Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Review: The Way, Way Back


Release Date: July 5, 2013

Running Time: 106 minutes
Starring: Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Sam Rockwell, Liam James
Who to see it with: Anyone! (Especially someone who had an awkward childhood or likes Little Miss Sunshine)

David:



Who would have thought we'd get two great coming of age movies in a single summer? The Way, Way Back tells the story of an awkward teenager named Duncan (Liam James) and what begins as a terrible summer. He eventually meets Owen (Sam Rockwell), a local business owner, who takes him under his wing and turns the summer around. The writing and overall performances quickly stand out. Steve Carell starts the movie off right, as Duncan's mom's boyfriend, quickly setting the context for the upcoming summer and showing how uneasy the next few months will be for Duncan. Liam James is wonderful and relatable and Sam Rockwell is perfect as a care free waterpark owner. Their dynamic is really fun to watch and their developing relationship throughout the movie is the best part of the film. 

The writing is sharp and clever, with some very funny moments from Rockwell. The characters aren't necessarily realistic, but they do seem genuine and developed; similar to those in Little Miss Sunshine. What I really appreciated about Nat Faxon and Jim Rash's characters is that none of them are perfect. Everyone has their strengths and their flaws; you really see their depth as you watch them interact throughout the summer. And, what I liked best about this movie is how relatable the story is. Having an awkward childhood myself, this movie brought me back to my own high school days and made me remember a similar summer where I felt like I grew as a person; I imagine it will do the same to many of you. The Way, Way Back is simply a great, genuine, and entertaining movie that everyone should watch.

See it!

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