Bill C’s Review – 4 out of 5
Unintentionally the last three movies I’ve seen have all been about kids dealing with parenting issues. This is one of the two that have been teenage boy coming of age stories. The other was about a 6 year old girl. I’ve liked them all but this is my favorite.
The Way Way Back is a funny, touching movie about 14 year old Duncan. He has to spend the summer with his mom (Toni Collette), her boyfriend (Steve, Carell) and his daughter at his summer home by the beach. Duncan is quiet and sullen as he doesn’t get along with his mom’s boyfriend (or his daughter) and it looks like it will be a long summer.
Luckily he runs into Owen (Sam Rockwell) and a job at the local water park. Owen brings Duncan out of his shell and give him the opportunity to get comfortable in his own skin.
The acting is very good. Sam Rockwell is great in this movie and very funny at the water park. Allison Janney is also very funny as the next door neighbor. Collette is good as the stressed out mom trying to make the most of a not very good situation and Carrell is good in a rare non comedy role as the cruddy boyfriend/supposed father figure for Duncan.
Nat Faxon and Jim Rash wrote, directed and have small funny supporting roles as water park employees. They were also 2 of the writers of The Descendatnts.
This is definitely worth seeing
Bill I’s Review – 4 out of 5
I agree with my buddy on this, excellent film. One of the best portrayals of adolescent angst/coming of age/frustration I’ve seen. The young actor is seething with being forced to accompany his mom and her slimy new boyfriend (an unlikeable Steve Carrell, a first) to summer cottage by the beach in Cape Cod, where the adults are just drinking and partying and getting frisky while their kids are doing who knows what. Nothing really original in the plot, but the characters are memorable and it’s cool to see how a caring adult (Sam Rockwell is an adult in age but a goofy kid on the surface) can make a huge positive difference in a teenager’s life. Without being creepy! I particularly liked the last scene, which I won’t describe, but it was very nicely done, with zero dialogue. Check it out.
I loved this movie. It is heartbreaking to see how some”adolescent” parents hurt their kids. The boy in the picture is outstanding.