The Way, Way Back (2013)

Over the course of his summer break, a teenager comes into his own thanks in part to the friendship he strikes up with one of the park's managers.

Directors:

Nat Faxon, Jim Rash

Writers:

Nat Faxon, Jim Rash

Stars:

AnnaSophia Robb, Steve Carell, Toni Collette

1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
AnnaSophia Robb	...	Susanna
Steve Carell	...	Trent
Amanda Peet	...	Joan
Rob Corddry	...	Kip
Sam Rockwell	...	Owen
Toni Collette	...	Pam
Allison Janney	...	Betty
Liam James	...	Duncan
Maya Rudolph	...	Caitlyn
Robert Capron	...	Kyle
Jim Rash	...	Lewis
Nat Faxon	...	Roddy
Andria Blackman	...	Beautiful girl
Ava Deluca-Verley	...	Katy
Zoe Levin	...	Steph

Storyline

Over the course of his summer break, a teenager comes into his own thanks in part to the friendship he strikes up with one of the park's managers.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, language, some sexual content and brief drug material

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 July 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kaua aega tagasi

Filming Locations:

Onset, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,600,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sycamore Pictures, Walsh Company, The, OddLot Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jake Gyllenhaal was considered for the lead role but he dropped out.

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Soundtracks

"Running Wild"
Written by Justin Kennedy , Louie Schultz , and 'Douglas Randall'
Performed by 'Army Navy'

User Reviews

Don't miss this one

There are some movies which sound so simple that it's hard to convey to people just how good they are. The Way, Way Back is one of those movies. It's simply a coming-of-age story about a 14-year-old boy over the course of his summer break. There are no big action scenes or special effects here, just really good writing with actors who can bring such a realistic story to life.

The movie begins with the boy, Duncan, riding in a car with his family to his mother's boyfriend's beach house. As the mother sleeps in the passenger seat, the boyfriend asks Duncan to rate himself on a scale of 1 to 10. After replying with a 6, the boyfriend insists that he's just a 3. What's surprising is that this seemingly heartless guy that the mother is dating is played by Steve Carell. Carell is known for playing lovable and funny characters. But he switches it up with this role. That scene sets the tone for how little Duncan is looking forward to this summer trip. And it doesn't help that his mother doesn't really set her boyfriend straight even when she is awake.

To escape the annoyances at his new temporary home, Duncan takes a bike to ride around town with. When he finds a way into the local water park, he meets one of the middle-aged operators there named Owen. Duncan seems fascinated by Owen (played by Sam Rockwell) and how he uses humor in almost everything he says. It seems like he's never met anyone like him who's so worry-free and exudes such confidence all the time. (Sam Rockwell is perfect at playing this care-free kind of man-child.) Owen manages to get Duncan a job at the park where he tries to instill some of that same confidence in him as well. It becomes clear that as they bond with each other, Duncan wishes this would be the kind of guy his mother would date instead. The job at the water park also opens up a whole new fun side that this 14-year-old kid didn't even know he had in him.

If not for the occasional Google or iPad reference, this movie could easily have taken place in the 1980's. The setting as well as the way people dress and talk to each other is right out of an 80's film - is it a coincidence that all of the music played in the movie is from that era? There's a very natural and wholesome vibe to it, especially in the water park scenes - nothing looks too modern or high-tech; it's just a place where people go to have an old-fashioned good time. While Steve Carell may be the most popular name on the poster, the movie has a great cast altogether. Toni Collette (The Sixth Sense, Little Miss Sunshine), in particular, does an amazing job as the mother torn between defending her son and trying to make things work with the arrogant boyfriend who doesn't always treat them right. But it's the scenes between Duncan and his new older friend Owen that are the heart of the movie. Sometimes it just takes the right person to bring out someone else's true colors and help them be comfortable in their own skin. And sometimes it takes the right movie to make you feel like a kid again. This one will have you yearning for the days when things were a little simpler.