The
’80s are alive and well. Soon to be one of the year's best theatrical releases.
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Following
up your own Oscar win is no easy task. It took Ben Affleck 10 years between Good
Will Hunting and Gone Baby Gone but now the man has given us
2012’s best film with Argo.
While the team of Nat Faxon and Jim Rash were on a completely different page
from Affleck when they co-wrote The Descendants, they’ve followed up
their own film with one of the best premieres I’ve seen in my four years covering
the Sundance Film Festival in The Way, Way Back.
Duncan
(Liam James) is loaded up in back of the family truckster with his mom Pam
(Toni Collette) and her boyfriend Trent (Steve Carell), and Trent’s daughter
Steph (Zoe Levin). Together they’re headed to Trent’s beach house to spend the
summer. Duncan just wanted to spend the summer with his dad, but instead he’s
stuck with Trent. The two don’t like each other, which is clear after the
opening scene as they have a conversation where Trent asks Duncan to rate
himself from one to 10. Duncan declares himself a six, but Trent shoots him
down to a three.
After
being greeted by their alcoholic neighbor Better (Allison Janney), along with
her kids Pete (River Alexander) and Susanna (AnnaSophia Robb), it’s survival of
the wittiest as Duncan figures a few things out about Trent while dealing with
becoming less socially awkward working at the local water park, Water Wizz. The
park is run by Owen (Sam Rockwell) who just wants to have a good time, and
Caitlyn (Maya Rudolph) who does her best to keep Owen roped in. Roddy (Faxon)
shows Duncan the ropes and how to check out the hot chicks and Lewis (Rash)
faces another summer that may be his last at the park. Between dealing with
Trent, getting friendly with Susanna, and facing his own coming of age at work,
it’s a summer Duncan will never forget.
If
I had to describe it, I would say The Way, Way Back as a combination
of Meatballs, Summer Rental, About a Boy, and Adventureland.
The spirit of ’80s teen comedies is in full force and even during a Q&A
with Rash after the film (Faxon had to return to L.A. for work), he made it
clear that their biggest inspiration was in fact Meatballs and of
course John Hughes. The cast is a dream come true for anyone trying to make a
heartfelt comedy.
Special
kudos to Faxon and Rash for being able to, as Bill Hader said in Knocked Up,
“make Steve Carell look like an asshole.” Well, his character at least. But the
real find here is Liam James. He truly knocks it out of the park and manages to
make Duncan’s transformation realistic and engaging. Sam Rockwell is in
hyper-drive and Maya Rudolph can get huge laughs from just a look. And of
course Faxon and Rash get their own moments to shine in the comedy spotlight
with Rash getting one of the biggest laughs in the whole movie. It is their
show after all. And seeing how The Way, Way Back has been picked up by
Fox Searchlight, Sundance’s and possibly the year’s funniest film, will be
headed to a theater near you.
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