Review of The Way Way Back (2013) by Jj K — 04 May 2014

I approach the coming-of-age genre with a fair degree of scepticism. Those movies about the hazy summer that changed everything so often fall into the same old traps of sentimentality and trite predictability. But here's a movie that proves that there's nothing wrong with a tonic of formula, if handled with care. Rather than make any conscious attempt to dodge cliches this movie embraces them, and the familiar story unfolds with such tenderness and sincerity that it's difficult not to be won over. Most importantly the movie is very charming and witty, with a razor-sharp script and a likeable hero who is very easy to sympathize with.

That hero would be Duncan(Liam James), a 14-year old who is on vacation with his divorced mother(Toni Collette), her obnoxious and overbearing boyfriend Trent(Steve Carrel), and Trent's equally obnoxious daughter Steph(Zoe Levin). Duncan is miserable about the whole situation, the main source of his misery being Trent. He hates Trent passionately and his hatred is not entirely unjustified. So, miserable, but not resigned to his misery, Duncan resolves to make the most of his horrible summer situation. Despite his social awkwardness he forms a connection with the girl-next door, Susanna (AnnaSophia Robb), a similarly introverted teenager who is also experiencing familial struggles. Duncan then succeeds in finding a job at a water park, run by a lovable but immature man named Owen (Sam Rockwell) and his more responsible assistant Kaitlyn(Maya Rudolf). Duncan forms a special bond with his new employees, in particular the charismatic Owen, and his confidence thrives in his new position. The rather shabby-looking water park for Duncan assumes a sort of blue paradise, a place of refuge from his dysfunctional family life.

So essentially the plot is as old as the hills and the themes are familiar but what the movie does offer is great performances and bucket-loads of charm and humour. There are some standout performances but it's also an excellent ensemble performance and all supporting players contribute a lot. I found the relationship between Owen and Kaitlyn to be particularly intriguing. Rockwell and Rudolf have great physical chemistry and bring a lot of charm and comic talent to their respective roles. There is one great scene where Kaitlyn is gently badgering Owen over duties at the park that he has neglected to perform. Aware that he is in trouble, Owen shrewdly snuggles into her shoulder, a blatant attempt to curry favour with her. All of a sudden we have a much deeper understanding of these people and their relationship. It might sound like a simple act and chances are it was improvised on the spot by the excellent Rockwell and Rudolf, but it's inspired moments like this that elevate this movie above the formulaic arc of the plotline.

Steve Carrel, so often the nice guy, is surprisingly effective as the films main antagonist. Trent is the kind of man who really gets under your skin. As the movie progresses you begin to realize he is a deeply flawed character who wishes to control everything and to impose his principles on those around him, but is entirely tactless when it comes to the feelings of those very same people. Toni Collette is often typecast as the loving yet vulnerable mother and here..well, she is indeed a loving and vulnerable mother. But no one performs this type of role better than Collette. As expected, Rockwell gives a superb and charismatic performance as Owen. AnnaSophia Robb fits the bill as the requisite love interest and Allison Janny gives a scene-stealing performance as her eccentric mother with a fondness for the bottle. The real standout performance, however, is from Liam James as the movies hero. Awkward as a hunchback, the character seems to be carrying all the indignities of adolescence on his shoulders. In a superbly naturalistic and uninhibited performance James perfectly conveys the simultaneous pain and optimism of the character.

To cite a minor weakness, at times there seems to be too much of a conscious effort to emphasize how horrible a person Trent is, when there is really no need too. For example, there is a scene where he asks Duncan to clean up his plate after himself. A cold silence follows where we are clearly meant to think that this is such an unreasonable request from a monster of a man. Admittedly, he's not a nice character but at times it seems like the movie is beating us over the head with that information. However, a less cynical interpretation is that we are so expertly placed in Duncan's shoes that we are made to share his intense resentment. From the opening shot we are made to side with Duncan and the grotesque situation in which he finds himself. I also felt there was one final act of triumph, involving a water slide, that was a little needless and cheesy. Luckily enough the humour remains consistent enough to make the inevitable life lessons easier to swallow.

The movie, written and directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash(who also appear as funny water park employees), is a delightful summer gem. It's a movie that wishes to entertain us, to make us laugh and to pluck at our heart strings a little. For the most part it succeeds in this mission. It's not earth-shattering or life changing but it's a very charming and funny movie.