November 27, 2007

This was a movie I was really waiting to see (I love Felicity...I mean, Keri Russell).

The movie revolves around Jenna's (Keri Russell) crappy life. She's a waitress at a pie shop in a small town. Stuck in a marriage to a man she doesn't love and can't stand, Earl (Jeremy Sisto), has almost complete abusive control over her life. The only part that is hers, is her love of pie making. Anytime she has a problem or feeling, she imagines how to make it into a pie. Just as she's about to make her escape from Earl, wouldn't you know...she gets pregnant. Oops!

Her reaction to being pregnant is awesome, sincere and refreshing. My reaction: Finally! A movie with a real reaction to an unwanted pregnancy! It was great seeing the other side to the pregnancy coin with a comedic twist. Usually you see the happy or scared shitless side, but not here. Jenna feels no joy or fear when it comes to her baby. To her it's just another way she's trapped by Earl. You definitely don't see mothers-to-be starting letters to their unborn child like "Dear Damn Baby...". Hilarious! This was one of the parts I liked. They showed how stuck and lost someone can be in that situation, but filled with sly humor.

Of course, this being a movie, the end is all roses. I didn't think it matched the feeling of the whole movie, but an apathetic ending wouldn't sit well with the general public. I'm not sure how I thought the movie would've ended if it kept on track. Even so, you can tell what's going to happen, but it's still a sweet movie filled with quirky characters that complement each other well.

**This was Adrienne Shelly's (writer, director, actress) last movie. She was murdered while working on it.**