Waiting...

Infobox Film
name = Waiting...


caption = Theatrical release poster
director = Rob McKittrick
producer = Chris Moore
writer = Rob McKittrick
starring = Ryan Reynolds
Anna Faris
Justin Long
Dane Cook
Chi McBride
music = Adam Gorgoni
cinematography = Matthew Irving
editing = Andy Blumenthal
distributor = Lionsgate
released = October 7, 2005
runtime = 94 min.
country = flagicon|USA
language = English
budget = $3 million
gross = $16,124,543
website = http://www.waitingthefilm.com/
followed_by = "Still Waiting..."
amg_id = 1:316825
imdb_id = 0348333

"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.

Plot

The film focuses on several characters. One of the main protagonists, Dean (Justin Long), has been a waiter for four years since graduating high school and has never questioned his job at Shenaniganz (a parody of Bennigan's), a casual dining restaurant. He hasn't earned a degree after four years of community college. When Dean learns a former high-school classmate, Chet, now has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, he is thrown into turmoil about his seemingly dead-end life. Dean's lecherous friend and co-worker, Monty (Ryan Reynolds), is in the exact same situation, but couldn't care less and has accepted the fact that his future lies with Shenaniganz. While being more concerned with partying and girls, 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, who despite his good nature can never seem to hang onto a relationship, and Dan, the uptight manager who is grooming Dean as his protege.

A group of women come in to eat. One of them wanted a steak that was medium that came out medium rare. This particular customer has been whiny to the staff. So Monty continues to wait that table. Then he takes the entree back to the kitchen. The chefs do some changes to the entree. One spits in the gravy. The other puts the garlic bread in the front of their pants. The next chef scratches his dandruff onto the steak to make it look like garlic salt. The last chef, Floyd (Dane Cook), then removes a pubic hair of his and puts it on the potatoes. Then Monty takes the plate to the customer. After giving it to the customer, Monty tells Mitch to never "fuck with the people who handle your food".

Throughout the course of the night, each worker goes through his own unique adventure, either revolving around customers or the other employees. Minutes before the restaurant closes, however, Chet and his girlfriend come in for dinner and leave Dean a tip worth $68.91, saying that Dean needs the money more than he does. Ironically, Dean said the same thing to a redneck couple he had been serving earlier after the couple left a $1.91 tip on a $63 check. This prompts Dean to quit his job (turning down an assistant manager position that 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 the underage Natasha (although he says that 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 Dean's disgruntled redneck customers' house after Natasha gave him the wrong address to the party, and the hip-hop music video debut of Nick and T-Dog. After the final credits roll, a Rube Goldberg machine is set in motion by Nick (Andy Milonakis) that successfully opens a bottle of beer and pours it into a mug.

Cast

Production notes

McKittrick often credits Kevin Smith's "Clerks" as the inspiration for the film Fact|date=April 2008. Smith wrote a film called "Bussing" years back; however, it was never made even though the script was sold. A fake promotional poster for "Bussing" can be found in Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash (Smith's comic book store) in Red Bank, New Jersey.

According to the commentary track on the DVD of the film, the restaurant in the film is a former Bennigan's restaurant in New Orleans. Many current Bennigan's locations include the same floorplan, the same multi-colored plates, and similar decor on the walls. It is now a Verizon Wireless store.

On the front and back cover of the DVD release, Anna Faris' and Ryan Reynolds' faces are superimposed on the bodies of Justin Long and Kaitlin Doubleday. This is most noticeable on the back cover where Reynolds face is superimposed on the much slimmer body of Justin Long. This is probably due to Faris and Reynolds both being more recognizable actors.

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.

equel

Currentlywhen a sequel titled "Still Waiting..." is in post-production and slated for a 2009 release. Justin Long reprises his role as Dean in a brief cameo appearance while Ryan Reynolds and Anna Farris are absent altogether.

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. cite news | url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=waiting.htm | title=Box Office Mojo - Waiting... | publisher=Box Office Mojo | accessdate=2007-10-26 ]

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 $45 million (theatrical and home video total) in the United States; while the total worldwide gross for the film is $60 million.

References

External links

* [http://www.waitingthefilm.com/ Official site]
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* [http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&cf=info&id=1808626807 Profile at Yahoo! Movies]
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* [http://www.salon.com/people/feature/2000/04/06/mckittrick/ Jumbo Movie Deal]
* [http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/2005/WAITI.php Box office data] - at The-Numbers.com
* [http://www.themoviebox.net/movies/2005/STUVWXYZ/waiting/main.php "Waiting..." at TheMovieBox]
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