The Way, Way Back

[Brian in Mesa]

The Way, Way Back

Release Date: July 5, 2013 (limited)
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Director: Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
Screenwriter: Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
Genre: Comedy, Drama
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for thematic elements, language, some sexual content and brief drug material)
Website: WayWayBackmovie.com

Starring: Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, AnnaSophia Robb, Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph, Liam James, Amanda Peet, Rob Corddry

Plot Summary: "The Way, Way Back" is the funny and poignant coming of age story of 14-year-old Duncan's (Liam James) summer vacation with his mother, Pam (Toni Collette), her overbearing boyfriend, Trent (Steve Carell), and his daughter, Steph (Zoe Levin). Having a rough time fitting in, the introverted Duncan finds an unexpected friend in gregarious Owen (Sam Rockwell), manager of the Water Wizz water park. Through his funny, clandestine friendship with Owen, Duncan slowly opens up to and begins to finally find his place in the world - all during a summer he will never forget.

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[Town Drunk]

Saw this on Sunday with the wife. It was entertaining. Your typical teenage road to redemption type of movie. I thought Rockwell was excellent. Carrell played a dick, which was different.

 

[Bert]

Warning; SPOILER ALERT


I thought this movie was ok. A lot of funny moments thanks to Rockwell and Rudolph but overall I thought it had a lot of problems.

First off Steve Carrell was great. Sam Rockwell was also really good.

The main protagonist was a bad choice IMO. He was totally unlikable and his character was way uneven. Not to mention EVERY line he delivered in the movie was in a whimper that sounded like he was crying. Just a very unlikable character. I mean one moment the kid is sitting in a room barely able to communicate and the next moment he's taking rides from strangers and break dancing in the middle of a water park. He just way overplayed his awkward side and it made his happy side totally un realistic.

I also didn't like the writing for Carrell's "Stepdad" character. I mean, for the first half of the movie I totally agreed with him. All he was doing was telling the kid that he needed to speak up, not be rude, clean up after himself and leave a note for his mother when he was going to be out all night. My parents expected me to leave a note when I was that age and I sure as heck will expect mine to when they are that age. Yet this kid is acting like he's the most abused kid on the planet because his Mom wants him to leave a note when he's going to be out ALL NIGHT.

As a parent, I'm like, well yea, none of that is the least bit unreasonable, this kid is kindof a little prick!

Then it was like they realized they weren't making Carrell bad enough so they're like, oh PS and he cheated on the mom and tries to beat up the kid in front of an entire group of people at a party and oh yeah he will tell him that his Dad doesn't want him and while all this is happening the Mom will just stand there!!! There, now they definitely hate him!

Even the conversation to open the movie that was supposedly sooo traumatizing for the kid because he called him a "3". There was nothing wrong with that conversation it's not like Carrell told him he was ugly or stupid, he told him that he was way to shy and attached to his mother and that he wanted to see him make some friends and be outgoing during the summer. LOL again, not unreasonable. I mean Carrell always played him with a tone of voice that made you not like him, but the message he was trying to convey to this teenager was pretty much the right message a parent should convey.

It was almost like this movie was written from the perspective of an entitled, whiney teenager who's attitude is; "My mom should do everything for me and I hate any adult that tries to teach me anything wahhhhhhhhhhh!"

Anyways, the movie wasn't bad, I would say it was ok but not great. Just a lot of very sloppy writing.

 

[Bada0Bing]

Warning; SPOILER ALERT


I thought this movie was ok. A lot of funny moments thanks to Rockwell and Rudolph but overall I thought it had a lot of problems.

First off Steve Carrell was great. Sam Rockwell was also really good.

The main protagonist was a bad choice IMO. He was totally unlikable and his character was way uneven. Not to mention EVERY line he delivered in the movie was in a whimper that sounded like he was crying. Just a very unlikable character. I mean one moment the kid is sitting in a room barely able to communicate and the next moment he's taking rides from strangers and break dancing in the middle of a water park. He just way overplayed his awkward side and it made his happy side totally un realistic.

I also didn't like the writing for Carrell's "Stepdad" character. I mean, for the first half of the movie I totally agreed with him. All he was doing was telling the kid that he needed to speak up, not be rude, clean up after himself and leave a note for his mother when he was going to be out all night. My parents expected me to leave a note when I was that age and I sure as heck will expect mine to when they are that age. Yet this kid is acting like he's the most abused kid on the planet because his Mom wants him to leave a note when he's going to be out ALL NIGHT.

As a parent, I'm like, well yea, none of that is the least bit unreasonable, this kid is kindof a little prick!

Then it was like they realized they weren't making Carrell bad enough so they're like, oh PS and he cheated on the mom and tries to beat up the kid in front of an entire group of people at a party and oh yeah he will tell him that his Dad doesn't want him and while all this is happening the Mom will just stand there!!! There, now they definitely hate him!

Even the conversation to open the movie that was supposedly sooo traumatizing for the kid because he called him a "3". There was nothing wrong with that conversation it's not like Carrell told him he was ugly or stupid, he told him that he was way to shy and attached to his mother and that he wanted to see him make some friends and be outgoing during the summer. LOL again, not unreasonable. I mean Carrell always played him with a tone of voice that made you not like him, but the message he was trying to convey to this teenager was pretty much the right message a parent should convey.

It was almost like this movie was written from the perspective of an entitled, whiney teenager who's attitude is; "My mom should do everything for me and I hate any adult that tries to teach me anything wahhhhhhhhhhh!"

Anyways, the movie wasn't bad, I would say it was ok but not great. Just a lot of very sloppy writing.

Haha Bert, nice review. I recently watched this.

I agree with some of what you said, as I was thinking similarly about the kid. I'm not sure if it was bad writing or bad acting.

Regarding Carell, it wasn't just that he was trying to get Duncan acting more like a man, it was the way he was doing it. Very condescending, almost like he was disgusted. Maybe you didn't see it that way because the kid was just so darn annoying.

Rockwell was awesome though. Stole the show every scene he was in.

 

[Bert]

Haha Bert, nice review. I recently watched this.

I agree with some of what you said, as I was thinking similarly about the kid. I'm not sure if it was bad writing or bad acting.

Regarding Carell, it wasn't just that he was trying to get Duncan acting more like a man, it was the way he was doing it. Very condescending, almost like he was disgusted. Maybe you didn't see it that way because the kid was just so darn annoying.

Rockwell was awesome though. Stole the show every scene he was in.

Totally. Rockwell can really act. One of these days he is going to land just the right role that will get him an oscar.

 

[Catlover]

Totally. Rockwell can really act. One of these days he is going to land just the right role that will get him an oscar.

He didn't win one for Galaxy Quest? What a ripoff!

 

[Chaplin]

His best roles are still Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and Green Mile. And those aren't recent movies. Moon was pretty solid as well.