All of the above. So happy to see the talented and hot Fillion getting romantic leads. I miss Firefly!!!! And I'm not just saying this cause he's from Canukistan.

I don't know if I can bring myself to see this movie. The death of Adrienne Shelly is just too depressing.

And as sad as it might be to see this, I'm going to, I consider going to this movie to be the only true tribute I can give her.

I watched Adrienne Shelly evolve onscreen over the years from a dryly precocious lead in her first two films into a multi-talented filmmaker, and it's been a heartbreaker to see her life end in so casually cruel a manner, but there will never be another like her - that in itself is rarely granted. I guess I've seen almost everything she did, and she flat owned every role she played, and every scene she directed - critics be damned, she was as distinctive as any player or auteur, IMHO. I plan to see "Waitress" as soon as I can, and knowing her work, I'm sure it will be a bit quirky and even somewhat silly - I read somewhere that she felt "They don't get silly" - but darned if somebody didn't finally "get it", make a leap of faith and buy it for distribution. Thanks, whoever made that decision.

Tiny as she was, she had enormous talent already on display, and terrific potential, so this film should only validate her unique vision and humor. I look forward to Keri Russell and the rest of the cast making that vision come to life. I'll sure miss her unmade films and un-played parts that obviously would've followed what I'm sure will be one of the best modern fables, created in a way only Adrienne Shelly could've envisioned.

...for focusing on the film, and not sensationalizing or even mentioning the grim details of Adrienne Shelley's senseless death. I can think of a number of critics who wouldn't be able to resist laying out the sordid story as a kind of garnish to their review.

I have not seen the film, but my friend has, and he greatly laments that we will see no more from her.

Thank you, Stephanie, for the lovely and sensitive review. Adrienne Shelly was a wonderful actress and filmmaker, and Trust remains one of my very favorite films. And thanks also for showing some love for Martin Donovan, who doesn't get nearly the attention he deserves.

I am tired of the man bashing. Why not a story about a charming fellow who just happened to marry an abusive woman who thoght sex was a right and vebally and physically abused him? Not P.C. I forgot.

Poco

nothing like an angry feminist in the morning. thanks for your bile.

maybe not?

for the readers ready to assume what a movie is without having seen it, and then making claims flatly contradicted by the review. How exactly does a movie qualify as "man-bashing" when, according the the review, it contains at least three -- count 'em -- synpathetic male characters -- those played by Nathan Fillion, Andy Griffith, and Eddie Jemison. Oh, yeah, that one abusive husband. Right. If you try to make that type stand for men in general, Poco, then who's doing the man bashing here? Or does your name refer to the amount you comprehend?

Nice review. I admit that I was first attracted to this little film because of Fillion. He's such a wonderful actor with uncanning comical timing and a very expressive face. He deserves more and larger parts in other fine films. But now I really would like to see the film. Every once in a while a decent "romantic" film like this comes out that's not so sugary and all Hollywood-ized like those awful Sandra Bullock, Julia Roberts and Meg Ryan pieces of formulatic crap. I've never heard of or seen any films by Anrienne Shelly, but that will be remedied soon.

...what is with this shit lately of linking to overly-broad topics in the middle of articles and essays? This is about the sixth review I've read in recent weeks where the word "movie" was hyperlinked to Salon's archive of articles and essays about...movies. Could that be less relevant? How about a link from the title of the movie, "Waitress", to some interesting old review of "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" or an essay about waitresses in movies?

My husband and I just saw this film last night. We both enjoyed it very, very much. I find myself disagreeing with Stephanie Zacharek's review that it's uneven because it's a little too sweet at the get go. Ultimately--that is, by the end--its romantic genre might be a bit too sweet for some, but the sweetness at the beginning of the film is funny and clearly stylized. Anyway, we laughed through the whole film...and cried and groaned... What a gem!

...without reading any reviews, but having gotten a positive vibe. I was really disappointed. I think the acting was great. There were a lot of funny lines, and it's fun to look at. But, except for the Keri Russell's, I found all the characters to be rather thin and stereotyped. And even when the film focuses on a character, to show something a little deeper, all there is on that deeper level is... a stereotype. Usually one of the standard Southern rube stereotypes, which as a Southerner myself I find rather tiring. Everyone is the world is quirky, but these characters are nothing but their quirks. But almost worse than that, it was soooo predictable. Not a single surprise, from the beginning to the end. I'm sorry about the director/writer, and I suppose I should feel bad saying it, but I believe this is fair criticism.