The Way Way Back (2013)

The Way Way Back is a film from 2013 from 20th Century Fox, which features an all-star cast including Steve Carell, Maya Rudolph, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, Sam Rockwell and Amanda Peet. While 14 year old Duncan is being dragged on a family trip with his mum and her overbearing boyfriend, he finds a gregarious friend at a local water park. The two form a powerful bond as Duncan learns to swim through the challenges of love, live, family and relationship, resulting in a holiday he’ll never forget. I have mixed feelings about this movie. Some aspects were brilliant, some were quite boring. My main problem with this movie is that it tends to meander around the many plots that it carries. 1 minute it’s our protagonist Duncan (Liam James) trying to flirt with his neighbour, the next its 3 children stuck inside a water slide. Many events of the story occur, but don’t really add up; they just happen. That’s about it. I’m not saying the movie is bad or anything, it’s just its plot seems to be full of holes. The movie is rated a PG12 due to it containing uses of strong language throughout, and moderate sex and drug uses. I thought this flick as a whole was average. I wouldn’t say it’s a necessity, but if you find a copy, I suggest picking it up. In my opinion, this movie is a 6 out of 10.