Craig Daily Press

The indie film "Waitress" serves up a slice of pure delight.

Jenna Hunterson (Keri Russell) is miserable; her husband Earl (Jeremy Sisto) is a self-centered chauvinist who considers himself to be a model husband because he allows her to work as a waitress/cook at a pie diner.

Now she finds out she is carrying his child, which puts a damper on her plans to leave Earl.

Jenna intends to keep the baby, but she does not feel any love for the new life growing inside her.

However, when she meets her new OB/GYN (Nathan Fillion), who is much more caring than her husband could ever be, she finds some happiness in her gloomy life.

Russell is brilliant; the "Felicity" star solidifies the comeback that she has been working on in the last couple years with movies such as "The Upside of Anger" and "Mission: Impossible III."

The fact that her own real-life pregnancy came to fruition recently adds to the atmosphere of the movie.

Another TV star who makes an impressive film showing is veteran Andy Griffith, who has some of the best moments as the diner's owner, Old Joe, a cantankerous curmudgeon whom only Jenna can stand.

Sisto and Fillion are polar opposites as the men in Jenna's life, each coming dangerously close to being a total stereotype, but they manage to finesse their roles enough to make them realistic.

The movie benefits from being sweet, yet not too sugary.

Jenna is a very layered and complex character whose outlook on life is a nice blend of humorous pessimism and heart-wrenching sadness.

Her pie creations are something to behold; besides simple desserts like her Peachy Keen Tarts and Marshmallow Mermaid Pie, there are numerous intervals in which she envisions what is happening in her life via pie, such as the "I Don't Want to Have Earl's Baby" Pie (egg and cheese quiche with a smoked ham center), "Pregnant, Miserable, Self-Pitying Loser" Pie (lumpy oatmeal mashed with fruitcake, served flambé), or "I Can't Have No Affair Because It's Wrong And I Don't Want Earl To Kill Me" Pie (vanilla custard with banana, hold the banana), all of which we see her preparing at high speed.

Additionally, just about everything she cooks comes in a crust, which is just one of the little oddities that only a movie character could do.

Writer/director Adrienne Shelly (who also plays Jenna's friend and co-worker Dawn) cooks up a delectable slice of life which keeps its story simple and believable.

Tragically, this was Shelly's last film, as she was killed not long after the movie's completion.

"Waitress" is one of the few small films this summer, overwhelmed by a sea of blockbusters.

Yet, that is part of its charm, because customer satisfaction is its No. 1 priority.