The Way, Way Back

Why do old people try and hold on to the hope that they are somehow different from everyone else? Once you get married and have kids, it’s over for you, just accept it. You either are talking about diapers, traffic routes, and daycare costs or you’re on the opposite of end of the spectrum and are a deadbeat parent who gets drunk in the corner during your kid’s recital. And that’s assuming you even show up to it at all. But Hollywood keeps giving you hope with all of these “quirky” indie films like Running with Scissors, Little Miss Sunshine, or Easy A. I know that Easy A wasn't an indie flick but her parents in it were way too cool to be real life parents. They may seem regular at first with regular people's problems but then they somehow rediscover life and do weird things like dancing on stage with their kids. We all know that never really happens, unless it's in a strip club and then this turns into a completely different discussion  Well once I saw the previews for The Way, Way Back and that they proudly displayed “From the creators of Little Miss Sunshine” I thought I was in for another misleading mess.

Thankfully this movie was anything but. Instead it’s a coming of age story that focuses on a teenager named Duncan who is about as socially refined as the disfigured kid from Mask. It helps that he looks a bit like Herman Munster and not like the hot girl in She’s All That where all she has to do is take off her glasses and she is instantly this stunning model. Instead, right off the bat you feel sorry for Duncan as his mom’s douchebag boyfriend, played rather convincingly by Steve Carell, tells him that he rates him as a 3 on a 1 to 10 scale. This is as they are on a road trip to Carell’s beach house for the summer where Duncan is also forced to deal with Carell’s bratty teenage daughter, his drunk neighbor and her weird kid with the stray eye, as well as Amanda Peete and her much older boyfriend who is trying to hold on to his youth. The only place he can escape to feel somewhat comfortable is the local water park which is run by the overgrown kid Sam Rockwell. He eventually forms a friendship with Rockwell who tries to help him come out of his shell a bit and realize that he’s better than what the db Carell thinks of him.

Rockwell is a bit over the top at times but it’s a breath of fresh air to see someone bring some charisma to the screen besides the annoyingly drunk neighbor played by Allison Janney. He actually provides the film’s best moment as he sends Duncan in to break up a dance show these kids are putting on in the middle of the water park. This is Duncan’s first time putting himself out there and the results are both hilarious and heart warming. But don’t let that fool you, this movie never gets sappy. If anything it’s a pretty grim look at what we have to look forward to as we get older. Duncan’s mom, played by Toni Collette, is in her 40’s and is a struggling single parent who is trying her best to make this relationship work despite the obvious signs that she should move on. I guess our fear of growing old alone can have us do some pretty weird stuff.

I’ve never been a big fan of Carell’s, I’ve always seen him as the yuppie middle aged Caucasian woman’s wet dream, some attractive dude who is only somewhat funny because of the weird faces and noises he makes from time to time. So the fact that he nails this role as a self centered and over bearing jackass didn’t really surprise me at all. But since that’s exactly what his character is supposed to be, I guess I have to give credit where credit is due. This movie serves as a warning to us to not fall prey to what society considers the normal path in life; otherwise you’ll find yourself in similar situations to the adults that are featured in this film.

Thankfully though there are enough funny moments in it to keep it light hearted, most of which are supplied by Sam Rockwell.  There are his interactions with his love interest Maya Rudolph, the way he clowns these bothersome kids that follow him around everywhere, and of course the scenes he has with Duncan as he shows him the ropes around the water park. I say you should check this movie out as I give it a rating of FRESH. It manages to surprise you in spots and you will definitely leave the theater feeling better than when you walked in.