The Way Way Back (2013)
Average Rating: 7.3/10
Reviews Counted: 164
Fresh: 140 | Rotten: 24
Despite its familiar themes, The Way Way Back makes use of its talented cast, finely tuned script, and an abundance of charm to deliver a funny and satisfying coming-of-age story.
Average Rating: 7.6/10
Critic Reviews: 39
Fresh: 34 | Rotten: 5
Despite its familiar themes, The Way Way Back makes use of its talented cast, finely tuned script, and an abundance of charm to deliver a funny and satisfying coming-of-age story.
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Average Rating: 4.2/5
User Ratings: 32,330
Movie Info
THE WAY, WAY BACK is the funny and poignant coming of age story of 14-year-old Duncan's (Liam James) summer vacation with his mother, Pam (Toni Collette), her overbearing boyfriend, Trent (Steve Carell), and his daughter, Steph (Zoe Levin). Having a rough time fitting in, the introverted Duncan finds an unexpected friend in gregarious Owen (Sam Rockwell), manager of the Water Wizz water park. Through his funny, clandestine friendship with Owen, Duncan slowly opens up to and begins to finally
Cast
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Steve Carell
Trent -
Toni Collette
Pam -
Liam James
Duncan -
Sam Rockwell
Owen -
Zoe Levin
Steph -
Allison Janney
Betty -
Maya Rudolph
Caitlyn -
Amanda Peet
Joan -
Annasophia Robb
Susanna -
Rob Corddry
Kip -
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The Way Way Back Trailer & Photos
All Critics (165) | Top Critics (39) | Fresh (140) | Rotten (24)
Nice comedic work from Sam Rockwell and Allison Janney buoys this pleasant but routine coming-of-age drama by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash.
Top CriticThis film's masterstroke is showing everything from Duncan's point of view, without the traditional cloying narration.
An unexpected yet irresistible cross between Meatballs and The Ice Storm, The Way Way Back just may be the best movie of the summer.
The coming-of-age tale The Way, Way Back is sweet, heartfelt and utterly trite and predictable from beginning to end.
Aiming for a middle path between drama and comedy, "The Way Way Back" is so overloaded with jokes that it could sink in the water hazard, but on the final scorecard, sure enough, it's in the hole.
Nostalgia often tinges our memories in soft, warm colors; something like The Way Way Back reminds us of the good, the bad, and the cringe-worthy.
The Way Way Back is a real crowd-pleasing charmer that breaks free of its familiar trappings with consistent humor and personal touches.
Funny, touching and irresistibly charming, The Way, Way Back is a coming-of-age comedy that gets the pains and joys and, above all, awkwardness of adolescence spot on.
More charm and original laughs than most recent coming-of-age films...overcomes its contrived formula (dysfunctional adults, kids as victims) aided greatly by Rockwell.
Not a subtle film, but honest, intelligent and very funny.
The most inspiring example of how to nurture confident responsibility in the young since Clint Eastwood's seminal Gran Torino (2009).
Sam Rockwell makes the biggest splash with a sizzling supporting performance. Not only is he naturally funny, but he has the great ability to make every sharp line of dialogue sound freshly improvised.
Collette and Carell endow their characters with poignancy and authenticity, while Rockwell and Janney are superb at wringing every possible bit of humour out of the sparky dialogue.
The story manages to be both very familiar and somehow not quite believable, in part because the characters feel contrived.
Never mind the text; feel the texture.
For all the longueurs, there are still enough moments of near brilliance to sustain you through the trip.
An especially strong script gives actors plenty to chew on in this comedy-drama, in which writer-directors Faxon and Rash (The Descendants) take an observant look at the awkward connections we make with each other.
Warm, funny - and even fresh.
Though not quite as enjoyable as Adventureland, The Way, Way Back is a likeable, Sundance-flavoured charmer. The central character is arguably too wallflower-y for his own good, but Rockwell is absolutely ace.
A coming-of-age tale by numbers that don't all add up.
The dialogue sparkles, delivered by a cast on top of their game, in a movie that aims for subtlety rather than bravado.
One of the more achingly poignant stories of awkward (male) adolescence I've seen, and one of the best movies of 2013 (so far). Sam Rockwell steals this movie more than he has ever stolen a movie before.
The Way, Way Back is an extremely difficult film to dislike, as one that has an amiable tone and series of endearing characters.
It's a sunny, funny and genuinely heart-warming watch.
Audience Reviews for The Way Way Back
Super Reviewer
That's just what's wrong with this film, which was brimming with potential. You've seen it before, in numerous feature films and TV episodes (John Hughes, Ivan Reitman and Rob Reiner have mined the territory throughly, both comic and serious). The Way Way Back takes a well established genre and adds nothing to it. Though the scenes are well written in isolation, the outcomes were predictable and the story line is bland. Duncan finds acceptance taking a job with the oddballs who work at the crumbling 80s water park and gets the finds the cojones to stand up to the evil Steve Carell.
Special mention must be given to the great Allison Janney who plays a boozy earth mother with warmth and outrageous spontaneity, and young Annasophia Robb as her daughter, who shines as the smart, empathetic and soulful love interest for the awkward Duncan.
Rent it if you like the actors, they will put a smile on your face but Nax Faxon and Jim Rash, writers of the Descendants, talented though they be, have cashed in their writing oscars for a so-so and forgettable directing debut.
Super Reviewer
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- Betty: Where is your eye-patch?
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- Betty: She called me a C U Next Tuesday! To my face! Can you believe that?
Discussion Forum
| Topic | Last Post | Replies |
|---|---|---|
| I was sold since I was the trailer | 41 days ago | 15 |
| You've seen it already | 23 days ago | 6 |
| Best Film of the Year | 27 days ago | 1 |
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Foreign Titles
- The Way Way Back (DE)
- The Way, Way Back (UK)
Nate's Grade: B+