MOVIE REVIEW: The Way Way Back (2013)

This was an enjoyable watch. I went into this after a reccomendation from a close friend and for the most part it fulfilled the role of being a decent coming of age movie. The central characters all have something slightly off-kilter about them which kept the film unpredictable and engaging for me. Probably my favourite scene was the very first one. Trent (Steve Carell) is driving Duncan (Liam James) and family to a holiday home on the beach. The way the scene is shot was enthralling. Only Trent's wicked eyes can be seen in the rearview mirror of the car, as Duncan sits glum and depressed on the backseat facing in the opposite direction. Trent goes on to demoralise Duncan for his lack of ambition and confidence, asking him what he would rank himself out of 10 before clarifying that he sees the boy as a 3. Just through the anger on Duncan's face and the arrogance in Trent's voice whilst they face in opposite directions perfectly establishes the central conflict in the film.

The film progresses into familiar 'coming of age' territory. Duncan meets a brash, confident role model in Owen, played brilliantly by Sam Rockwell and slowly learns how to express himself. Another prominent theme in the film is maturity and how it is not always associated with age. The adults in the film peruse around acting like ignorant kids for most of the movie, throwing temper tantrums, drinking too much and massaging their egos. This really adds to the sense that Duncan is an outcast in his own family, deeply affected by his parent's split and forced into his shell when around them simply because he sees things differently.

The standout performance is Sam Rockwell well who delivers a compelling performance as Owen. He is loud, witty, mysterious and care-free yet somehow you feel he is hiding a darker past, maybe similar to Duncan's. The dialogue between the two at the water park is good, but left a little to be desired. I feel like they could have fleshed out this relationship a bit more and dug a little deeper, as it occasionally feels like the two story arcs (at home and at the water park) are too disjointed. Liam James does a reasonably good job playing Duncan, although I would have liked some more interesting dialogue from him.

This is a good film that you can't really go wrong with. Directors Jim Rash and Nat Faxon played it a bit safe for my liking but that might have been what they were going for. I like the fact it is short and concise, but I would have liked a bit more character development and a deeper exploration into Duncan's psychological development. Nevertheless this is a real feel-good summer film that will no doubt put a smile on the face of anyone who chooses to watch it.

Acting: 70
Narrative: 65
Visuals: 70
Music: 70

Overall: 69/100