For a film crammed to bursting with vitality and joy, Waitress is tinged with inescapable sadness.

The senselessness of writer-director-actor Shelly's murder (see below) hits home most powerfully in the film's lingering final shot as the fictional heroine, played by the radiant Keri Russell, walks into the distance holding the hand of her daughter, played by Sophie.

On the soundtrack, the heroine sings a lullaby composed by Shelly and Andrew Hollander entitled Baby Don't You Cry (The Pie Song).

The undying love expressed in the lyrics is heartbreaking. Waitress is a fitting tribute to Shelly's talents as a filmmaker.

Her picture is a valentine to motherhood and an extremely moreish slice of old-fashioned romantic comedy. The unlikely heroine is Jenna (Russell), a server at Joe's Diner, who is known far and wide for her tasty bakes, including 'I Hate My Husband Pie' filled with unsweetened bittersweet chocolate pudding drowned in caramel and 'Kick In The Pants Pie' crammed with cinnamon spice custard.

Trapped in a loveless marriage to her selfish husband Earl (Sisto), Jenna thinks her world has come to an end when she falls pregnant.

Fellow waitresses Becky (Hines) and Dawn (Shelly) try to keep her spirits up but handsome obstetrician-gynaecologist Dr Pomatter (Fillion) confirms Jenna's worst fears.

"Un-congratulations, you're definitely having a baby," he says.

"Un-thank you," she replies sombrely.

Struggling to reconcile her fears, Jenna contemplates an extra-marital affair with Dr Pomatter, while preparing for a regional bake-off with a 25,000 dollar first prize.

Waitress is a delight, beautifully scripted and directed by Shelly, who skilfully reveals glimmers of hope in Jenna's bleak predicament.

Russell is glorious in the lead role, navigating her character's emotional peaks and troughs with gentle humour.

Fillion is an appealing romantic lead and the ensemble cast relishes an abundance of crisp one-liners like Becky's declaration: "He makes me forget about my husband, my loneliness... the dreadful misplacement of my bosoms."

Sisto is repellent as a man concerned more with physical gratification than the feelings of his other half, while Andy Griffith relishes the impishness of curmudgeonly Old Joe, surveying his kingdom from his favourite table and delighting in the contents of the local obituaries.

The array of wackily titled pies looks mouthwatering, not least Jenna's speciality, Mermaid Marshmallow Pie, a heavenly combination of coconut, chocolate and cream.

Bon appetit!

OUR RATING: Four stars out of five.

ADRIENNE Shelly was a darling of the indie movie set for many years, first coming to prominence in Hal Hartley's early films Trust and The Unbelievable Truth.

Most recently she appeared in Factotum, opposite Matt Dillon. Her quirky, elphin good looks made her much in demand. But rather than go down the Hollywood route, she deliberately chose to stay outside the mainstream.

Waitress was her third film behind the camera and has already enjoyed considerable box office success in the US - it's now tipped for an Oscar. But in November last year, Shelly was found hanged in the shower of her apartment. She had been murdered, apparently in a dispute over construction noise. Nineteen-year-old Ecuadorean Diego Pillco confessed to Shelly's murder and is currently awaiting trial.

While Shelly was just on the verge of major success as a film maker at the time of her death, she was undoubtedly an inspiration to the many female directors who even now find it virtually impossible to make it in cinema. The Adrienne Shelly Foundation has been set up in her honour to provide support for women to make films.

Comedy/Romance. Stars: Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Cheryl Hines, Adrienne Shelly, Eddie Jemison, Lew Temple, Jeremy Sisto, Andy Griffith