Aija’s Cinema Blog!

Pies. Many pies. Pies that reflect the mood of the baker. Strawberry chocolate oasis pie, pregnant miserable self-pie, fallin’ in love chocolate mousse pie, kick in the pant’s pie, and the list goes on…These wonderfully creative names come from the movie “Waitress” written and directed by Adrienne Shelly.

I first watched this film in 2007. My family and I were on a plane back to the United States. I don’t remember where we were coming from, but all I remember is that it was a long and dreadful plane ride. Flipping through the channels on the portable television, I came across a brightly colored movie poster. Without much thought, I clicked play movie and began my journey into a pie diner in the Deep South.

Jenna (Kerri Russell) is a waitress living in the Deep South, who is trapped in an unhappy marriage with her abusive husband Earl (Jeremy Sisto). She spends her days working in Joe’s Pie Diner, where she invents pies inspired by her life. The flavor of these pies corresponds with the subject matter that inspired them. For instance, when Jenna finds out about her unwanted pregnancy, she creates a pie called Bad Baby Pie. This pie is wonderfully bitter, but leaves you with a hint of sweetness.

Throughout the film, the audience follows Jenna through her simple yet incredibly complicated life. Jenna’s decision to leave her husband and hometown becomes more complicated when she has an affair with her physician who is helping her through her pregnancy. Prompted by a gift of a baby journal, Jenna feels inspired to keep a journal for her unborn baby. In this film, Jenna constantly battles herself and her freedom.

Adrienne Shelly, who wrote and directed “Waitress,” also costarred in this film. Adrienne Shelly is so incredibly talented, perfecting such miniscule details in this film. The lighting and tone fits hand and hand with the subject matter, and the script is the perfect combination of comedy, romance, drama, and thrill.

Why am I recommending an older film? There is something about this film that keeps drawing me towards it. I think about this film from time to time, and for some reason, I cannot rid myself of it. It is so well done, of such high quality, and does not leave you feeling depressed or completely satisfied. I will not ruin the ending, but I will encourage anyone and everyone to see this film!

CAUTION: THERE IS AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF DELICIOUS LOOKING PIES IN THIS FILM. IT MAY CAUSE YOU TO FEEL A SUDDEN CRAVING FOR PIES AND THEREFORE YOU SHOULD PROBABLY STOCK UP ON PIES BEFORE WATCHING THIS FILM.

Until next time-

Aija Mayrock

Baseball, Brad Pitt, and an Amazing True Story

Last weekend I went to see the film “Moneyball.” It was a Saturday night and to be honest, I wasn’t too thrilled about seeing this film. Baseball + Brad Pitt = not my favorite combination. In all honesty, I am not the biggest fan of Brad Pitt (My apologies to all of the teenage girls who are ever so slightly obsessed).

I tend to prefer more gritty performances from an actor; therefore I find Brad’s performances a little to – eh – “pretty boy perfect.” However, I do love Jonah Hill’s performance in the few movies I have seen him in. He always has great comedic timing and this film was no different.

I believe that all films deserve a fair chance, so I followed my rule and I gave “Moneyball” a fair go.

And to my surprise…I really enjoyed the film!  Based off of the true story of a man named Billy Beane, the general manager of the baseball team known as the Oakland A’s , who was determined to bring his team a $41M salary to compete and win the World Series against teams such as the New York Yankees who have a $125M salary. He put his job on the line by firing or trading almost all the original and admired players, replacing these players with unknown athletes.

The success he gained from such a daring move was only one aspect of this story that amazed me. I was even more surprised and incredibly happy to see that he went against the “cookie cutter” trend our society seems to feel so content and safe with.

Anyone who knows me well will know that I loathe the saying, “Just go with the flow.” At any given moment, I would rather be different then try to be the person next to me. And that is the reason why I liked this movie so much. The fearlessness and inner fire of the character was truly admirable.

Now onto the nuts and bolts of this film, Aaron Sorkin (“The Social Network”) and Steven Zaillian (who wrote “Schindler’s List”) wrote the screenplay together. I was happy to see that Aaron Sorkin threw in his usual spunk, a wonderful quality that gives his movies that perfect mix of quirkiness yet intense fascination. Steven Zaillian was a great choice, balancing out Sorkin and giving the screenplay that darker, grittier feeling that he specializes in. Bennett Miller, the director of “Moneyball,” filmed it in such a way that made the movie feel realistic. I tend to find that most movies these days are too long, too fast paced, and almost feel as if there is so much that is just carelessly stuffed into the film. I cannot say that this film was perfect and avoided that modern issue; however, I didn’t notice it as much – which was such a relief!

Overall, the film was a job well done! The story was fascinating. The actors didn’t “act.” The choices Miller made were inventive and interesting.

I would definitely recommend taking a few hours to go see this film.

Until next time –

Aija Mayrock