Waiting... (2005)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A group of restaurant workers navigate a single day of workplace antics and personal dilemmas at a franchise eatery.
The story
The film takes place during a single day at Shenaniganz, a franchise restaurant. Dean, a long-time employee, learns that a former classmate has achieved significant professional success, prompting him to reflect on his own path. As the staff navigates the daily grind—including training a new employee, dealing with rowdy customers, and engaging in internal workplace traditions—Dean is offered a chance to compete for a promotion. After a tense interaction with a customer, Dean must decide by the end of the day whether to accept the advancement or choose a different future for himself.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film takes place during a single day at Shenaniganz, a franchise restaurant. Dean, a long-time employee, learns that a former classmate has achieved success, leading him to question his career. His co-worker Monty trains a new hire, Mitch, and introduces him to the staff's 'Penis Showing Game' and their methods for handling rude customers. The staff includes Serena, Natasha, Amy, Calvin, and Naomi. When a customer leaves a poor tip, manager Dan tells Dean he must decide on a promotion by the end of the day. During the final hour, Dean encounters his successful former classmate, Chet, who leaves him a generous tip. Dean ultimately turns down the promotion and quits to return to college. After the shift, the staff attends a party where Mitch finally rants about the staff and quits, performing 'The Goat' before leaving. In a post-credits scene, Dan arrives at the wrong location to collect a debt from a disgruntled customer.
- First release year
- 2005
- Runtime (minutes)
- 94
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Rob McKittrick
- Writers
- Rob McKittrick · writer
- Cast and characters
- Ryan Reynolds · Dean; Anna Faris · Serena; Justin Long · Mitch; David Koechner · Monty; John Francis Daley · Calvin; Kaitlin Doubleday · Amy; Alanna Ubach · Naomi; Chi McBride · Dan; Luis Guzmán · Raddimus
- Genres
- comedy; comedy-drama
- Themes
- coming-of-age; career choice
- Tone and mood
- gross-out comedy
- Setting
- A franchise restaurant called Shenaniganz.
- Premise and plot tags
- workplace comedy; restaurant; pranks
- Franchise connections
- Still Waiting...
- Content notes
- gross-out
- Reception
- The film received generally unfavorable reviews from critics, described as a gross-out comedy, but it has garnered a small cult following.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 4.4 · scale: 10 · review count: 92; CinemaScore · score: B · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The screenplay was written by Rob McKittrick while he was working as a waiter.; The film was shot in New Orleans, Jefferson Parish, and Kenner, Louisiana.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…