and Kenner, Louisiana.
Critical reception.
"Waiting..." received mixed to mostly negative reviews. , 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." Metacritic gave the film a 30/100, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Roger Ebert gave the film a 1.5 stars out of 4 claiming that ""Waiting..." is melancholy for comedy". Despite negative reviews from critics, "Waiting..." has garnered a small cult following.
Box office.
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.
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:
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..." 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.