The Way, Way Back (2013)

My Review

“The Way, Way Back” is a coming-of-age comedy-drama movie about an introverted 14-year-old forced to spend summer vacation with his mother and her overbearing boyfriend. He is hired at a local water park which helps him come out of his shell and become more confident in his dealings with family and friends. Directors-screenwriters Nat Faxon and Jim Rash put together an entertaining and endearing film with a good script, wonderful production values, and a talented cast which all give the movie a mature and friendly feel to it.

The cast includes Liam James as Duncan, Toni Collette as his mom, Steve Carrell as her boyfriend, Sam Rockwell as Duncan’s friend at the waterpark, Maya Rudolph as the waterpark manager, Allison Janney as mom’s friend, AnnaSophia Robb as her daughter, and Rob Corddry and Amanda Peet as waterpark employees. James, Collette, and Rockwell especially delivered stand-out performances.

The very watchable “The Way, Way Back” was a success at the box office for Sycamore Pictures, The Walsh Company, OddLot Entertainment, and Fox Searchlight Pictures. It was filmed on the South Shore of Massachusetts, the coastal area south of Boston.