MovieChat Forums > In the Weeds (2000) Discussion > Anyone else get the feeling....**spoile ...

Anyone else get the feeling....**spoile rs**


that Michael Rauch might have spent some time in the restaurant biz?

As someone who is in the restaurant biz, I have to give him props for gettin some things right. The lingo was there. In fact, that is why I rented this DVD. I saw "In the Wee....", peeking out from behind another movie. I thought, "No freakin' way! Is that what I think it is?" And sure enough, it was a restaurant movie.


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I was a little dissapointed that the character were overly accentuated. As far as character types, that is. Like the psuedo-homicidal chef. The Vader-like owner. Perhaps hollywood had to make it "sizzle" a little more. I would have been happier with more true to life. And with a title like "In the Weeds", (which, if you don't know, is restaurant-ease for extremely busy) I expected them to be, well, busier. How many smoke breaks can they take? From the title, and my own personal experience, I expected to see a bistro poppin'. But as is stated throughout, it is a dead night. So a few things right (lingo, waitstaff peppered with wannabe artists, and depictions of waiter sidework, lol). And a few things wrong (overkill on character stereotypes, waiters who can't correctly open bottles of wine with over 6 years experience).
Oh, and here is the real reason I suspect Mr. Rauch did a little time in a restaurant: the coup. Every waiter has at some time wanted to revolt against the management/owner. Wasn't bad, very noble, but far fetched imho. Of course, this means I have to get off my ass and rewrite this thing so that it can be properly portrayed. Yeah, right.

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I felt the same way about the restraunt not being very busy, but then I thought about the times when I was a waiter when the place would seem empty, but I was really freakin' busy and behind as all get out, for whatever reason. Like you the part that bothered me the most was that he couldn't open a bottle of wine. Seriously, it's not that hard and you've been at this for awhile. All the stereotypes and breaks didn't bother me that much. It can't be too true to life. After all, it has to be interesting and tell a story. Overall, I liked it.

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I have also worked as a server and didn't find it very realistic. I agree it can't be too true to life or it would be dull but for examples;
the movie makes it look like there is only one seating the whole night.
How many places do people say they are in the weeds but have nothing to do?
How many times have we caught people having various kinds of intimate encounters in freezers and the like?
The movie makes it look like everybody starts at the same time and receives instructions together. Don't most places have servers coming on at different times and leaving at different times?
And a glaring one...The new girl has never waited on tables yet but is on the floor her first night with no training?
Not recommended.
Marianne

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