Film Review: The Way Way Back

No, not a sequel to the Peter Weir escape from Gulag film starring Colin Farrell and Jim Sturgess.

Sorry if the title gave that illusion.

This is more a coming of age kind of film, the main character Duncan, is struggling to find his own identity, more of a challenge than usual, his mother's boyfriend is a complete douche (understating things remarkably, but for now, we'll keep the language PG) and constantly belittling him.

The story starts once they all arrive at the boyfriend's summer house (Steve Carell on douche duty) and Duncan's mother (Toni Colette) attentions are taken up by the boyfriend's friends and their kids. Annasophia Robb appears here, as Allison Janney's daughter, matching the caliber of acting set by the adults.

With the help of a pink bike, Duncan escapes and finds his way to the local water park, where one of the employees Owen (Sam Rockwell acts the hell out of this part) takes him under his wing.

This is movie worth watching, through fingers at times, but still worth the watch, if just the Sam Rockwell scenes.

Comments

  1. Film & TV Commentator13 May 2014 at 00:42

    This quote comes from a film with a similar vibe.

    “Sam: Six Rules: 1. If you like something because you think other people are gonna like it, it's a sure bet no one will. 2. Most doors in the world are closed, so if you find one you want to get into: you damn well better have an interesting knock. 3. Everything you think is important, isn't. And everything you think is unimportant, is. 4. Don't shit where you eat. 5. Lean into it: the outcome doesn't matter. What matters is that you're there for it. 6. Never sleep with someone who has more problems than you do.”

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