Waitress is a 2023 American musical comedy-drama film of the stage musical, which premiered in 2015. It was recorded live at a 2.5 hour long performance of the stage musical. The 2007 film Waitress upon which the stage musical was in turn based, was written and directed by Adrienne Shelly. With music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles and a book by Jessie Nelson, the musical explores themes of female empowerment, personal transformation, and resilience, through the story of Jenna, a small-town waitress and expert pie baker who seeks to escape her unhappy marriage to an abusive husband.