THE WAY, WAY BACK
Rash and Faxton could be pretty secure in their writing debut, The Descendants, given it was made by the much-loved Alexander Payne and George Clooney. There must have been some worry about whether their second film, The Way, Way Back which they also direct and star in, would live up to their first film. Their follow up, for the most part, succeeds. Duncan is a moody, shy teenager on holiday with his family. With domestic relations straining, he escapes to a summer job at a water park, whose charismatic owner Owen gives him a job, and helps him come out of his shell. It is a coming of age tale which will remind a lot of people of many different films, such as Adventureland with Jesse Eisenberg, as this is a story which has been done to death. And somewhat unsurprisingly, given this is the always-difficult second feature, Rash and Faxton play safe and don’t diverge too far from the formula. Those even reasonably well-versed in these tales will see what will happen within a few minutes. However a strong script and fantastic performances make this an enjoyable experience. The film’s opening scene sets the stage perfectly for what is to come. A slow, subtle opening exchange between stepfather and son, it establishes everything we need to
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know. A muddled conversation arises as Duncan struggles to hear his step-father’s cruel words from way, way back in the car. As they arrive at their summer house, he catches eyes with another man in a car, who smiles charismatically at him despite his awkwardness, and steals a rare, sincere smile out of Duncan. It’s a fantastic beginning, showing off Rash and Faxton’s writing talent, using dialogue, acting and visuals to establish the characters perfectly. Duncan is awkward and isolated, his step-dad cruel and clumsy, his sleeping mother oblivious to what is happening and the smiling man, Owen, is kind and charismatic. The scene is also a pre-cursor to one of the main successes of the film, the acting. Liam James plays Duncan well, sympathetically and maintaining a strong sense of awkwardness throughout. He is supported by an extremely talented and experienced cast including Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, Toni Collete and Allison Janney. Carell stands out as the step-dad, almost unrecognisable from the clowns he often portrays. His character is never cartoonish in his cruelty; instead it is a believable portrayal of a man who sometimes could even be argued to be trying to do the right thing, but going about it in the wrong way and with such wrong motives we ultimately can’t help but hate him. Carell has shown he can act when given trying roles in the past, and it is great to see him given another meaty role. His villain is countered by Sam Rockwell’s hero, Owen, who helps Duncan come out of his shell, by telling him to embrace himself in all his awkwardness. Like Carell, he isn’t a caricature. He is clearly a flawed mess of a man, but unlike Carell he seems sincere in his efforts to change, and looks to embrace people for who they really are. Rockwell has had more trying roles, such as in Moon, but is once again brilliant and likeable. The acting and writing is great and, for debut directors, Nash and Faxton are impressive, but other aspects let it down. The music is cheesy, and a montage when Duncan and his love interest talk seems lazy when dialogue would have made their relationship more engaging. Ultimately however, it is the clichéd story that lets the film down, and while a few tweaks to the formula here and there keep our attention, there is nothing really to set this apart. It’s also quite light, not holding the same weight as films such as Perks of Being a Wallflower, meaning those looking for a more substantial experience might be best looking elsewhere. Those looking for a funny, well made and heart-warming tale will likely enjoy this. However, those looking for a more original story might want to pass. THOMAS MCDONALD
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