Rated
PG-13 (Thematic Elements, Language, some Sexual Content and Brief Drug Material)
Running
Time: 1 Hour & 43 Minutes
Cast-
Liam
James-Duncan
AnnaSophia
Robb-Susanna
Steve
Carell-Trent
Toni
Collette-Pam
Sam
Rockwell-Owen
Maya
Rudolph-Caitlyn
Allison
Janney-Betty
Rob
Corddry-Kip
Amanda
Peet-Joan
Nat
Faxon-Roddy
Jim
Rash-Lewis
Zoe
Levin-Steph
River
Alexander-Peter
Directed
by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash
 |
| Man, I wish I knew girls like her when I was growing up! |
Note: Screened on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 at AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13 (Red Carpet Premiere).
I
wasn't the most popular kid in grade school. Whenever I was around other people,
I would speak only when spoken to because I felt if you didn't have anything
interesting to say, why say anything at all? That feeling of awkwardness, of
trying to find your place in the world while being caught in between childhood and
adulthood is a common experience for many teenagers, with Hollywood often mining
this pivotal moment in our lives in numerous coming-of-age films. The latest is
"The Way, Way Back" from comedians-turned-writers Nat Faxon and Jim Rash,
both of whom are making their directorial debuts. The duo previously won an Academy
Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for 2011's "The Descendants" alongside
director Alexander Payne. Given the critical acclaim that film received (89% on
Rotten Tomatoes, won Best Picture—Drama at the 69th Golden Globe Awards), it shouldn't
be surprising to find that the distributor for Faxon and Rash's feature debut is
once again Fox Searchlight Pictures. In fact, the studio paid a hefty sum of $10
million to acquire "The Way, Way Back" when it premiered at the Sundance
Film Festival back in January. It's obviously an attempt to repeat the success
of 2006's "Little Miss Sunshine" (with Steve Carell and Toni Collette
even having a mini-reunion) but while it's admirable that the studio has so
much confidence in Faxon and Rash's film, that kind of large payout sets up expectations
that it may not be able to meet. That being said, "The Way, Way Back"
is definitely a great film that's bolstered by a funny and honest script, as
well as a scene-stealing performance from Sam Rockwell. The material isn't quite
as fresh and leans a little too heavily on its all-star cast yet it functions as
a charming alternative for audiences turned off by the summer's usual big-budget
offerings.
Introverted
fourteen-year-old Duncan (Liam James) is heading to Cape Cod, Massachusetts for
the summer with his mom Pam (Toni Collette), her obnoxious new boyfriend Trent
(Steve Carell) and his vain teenage daughter Steph (Zoe Levin). Arriving at her
beau's coastal beach house, Pam is introduced to kooky neighbor Betty (Allison
Janney) and prepares to settle down for a relaxing summer vacation with Trent's
drinking buddies Kip and Joan (Rob Corddry and Amanda Peet). However, Duncan is
none too happy about this arrangement and spends most of his days silently sulking
around the house. He eventually sneaks off on his own and ends up at a nearby water
park called Water Wizz. While there, Duncan meets the park's motor-mouthed manager
Owen (Sam Rockwell) and quickly strikes up a friendship with him. Looking to boost
the young teen's self-esteem, Owen offers Duncan a job for the summer. His experiences
with his Water Wizz co-workers, which include the exasperated Caitlyn (Maya Rudolph),
slowly draw him out of his shell, allowing Duncan to connect with Betty's teenage
daughter Susanna (AnnaSophia Robb).
Like
the 'modern warfare' first-person shooter, coming-of-age films are a dime-a-dozen
these days (2013's Sundance Film Festival also saw the premiere of James Ponsoldt's
"The Spectacular Now") so it's somewhat disappointing to find
"The Way, Way Back" so formulaic in regards to its story. The film opens
with Steve Carell's Trent trying to bond with Duncan (who's sitting in the trunk
in the family station wagon) by asking the fourteen-year-old how he would rate
himself on a scale from one to ten. After some prodding, Duncan half-heartedly
responds with a 'six' but Trent thinks he's more like a 'three,' which is pretty
much the worst possible thing you can say to a kid who already has low
self-esteem (This apparently happened to Rash when he was that age). The very definition
of a social outcast, Duncan is faced with a potential stepfather who's a complete
dick to him and a mother who's willfully oblivious to his feelings. In fact, all
the adults surrounding the insecure teen are little more than childish boors trapped
in their own world. As one character puts it, Cape Cod is like 'spring break
for adults.' Complicating matters further are Pam's attempts to step out of her
own shell at a time when her son needs her most. Moving on from her bitter divorce,
she settles with Trent despite his blatant alpha-male posturing. The way the
film positions Duncan and Pam as similar outsiders adds a nice wrinkle to the proceedings,
although Pam's subplot is underdeveloped.
While the moment-to-moment drama will be familiar to anyone who's ever seen a
coming-of-age film, Faxon and Rash manage to infuse their picture with a genuine
honesty, even when the story is populated by eccentric characters like Allison
Janney's Betty. Since the two directors are drawing from their own experiences,
they understand that real life doesn't offer bow-tied happy endings and appropriately
leave a few subplots unresolved. However, the film does close on a hopeful
note, with Duncan better equipped to handle whatever curveballs life throws at
him.
Faxon
and Rash's script won't win any points for originality but the humor it brings
to the table, along with the cast's excellent performances, help elevate the familiar
material. Completely stealing the film is Sam Rockwell, who gives the wisecracking
water park manager a delightfully roguish charm and even a subtle hint of regret
that comes with being stuck in one place for most of your life. Allison Janney also
brings quite a lot of laughs as Trent's floozy neighbor Betty, often at the expense
of her lazy-eyed son Peter. Carrying the entire film, Liam James is superb as wallflower
Duncan. He perfectly captures his character's pent-up insecurities and anger
with his taut body language and constantly-averting eyes. Playing against type,
Steve Carell is rather convincing as Pam's assh*le boyfriend Trent. Hell, not
even five minutes into the film, I already wanted to punch his character in the
face. Toni Collette grounds the picture as Duncan's mother, with the directors
themselves even joining in on the fun as a pair of slackers who also happen to
work at the water park. Maya Rudolph exudes warmth while Rob Corddry and Amanda
Peet have minor roles. The weakest link is unfortunately AnnaSophia Robb. It's
not that her performance is bad; she's just given very little to do besides fulfilling
her role as 'the love interest' for the lead character. Still, this is an
impressive ensemble cast that Faxon and Rash have gathered and their combined
star-power is one of the film's major benefits.
Premiering
at the Sundance Film Festival and set for a limited release on July 5, 2013, "The
Way, Way Back" has been receiving positive reviews so far with 89% on Rotten
Tomatoes. Critics will likely knock it for not diverting from formula but reception
should remain positive when the release date rolls around in a week. Audience
reception was highly enthusiastic at the red carpet premiere this past
Wednesday so it might very well turn out to be the next "Little Miss
Sunshine," at least in financial terms. No, "The Way, Way Back"
doesn't offer anything new as far as coming-of-age films go but it remains an
appealing crowd-pleaser thanks to its wonderful sense of humor and ensemble cast.
Final
Rating: 4 out of 5
"You’ve
got to go your own way, and you, my friend, are going your own way."
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