Review of The Way Way Back (2013) by Lee C — 27 Apr 2014

Coming of age tales are all over the place. Some are good, some aren't, but luckily, The Way Way Back succeeds primarily because of it's stellar cast. The film tells the story of a kid who's dragged along on a vaction to a beach home, only to make some unlikely friends and learn a thing or two along the way.

If that sounds familiar, don't be alarmed. Yes, The Way Way back is filled with way, way too many cliches for this type of film, but leave it to the stellar cast to make the absolute most of the proceedings.

It's great seeing Steve Carrell stretching his dramatic chops a bit, and he does a swell job here. As does Sam Rockwell, playing his usual cocky self, but with a nice twist. Toni Collete does great as always, but the adults aren't the focus here, it's the kids.

Annasophia Robb and Liam James do a fantastic job at showcasing the awkward teenage years. Their chemistry is believable, if not a little awkward in the beginning, like most teenagers. Overall, this is one of those summer flicks that is nice to watch amidst all the bombastic action amd explosion that fills the summer from beginning to end.

Sometimes, it's nice to take a dip in the deep end of the pool and see what's out there.