Starring: Ryan Reynolds (I), Anna Faris, John Francis Daley

2 out of 10 stars: If Rob McKittrick ever worked in a restaurant, you'd never be able to tell after watching the writer-director's first movie, Waiting. This is a comedic miscue that's been reconstituted from a handful of better movies, as well as a failed attempt to set an easy pace and let a talented cast conjure up awful memories of our past careers in food service.

Shot with what had to have been the cheapest film stock available, Waiting takes place mostly within the confines of Shenaniganz, essentially a T.G.I. Friday's with fewer pieces of flair. It's the first day on the job for Mitch (John Francis Daley), a stony-eyed, unassertive young man, who's guided through the establishment by its veteran server, Monty (Ryan Reynolds). With Monty on autopilot, Mitch is quickly introduced to his jaded coworkers and familiarized with the staff's official prank: any guy who is tricked into catching a glimpse of another guy's genitals must Bend Over and submit to being kicked in the ass. (Bonus kicks for clever folding and pinning of the genitalia.) The only tangible plot involves another waiter, Dean (Justin Long), who has until the end of the day to accept or reject an offer to become the restaurant's new assistant manager.

In his attempt to blend Office Space with American Pie, McKittrick fails to match the wit of the former and the perversity of the latter. He also gets nothing from his performers, with the exception of Alanna Ubach (a nice surprise) and the ever-charming Luis Guzmán. No good lines were written for Anna Faris (who looks more and more like Britney Spears); David Koechner and Chi McBride show unusual restraint as they hit their respective marks; Justin Long is Keanu-like in his aloofness from the material. But the entire movie was based around Monty's character, and Ryan Reynolds is clearly uninterested in the role, overacting his way through a series of smug asides and increasingly frustrating gay jokes.

If you go see Waiting and hate it, you should be kicked three times in the badonkadonk for letting yourself be tricked.