The Way Way Back
The point of this blog is to write about movies. This does not simply mean new releases, because I don’t have the money for that. Today, I’m writing about the 2013 film The Way Way Back.
OK, so this movie is awesome. It is without a doubt in my mind that this is the freshest, funniest comedy I have seen in a long time. It was heart wrenching, hysterical, awkward, and raw, sometimes all in the same scene.
The plot follows 14 year old Duncan (played by Liam James). Duncan is fairly awkward and doesn’t get out much. This is pointed out in the first scene where Duncan’s mother’s boyfriend, Trent (played by Steve Carell), straight up tells him he’s a “three” in his eyes on a scale from one to ten. So from the start, we know Trent is a huge jerkwad and we hate him. While spending the summer at Trent’s beach house, Duncan finds solace in going to the local water park, where rowdy Owen (played by Sam Rockwell, in probably one of the best performances I’ve seen him in) takes him under his wing. Throughout the summer, the water park holds a place where Duncan can escape to and where there are plenty of shenanigans to take place. When not at the water park, Duncan does his best to avoid Trent. Duncan’s mother (Toni Collette) wants him to attempt to establish a relationship, but Duncan refuses. While he knows that Trent is a total stupidhead (sorry for all the different ways to degrade Trent, but I can’t swear here), Duncan finds out that Trent is cheating on his mother. There are scenes with tension between the two, most of which makes you want to punch something or someone as soon as you’re done watching them.
The character development is a great addition to the movie. Owen is pretty much a man child, which is a nice role for him. Duncan begins his summer as a gawky and awkward teenager, but grows to be more social and even kisses a girl (AnnaSophia Robb)! This part has you cheering for our unlikely hero.This movie definitely hits home. I’m sure at some point in our lives there has been some person (in this case, Trent) who has gone out of their way to embarrass us or make life a living hell for us. Duncan is able to cope only through his friendship with Owen and going to his wet paradise. It really frustrates the viewer that Duncan is in such purgatory, but then again, that is what makes movies so awesome! You want to feel like you can identify with these characters and you want to feel their pain. This film does the perfect job of doing just that.
I give this film a 4 out of 5. While I have given this movie such praise, it did have some uncomfortable parts, which I had to sit through. This film is currently available on DVD, Blu-Ray, On Demand, and Digital.
OK, so this movie is awesome. It is without a doubt in my mind that this is the freshest, funniest comedy I have seen in a long time. It was heart wrenching, hysterical, awkward, and raw, sometimes all in the same scene.
The plot follows 14 year old Duncan (played by Liam James). Duncan is fairly awkward and doesn’t get out much. This is pointed out in the first scene where Duncan’s mother’s boyfriend, Trent (played by Steve Carell), straight up tells him he’s a “three” in his eyes on a scale from one to ten. So from the start, we know Trent is a huge jerkwad and we hate him. While spending the summer at Trent’s beach house, Duncan finds solace in going to the local water park, where rowdy Owen (played by Sam Rockwell, in probably one of the best performances I’ve seen him in) takes him under his wing. Throughout the summer, the water park holds a place where Duncan can escape to and where there are plenty of shenanigans to take place. When not at the water park, Duncan does his best to avoid Trent. Duncan’s mother (Toni Collette) wants him to attempt to establish a relationship, but Duncan refuses. While he knows that Trent is a total stupidhead (sorry for all the different ways to degrade Trent, but I can’t swear here), Duncan finds out that Trent is cheating on his mother. There are scenes with tension between the two, most of which makes you want to punch something or someone as soon as you’re done watching them.
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The character development is a great addition to the movie. Owen is pretty much a man child, which is a nice role for him. Duncan begins his summer as a gawky and awkward teenager, but grows to be more social and even kisses a girl (AnnaSophia Robb)! This part has you cheering for our unlikely hero.This movie definitely hits home. I’m sure at some point in our lives there has been some person (in this case, Trent) who has gone out of their way to embarrass us or make life a living hell for us. Duncan is able to cope only through his friendship with Owen and going to his wet paradise. It really frustrates the viewer that Duncan is in such purgatory, but then again, that is what makes movies so awesome! You want to feel like you can identify with these characters and you want to feel their pain. This film does the perfect job of doing just that.
I give this film a 4 out of 5. While I have given this movie such praise, it did have some uncomfortable parts, which I had to sit through. This film is currently available on DVD, Blu-Ray, On Demand, and Digital.
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