Waffle Street (2015)

I thought this movie was a refreshing take on a story that could be told a dozen different ways. It felt real. As many people who worked in food service can tell you, there was a lot to identify with in this story.Going from finance to being a server in a chain restaurant, there will be one huge difference: in a financial job, you don't leave the work behind at the office. Unless you own the restaurant, or have major management duties, you WILL leave it physically and mentally at the end of your shift. The main character in this film experiences that. Working double shifts (been there, done that!) is one way he can accumulate hours. But once he's out there, he's OUTTA there. This is a wonderful thing. No e-mails at 3 a.m. or phone calls at 5:30 a.m. No second-guessing a decision you made that might have you fired. No waking up in a panic because you realize you sent the wrong report to the company copy center. Sweet simple absence from the place of work, in every sense, at the end of the day. Then - it starts all over again at the next scheduled shift. Jimmy, our hero, appreciates this. Who wouldn't? It's relaxing just to see that simple balance portrayed on the screen. What other things are going on shows that the job may be simple but the financial players involved are not. You don't stray far from the ways that money corrupts. Ever. All of these things, along with Ed (Danny Glover's character) commenting on what must be really important, make this film have the ring of truth for anyone who has EVER had a job. You've had a job? Then it was 9 to 5 or it was round the clock. Take your pick, which would you like? You'll pay for your choice. This movie is about the price.

Serviceable at best. You have to wonder why some movies are made. They don't have any stars or new up-'n-comers, so to speak. They aren't that entertaining, original, or well acted. The characters are bland and blase, acting to boot, of course. However, you may have one well-known actor who's looking for a paycheck late in his career. Well, that's what you've got here, isn't it?We find out that Wall Street is shallow and all about the money. Wow! that's a shocker. We also find out that there are good people eaten up by this nastiness (of course that's what we've got here, thus the movie). And that there are spouses who will support these good people through thick and thin, and that there's minor self- revelations discovered on the down side of all that corrupt success, and we also learn that some good people without money come along and can teach us lessons, lessons that can only be found at the school of hard knocks, not in your local college library. And so on. Anything you haven't seen here before? Story, acting, dialogue, all rather average. Nothing to see here, folks. Same ol' same ol'. Just might want to get your waffles to go. Move along. Next!

I like most movies I watch in some way or another. But after this one I feel like ranting. So I will yell in this little box so I can move on with my life. I almost watched it all, but I had to stop myself. I could not ignore the feeling that I was wasting my precious time. The story had nothing to tell about being human. There is no authentic human struggle anywhere. When there was 20 minutes left I turned it off because I didn't care how it ended. I didn't care if our offputting protagonist got his perfect life. I don't feel for two people in their thirties because they don't get to live in a mansion. You had to drive a low price car? Other people jumped off buildings.

Waffle Street is a timely piece about the lessons we all should learn about hard work and rewards. Both of the main characters Jimmy (James Lafferty) and Edward (Danny Glover) have felt the pain of dishonesty and have each taken different roads to restoring faith in themselves while seeing the pressures society places on us all. Danny Glover (Edward) delivers an excellent performance as the friend and mentor to the silver spooned Jimmy who is struggling with understanding what kind of man he wants to be. Great family movie and relevant to children and adults alike. The true story makes it an even better, again proving life is always more interesting than fiction. I give it a thumbs up for the whole family.