Movie Crush Monday: CT & The Way Way Back
Hello my friends! Movie Crush Monday is upon us again, just as summertime is really starting to hit. So in summer's honor, my Movie Crush this week is 2013's The Way Way Back.
In my mind, The Way Way Back is the perfect summer comedy. It's a coming-of-age story about a kid named Duncan, played by Liam James (who played Young Shawn for a while on Psych). He's being forced to spend the summer with his mother (Toni Collette) and her boyfriend (Steve Carrell), and he is plain old miserable. He winds up getting a job at the local water park, and being brought out of his shell by Sam Rockwell, the park's manager.
This movie really does a fantastic balance between the hysterical moments and the heartfelt moments. Duncan is struggling to find his way out of his misery and become his own person. He's feeling some normal teen angst, but also some genuine pain. His relationship with his mother's boyfriend is rocky at best, and he desperately wants to spend the summer with his father. But somewhere in the midst of the summer, he learns to find joy inside himself. The credit here just has to go to the writers, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, who created an entire world for us to follow Duncan's journey.
The cast of The Way Way Back is incredible. Steve Carrell and Toni Collette give amazing performances, and for a young actor Liam James shows really mature nuance. The supporting cast is made up of champions like Allison Janney, Amanda Peet, and Maya Rudolph, and the writing gives all of them a chance to shine.
However the real treat here is Sam Rockwell. I'm not sure there's an actor that I love more consistently. No matter what project he chooses, his performance is always 100% on point. He's just as believable in a dramatic role like Moon as he is in something like this. In The Way Way Back, Rockwell plays the water park's manager, who is goofy and irresponsible but who befriends Duncan and helps him find himself.
I've rewatched The Way Way Back a few times and each time it's just as charming as ever. Duncan is everyone who ever felt awkward and out of place, and it's so rewarding for him to figure out a little bit of who he is.
Happy summer, everyone!
CT
In my mind, The Way Way Back is the perfect summer comedy. It's a coming-of-age story about a kid named Duncan, played by Liam James (who played Young Shawn for a while on Psych). He's being forced to spend the summer with his mother (Toni Collette) and her boyfriend (Steve Carrell), and he is plain old miserable. He winds up getting a job at the local water park, and being brought out of his shell by Sam Rockwell, the park's manager.
This movie really does a fantastic balance between the hysterical moments and the heartfelt moments. Duncan is struggling to find his way out of his misery and become his own person. He's feeling some normal teen angst, but also some genuine pain. His relationship with his mother's boyfriend is rocky at best, and he desperately wants to spend the summer with his father. But somewhere in the midst of the summer, he learns to find joy inside himself. The credit here just has to go to the writers, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, who created an entire world for us to follow Duncan's journey.
The cast of The Way Way Back is incredible. Steve Carrell and Toni Collette give amazing performances, and for a young actor Liam James shows really mature nuance. The supporting cast is made up of champions like Allison Janney, Amanda Peet, and Maya Rudolph, and the writing gives all of them a chance to shine.
However the real treat here is Sam Rockwell. I'm not sure there's an actor that I love more consistently. No matter what project he chooses, his performance is always 100% on point. He's just as believable in a dramatic role like Moon as he is in something like this. In The Way Way Back, Rockwell plays the water park's manager, who is goofy and irresponsible but who befriends Duncan and helps him find himself.
I've rewatched The Way Way Back a few times and each time it's just as charming as ever. Duncan is everyone who ever felt awkward and out of place, and it's so rewarding for him to figure out a little bit of who he is.
Happy summer, everyone!
CT
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