The Way, Way Back
Steve Carell, Toni Collette and Sam Rockwell star in this coming-of-age comedy, written and directed by two of the Oscar-winning screenwriters of The Descendants. During a summer vacation in a Northeast beach town, introverted teen Duncan (Liam James) strikes up an unlikely friendship with the manager of Water Wizz water park (Rockwell). Meanwhile Duncan’s mother (Collette) alienates her son through her determined efforts to make things work with her carousing boyfriend (Carell), whose hollow attempts to build a family are immediately transparent to Duncan.
- Director:
- Nat FaxonJim Rash (feature debuts)
- Writer:
- Nat FaxonJim Rash
- Cast:
- Steve CarellToni ColletteAllison JanneySam RockwellAnnaSophia RobbLiam James
Reviews & comments
Flicks, Rebecca Barry Hill
flicksA contender for feel-good comedy of the year, The Way, Way Back treads a similar path to Jim Rash and Nat Faxon’s other Oscar-winning film, The Descendants, with memorable characters, heartfelt themes and a great cast. This isn’t quite as nuanced or complex as the George Clooney drama, sticking to a crowd-pleasing formula, broad humour and familiar coming-of-age sentiment. And although you can fairly predict the girl-next-door romance and protagonists’ character arc from gloomily awkward to cheerily confident, it’s not hard to warm to the film when you spend a good portion of it laughing out loud.
Not Bad
If you've ever seen the movie Meatballs from 1979 with Bill Murray you'll recognize that this has a similar plotline (although without the hijinks). Sam Rockwell (as "Owen") plays the fast-talking Murray-type character who works at a water-park, who takes a shy adolescent boy under his wing. I did enjoy the movie; it held my interest all the way through...
Coming of age comedy
A delightful coming-of-age tale about a 14-year-old boy going on holiday with his divorced mother and her obnoxious new boyfriend (Steve Carrell plays this part pretty well!). A genuinely pleasing and relaxing 100 minutes or so, and we all enjoyed it. Gentle humour throughout helps, though the movie does labour a bit at the beginning. Average 3.7 stars from...
Time Out
pressThe young hero of Nat Faxon and Jim Rash’s summertime dramedy resembles nothing so much as a mollusk without a shell.
The New Yorker
pressOnce again, the oppressed American teen-ager lopes and shuffles to center stage, there to display his woes.
The New York Times
pressHas the charm of timelessness but also more than a touch of triteness.
The Guardian
pressWhen the credits roll, one is left thinking less of the fate of the characters than of the rollcall of Sundance offerings this film resembles.
The Dissolve
pressFaxon and Rash cut Duncan a clear, broad path to growth and perspective, but the audience can see where it's going long before it gets there.
The Age
pressAside from Carell's limited turn at doing nasty, it all feels terribly familiar, in a half-baked, Little Miss Sunshine-lite sort of way.
A.V. Club
pressLabors under the delusion that all filmmakers need to engineer a crowd-pleaser are a collection of tried-and-true conventions and a healthy dose of nostalgia.
Flicks, Rebecca Barry Hill
flicksA contender for feel-good comedy of the year, The Way, Way Back treads a similar path to Jim Rash and Nat Faxon’s other Oscar-winning film, The Descendants, with memorable characters, heartfelt themes and a great cast. This isn’t quite as nuanced or complex as the George Clooney drama, sticking to a crowd-pleasing formula, broad humour and familiar coming-of-age sentiment. And although you can fairly predict the girl-next-door romance and protagonists’ character arc from gloomily awkward to cheerily confident, it’s not hard to warm to the film when you spend a good portion of it laughing out loud.
Time Out
pressThe young hero of Nat Faxon and Jim Rash’s summertime dramedy resembles nothing so much as a mollusk without a shell.
The New Yorker
pressOnce again, the oppressed American teen-ager lopes and shuffles to center stage, there to display his woes.
The New York Times
pressHas the charm of timelessness but also more than a touch of triteness.
The Guardian
pressWhen the credits roll, one is left thinking less of the fate of the characters than of the rollcall of Sundance offerings this film resembles.
The Dissolve
pressFaxon and Rash cut Duncan a clear, broad path to growth and perspective, but the audience can see where it's going long before it gets there.
The Age
pressAside from Carell's limited turn at doing nasty, it all feels terribly familiar, in a half-baked, Little Miss Sunshine-lite sort of way.
A.V. Club
pressLabors under the delusion that all filmmakers need to engineer a crowd-pleaser are a collection of tried-and-true conventions and a healthy dose of nostalgia.
Not Bad
If you've ever seen the movie Meatballs from 1979 with Bill Murray you'll recognize that this has a similar plotline (although without the hijinks). Sam Rockwell (as "Owen") plays the fast-talking Murray-type character who works at a water-park, who takes a shy adolescent boy under his wing. I did enjoy the movie; it held my interest all the way through...
Coming of age comedy
A delightful coming-of-age tale about a 14-year-old boy going on holiday with his divorced mother and her obnoxious new boyfriend (Steve Carrell plays this part pretty well!). A genuinely pleasing and relaxing 100 minutes or so, and we all enjoyed it. Gentle humour throughout helps, though the movie does labour a bit at the beginning. Average 3.7 stars...
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