Review of The Way Way Back (2013) by M H — 21 Dec 2013

A fantastic, emotional coming of age story.

The film follows 14 year old Duncan (played by Liam James). He's awkward, shy and doesn't have much self-steem. He only sees himself as a 6. And yet his mom's boyfriend says that he's only a 3. He continually picks on Duncan and belittles him. Steve Carell plays the the boyfriend Trent. And he plays an a-hole perfectly. Its kind of nice to see him do more "serious" roles every once in awhile. However, despite all this he finds a father figure in Owen (Sam Rockwell). And Sam really shines in this role. I would personally put him on my list for a Best Supporting nomination. He's fantastic. Zany, comical and poignant at times. I was especially moved between the conversation Owen and Duncan share towards the end of the film. And then a bit later on when Owen meets Trent, and Owen stands right in front of Duncan TO PROTECT HIM! That had me tearing up again. I also really felt for Pam (Toni Collette) at times. And Toni played her character very well. A very vulnerable mother. Allison Janney was also pretty charming in this. She plays kind of a kooky, boozy neighbour. But she seemed fun and understanding, even though perhaps she could have been a better mother to her kids.

Overall, I was quite impressed with the film. A great cast. Everyone in the film did great and the script was funny and touching. Felt very real. Felt relate-able. Go and see it..