Trama

Young employees at ShenaniganZ restaurant collectively stave off boredom and adulthood with their antics.

It's the dinner shift at ShenaniganZ. Cluess boss Dan assigns Mitch, a 22-year-old trainee, to Monty, the smooth-talker who chases girls for one-night stands. Dean, a 22-year-old waiter, feels that life is passing him by. Dan offers him the assistant-manager job and gives him until midnight to decide. Other waiters, cooks, and bus boys have their issues and personalities. Bishop, the dishwasher, is their counselor. During this shift, Monty may learn something, Dean makes his decision, Dan makes a play for the not-yet-18 hostess, customers get their comeuppance, the guys all play the in-house homophobic flashing game, the gals demonstrate why they won't, and Mitch gets the last word.—<jhailey@hotmail.com>

Over the course of 24 hours, from one drunken after-work party to the next drunken after-work party the following night, the shenanigans of the employees at ShenaniganZ, a strip-mall franchise restaurant, are presented. These shenanigans are centered on the restaurant's wait staff, who have the unenviable position of being the primary interface between the other employees, whether it be the bartenders, cooks, dishwashers, buspeople, hostess or manager, and the customers. There are six wait staff working this day. Monty, the alpha male and head troublemaker, is a womanizer who has a penchant for jail bait, he currently having his eye on the new hostess, Natasha, who will not be legal for another week. Serena, Monty's ex-girlfriend, is arguably the one person who can put him in his place. Dean, who has worked as a waiter here for four years since high school and has stayed largely in not knowing what he wants to do, is feeling at a crossroads. He has learned that Chet Miller, with who he took all the advanced academic courses in high school, has just graduated from college with a degree in engineering, while Dean himself has not even managed to graduate from community college. Dan, the loser Manager, offers Dean the position of Assistant Manager, Dean having to weigh the benefits of advancement against possibly turning into another Dan. Amy, Dean's girlfriend, always seems to be stuck with having to serve the worst of the already generally bad customers that frequent the restaurant. Insecure Calvin, who is working a double shift as a favor for his "girlfriend" who wanted a night off, has recently developed a case of shy bladder syndrome. And Naomi is seemingly angry at everyone and everything. A seventh this day is trainee Mitch, who seems overwhelmed by these shenanigans, especially the "penis showing game".—Huggo

Young employees at Shenaniganz restaurant collectively stave off boredom and adulthood with their antics. The movie revolves around the life of the first day of an employee who witnesses first hand the various things the waiters, cooks and others did at a restaurant to pass the time.

The film focuses on several characters. One of the main protagonists, Dean (Justin Long), has been a waiter for four years since graduating from high school, and hasn't earned a degree during his four years at a community college. When Dean learns from his mother (Monica) that a former high school classmate, Chett (Travis Resor), now has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, he begins to rethink his direction-less life. Dean's lecherous friend and co-worker, Monty (Ryan Reynolds), is in exactly the same situation, but has accepted that his future lies with the restaurant, Shenaniganz. Monty is put in charge of training Mitch (John Francis Daley), a newly hired waiter who is constantly interrupted throughout most of the film.

Also working with Dean is Calvin (Robert Patrick Benedict), a hopeless romantic who cannot hang onto a relationship, and Dan (David Koechner), the uptight manager who is grooming Dean as his protege. Rounding out the staff are 17-year old hostess Natasha (Vanessa Lengies), abrasive waitress Naomi (Alanna Ubach), waitress (and Monty's ex-girlfriend) Serena (Anna Faris), Dean's girlfriend and fellow waitress Amy (Kaitlin Doubleday), stoner bus-boys T-Dog and Nick (Max Kasch and Andy Milonakis), head chef Raddamus (Luis Guzman), the insane, unsanitary chef Floyd (Dane Cook), bartender Tyla (Emmanuelle Chriqui), and the pensive and philosophical dishwasher Bishop (Chi McBride).

The waiters preoccupy themselves with endless gossip, complaining about the customers, seeking covert revenge on particularly rude patrons, and playing a special kind of game which involves flashing genitalia at a fellow worker (the "Penis Showing Game"). Each employee has his or her own problems and stories, which are interwoven with the ebb and flow of business. Minutes before the restaurant closes, however, Chett and his girlfriend come in for dinner and leave Dean a hefty tip out of pity. This prompts Dean to quit his job - turning down an assistant manager position Dan offered him at the beginning of the film - and seek a more promising future.

When the shift ends, the staff head to a party at Monty and Dean's house. At the party, Monty is able to resist having sex with Natasha (although he says they will have sex the following Wednesday, when she will be 18), Calvin attempts to fix his relationship problems, and Mitch bashes most members of the staff after being constantly interrupted throughout the day. He concludes by giving them all The Goat from the "Penis Showing Game," for which Monty declares him a god and swears his undying allegiance to him. The film ends with the staff talking about the incident with Mitch, Dan showing up at a disgruntled customers' house after Natasha gave him the wrong address to the party, and the hip hop music video debut of Nick and T-Dog.