A real summer movie arrives late in August. Presumably the release was delayed until after the blockbuster season was over. This story of a dysfunctional family spending the summer in a holiday home has a timeless feel about it. It seems to be set in the present day, but the music, cars, an old style water park and, to an extent, the haircuts and fashions give this an 80s feel. I assume that the writers have aimed for a feeling of nostalgia, harking back to their youth, and in that aim they have been very successful.
Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, have followed up their excellent efforts on ‘The Descendents’ with another warm, believable and literate script. 14 year old Duncan (Liam James) and his divorced mother (Toni Collette) are spending the summer with her new boyfriend Trent (Steve Carrell) and his daughter (Zoe Levin) for the first time. Duncan hasn’t accepted Trent, and as the tensions rise, events play out in a realistic fashion. Feeling unwanted at home Duncan falls in with the workers at a nearby water park. As they seem to provide the care and attention he isn’t getting at home the sullen teenager starts to become an engaged happy kid in his new surroundings.
Full of terrific performances, Carrell convinces as a mean spirited duplicitous character, Alison Janney lights up the screen as a drunken inappropriate neighbour, and Liam James perfectly captures the awkwardness of teenage years. However, the film is stolen by Sam Rockwell as the water park manager. Seemingly flippant and carefree to start with, as the film progresses, his inherent sadness and his realisation that he has achieved little with his life comes through. His befriending of Duncan and one simple action he takes when Trent tries to intimidate him are probably the most meaningful things he has accomplished in his life.
As well as providing the screenplay, Faxon and Rash direct the film impressively. But, in case you were wondering if there is no end to their talents, Faxon gives the weakest performance of the entire cast as one of the water park workers. After this effort and his lamentable performance in the cancelled sitcom ‘Ben and Kate’, I hope his future lies behind the camera! To be fair, Rash does better as a co-worker. The Way, Way Back has a fairly limited release but is definitely one to see at the cinema if you can. If you are going to wait for it on DVD, it would make a great double bill with the similarly themed and toned ‘Adventureland’.