This film follows the journey of 14 year old, Duncan (Liam James), who is on vacation with his mom (Toni Collette) and her capitol D-bag boyfriend (Steve Carell)! It took place during the summer in a semi-quiet beach town, probably New York judging by the clam-bakes. What ensues is a bunch of societal break-downs from the parents/adults: pot smoking, heavy drinking, and a lot of amorousness...if you catch my drift. As of now this film sounds more like an episode of MTV's Spring Break than normal parenting behavior, but that's what happens when you vacation in this town.
Rules go out of the window and while the adults channel their youth, the youth need structure and aren't exactly amused by their parent's bad behavior. Needless to say, if you are a 14 year old in a new place surrounded by new people being "parented" by this capitol D, you aren't going to be too happy.
This is the story of Duncan's summer, he is at that point in life when you don't have your niche or your place to fit in. As a viewer or an outsider to this story, we follow Duncan's path to self discovery, as he goes from loner boy to the pop n' lock'n man of the party. This element allows us to quickly and very easily fall in love with Duncan; we share in his pain and struggle to find himself and are happy for him when he does.
We aren't just viewing Duncan's adventure in this film, we are reliving our own, which is why the small details of the story are not important to We the Viewer. The most powerful aspect to film making, the thing which makes or breaks the whole darn film, is the story. I've said this so many times I may need to start a counter.
Now usually yes, specific locations, times, names, etc. are key to a great script/story, however in the case of The Way, Way Back we are unaware and fine without needing such specifics. This film doesn't need the specifics because We The Viewer are meant to insert our own memories into the film thus making the story our own. This allows us to connect deeper to this story than most others because Duncan isn't bound the structures and guidelines given in a normal film; bellissima! This breakdown of the norms of film making has me speaking in different languages! This movie is not telling you anything new, it instead takes you on a journey through your own memories. This is what makes this film special and one worth watching, it is precisely why the specifics are not important. Duncan's beach house can easily be the childhood beach house you visited in Anywhereville, The World.
One thing is for certain about the particulars of this adventure, and that is the cast. As previously mentioned, this film stars Toni Collette and Steve Carell. It also stars Allison Janney as the wacky drunk neighbor mom, hmm sounds like another memory doesn't it? Steve Carell's best friend and best friend's wife, played by Rob Corddry and Amanda Peet, a couple of booze hounds who get a little too touchy. As the movie plays out and Duncan begins his self discovery, he gets a job. His bosses are played by Sam Rockwell and Maya Rudolph, two co-workers who add a little extra flirt and playfulness to the story. So what can we take from the above mentioned names? Variety, talent and depth. Each of these names bring a different element or X factor to the table allowing each character to play to their strengths letting the viewer effortlessly watch this feature. We have a group of comedians, along with super versatile actors, mixed in with big and small names. The outcome is nothing short of right on the money. From this acting pool we get performances both memorable and forgettable, powerful and weak. I truly feel that this story and the acting drive home the fact that everyone at one time or another struggled with self identity and forced themselves on their own heroes journey, emerging out the other side a beautiful butterfly. Not all trips down memory lane are fun, and this film points them out, and reconciles them, take the trip.
Other than the powerful story and acting, there isn't really anything else to take away from this film. Visually speaking, The Way, Way Back is almost one dimensional. You aren't treated to a cinematic masterpiece, lavish settings, or stunning light, instead most of the days seem gloomy and the settings and locations are dull to say the least. Although I enjoy "Hero Cams", cameras which show things normally not seen i.e. going down a water slide, this films utilization of said hero cams was sloppy and pointless. The main problem you find with these types of cameras is that their quality, although hi-def, is distorted when the image is blown up to fit with the larger frames and images of standard film cameras. This separation of quality really acts as a visual blow, somewhat of a jolt to the optic senses; in other words crappy.
Final Words: Large Popcorn
This film was not perfect, it lacked in cinematics, but it gained so so much in story-telling and character development. Not only will this powerful plot pull you along on your own emotional roller-coaster, it will also keep you rooting for Duncan and subsequently, yourself. This film has one of the most powerful stories I've experienced in a long time. Do yourselves a favor, see this film, see it again, and then see it one more time, you won't be disappointed, maybe a little teary.
This film was not perfect, it lacked in cinematics, but it gained so so much in story-telling and character development. Not only will this powerful plot pull you along on your own emotional roller-coaster, it will also keep you rooting for Duncan and subsequently, yourself. This film has one of the most powerful stories I've experienced in a long time. Do yourselves a favor, see this film, see it again, and then see it one more time, you won't be disappointed, maybe a little teary.
Until next time, happy viewing!
Review Rating based on popcorn sizes: small, medium, large, extra-large;
films worth skipping get snore...zzzzz
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