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The Waiting Game

2000, Movie, NR, 88 mins

The Waiting Game: Review

WAITING GAME, THE
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Consider the premise: A group of struggling actors pin their hopes on Al Pacino's assurance that "everybody gets their shot in this business," and work at a Greenwich Village eatery in the meantime. Now, give writer-director Ken Liotti a little credit: With a budget this low and the potential for bitter histrionics so high, his ultra-indie comedy isn't nearly as bad as it might have been; in fact, thanks to a snappy cast and a few genuinely amusing situations, some of it's actually pretty good. The dramatis personae — and staff of Peter's Backyard restaurant — include bartender Lenny (Will Arnett), who's up for a part in the latest WAFP (that's "Woody Allen Fall Project" to the rest of us) and must choose between his realist girlfriend (Debbon Ayer) and a career that might never happen; Andi (Terumi Mathews), who's not above accepting a job "fidelity-testing" a stranger's boyfriend (Michael Raynor), only to fall for him; and Andi's roommate Shannon (Taylor Stanley), a small-town temptress with the hots for Lenny. Also making the rounds are over-emoter Dan (Daniel Riordan), who, after two years without one callback, dons a toga and mounts his own four-hour, one-man show; and busboy Derek (Eddie Malavarca), whose impotence with women leads him to test his sexuality with a fellow waiter (Dwight Ewell). Andi and Lenny are clearly perfect for each other, but Andi abides strictly by "the actor's rule": Actors don't date actors. There are plenty of extraneous scenes — edited, it seems, by Lizzie Borden — and twice-told jokes, but that's inevitable in what is essentially a loosely connected series of vignettes. You may remember Mathews as the lucky unknown cast as Madonna in that made-for-TV biopic a few years back; the good news is its faults weren't hers. She's charming, as is the rest of Liotti's seemingly tireless cast. leave a comment --Ken Fox
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