[Movie Review] The Way Way Back (2013)

Posted on July 10, 2013 by thegrandshuckett in Movie Reviews // 0 Comments

Plot Summary: 14-year-old Duncan's summer vacation with his mother, her overbearing boyfriend, and his daughter. Having a rough time fitting in, Duncan finds an unexpected friend in Owen, manager of the Water Wizz water park.

Director: Nat Faxon, Jim Rash

Writer: Nat Faxon, Jim Rash

Runtime: 103 min

Main Cast:

Steve Carell as Trent
Toni Collette as Pam
Sam Rockwell as Owen
Maya Rudolph as Caitlyn
Liam James as Duncan
Rod Corddry as Kip
Allison Janney as Betty
Jim Rash as Lewis

Review: by Anthony and Lee

What We Liked:

Liam James was incredibly believable as an awkward teenager. He even nailed that slumped shouldered teenage posture.

Steve Carell was a jerk. It was amazing. Pretty much from the beginning of the movie we developed a hatred for his character that only built up as time went on. Considering that it was an unusual role for him, it was utterly fantastic acting.

There were a few scene-stealers. Allison Janney took command as soon as she came onscreen and continued to do so in all of her remaining scenes. Sam Rockwell was also amazing, and, although he only had a tertiary role in the movie, Jim Rash’s performance and roles as co-writer and co-directer made us wonder just how much talent he possesses.

Although it was a typical summer coming-of-age film, it wasn’t heavy-handedly so.

What We Didn’t Like:

Steve Carell did such a convincing job of acting like a douchebag that, after the movie was over, we were left thinking “man, that Steve Carell is a dick!” He shouldn’t be allowed to play that kind of character anymore. He’s too good at it.

The movie had a few lulls in it, and bits of it were very awkward; however, that is partially due to the talent of the cast and crew to create that feeling. It was almost painful at times to watch just how inept Liam James’s character was.