The Way Way Back

A very enjoyable, sincere, touching and entertaining film that everyone should see. One slap of me for not seeing it until today. Sam Rockwell was tailor made for the role and was absolutely divine. Of the female cast, except for the cute neighbor, they were all cows. The introverted main character played it brilliantly as well. Definitely one of the best coming of age affairs to watch. 80% (03/01/2017)

A charming coming-of-age piece in which all the characters and situations are so believable and (un)likeable that together they form a truly beautiful palette of summer romance, which is also conveniently enriched by the rather strong motif of stepping out of your own shadow. Sam Rockwell is absolutely terrific here, and his performance as the seemingly flippant yet tremendously empathetic and kindly water park ranger is one of the most likable performances ever. (09/08/2020)

Huge surprise. A movie I first heard about a couple of hours before putting it on. In other words, totally unexpected. The Way Way Back feels very realistic, with very well written and heartfelt characters. Introvert viewers will easily relate to Duncan (tested). And another great role for Sam Rockwell as a bonus. (10/22/2013)

Some films simply float through the ether and are not talked about much. In some cases, it doesn't matter, but it's a shame that more isn't said about them. This is the case with "Unforgettable Holidays". Absolutely brilliant casting, which once again shows that there is no need to pretend and it's still possible to make a good comedy, actually a fantastic comedy, because this is primarily a great film. The comedic and dramatic elements are in almost perfect balance. Yes, introverted heroes are popular today. It's starting to become a bit cliché, but when it's filmed this well, why not? Steve Carell once again proves how great he is in non-comedic roles, this time surprising with the character of the character. (01/17/2014)

Every shy boy will eventually grow up and become a man. For some, maybe for me, a specific stage of life is responsible for it, while for others it's a certain place, for someone else it's a girl. And for Duncan, it was the people who saw more in him than his own family. And when one of those people is Sam Rockwell, once again proving that every few years he's capable of breaking any film with his presence, it's all over – and suddenly The Way Way Back becomes a powerful emotional film. Not a perfect one, because the adult problems seem inappropriate and maybe even cruel through the eyes of a teenager. But with the story of Water Wizz, it's not about what happens, but how it happens. And Nat Faxon and Jim Rash won me over completely with that. Writing a screenplay and then, after the directors they had in mind couldn't do it, directing it themselves as their debut is pretty cool. It doesn't seem too long ago that I used to watch films about barely recognizable internal growth in order to find answers. Today, I watch them and feel like advising the main characters on how to handle it and telling them that it'll all be better someday. Fortunately, that's not possible and everyone will (hopefully) figure it out on their own. (07/17/2015)