Oscar 2013: The Way, Way Back (spoilers)

The Way, Way Back [IMDb: 7.6; 127 votes] blew audiences and studios away at Sundance in January and prompted a bidding war that resulted in Fox Searchlight paying nearly $10M for distribution rights.  I would have to check history, but that sounds pretty unprecedented.  Before last month, Fox Searchlight's hopes for an Oscar grab appeared to solely reside in this movie, but since their acquisition of Twelve Years a Slave, Way, Way may have to take a back seat to Steve McQueen's period drama.  The Sundance selection was written by Jim Rash and Nat Faxon.  You know them from cowriting The Descendants with Alexander Payne.  Rash is on Community and, without missing an opportunity, shrewdly and prophetically aped Angelina Jolie's leg in what became a huge internet meme last year during the Oscar telecast.  Faxon is the titular male of Ben and Kate.  They used their Oscar leverage to write The Way, Way Back, which also serves as their feature debut in directing.  The coming-of-age story is about a teenage boy Duncan (Liam James) who is the son of a divorcee Pam (Toni Collette) in a new relationship with Trent (Steve Carell).  He spends his summer working at a water park and finds a father figure, played by Sam Rockwell, in the unlikeliest of place.  The film chronicles Duncan's growth to find his voice and get more comfortable with himself.  The movie serves as a fictionalized memoir from the writing team.  Also in the cast is Allison Janney, Maya Rudolph, AnnaSophia Robb, Zoe Levin, Rob Corddry, and Amanda Peet.

The reviews at Sundance were pretty kind, not too maligning, but not terribly enthusiastic either, for the most part.  Countless comparisons were made to Adventureland, as well as the movie wanting to be set in the 1980s, but perhaps not having the funds to quite make the transition.  Many of them described its commercial prospects similar to Little Miss Sunshine, which, was perhaps due in part to Collette and Carell being in the cast.  My early instincts suggest that its best Oscar chances lie with original screenplay and Sam Rockwell, with a longshot for Janney.

Twitch adored the film and they devoted separate paragraphs to both Rockwell and Janney.  The Hollywood Reporter thought it to be funnier, and less nostalgic than Adventureland.  Additionally, it singles out Rockwell, as well as Janney.  First Showing gave the film a 7.5 and found the movie to be nothing new, but still fresh, citing the sharp script and strong performances.  They thought Janney was hilarious and Rockwell to be best in show.  Film School Rejects gave it a B and asserts that the movie treads on familiar territory, but rises above the crowd of teenage films over the years.  They found Rockwell and James to be best-in-show and that Janney was in a completely different film.  Variety thought the script was familiar and relied heavily on the cast, which was funny.  They ultimately enjoyed the movie, citing Janney as their favorite.

The Film Stage said that despite the rote premise, the characters were unique, and they loved Rockwell.  SlashFilm awarded it a 7 and found it fine, but unremarkable.  They enjoyed Carell.  Collider gave the film a C- and found James insufferable, but they liked Rockwell and Janney.  IndieWire gave it a C+, citing it as inferior to Adventureland.  It was just way too paint-by-numbers for their tastes.  They loved Janney and Rockwell and abhorred Carell.  I question their judgment, however, as they very bitterly revealed what I think may have been a minor spoiler (no one else mentioned it, but one alluded to it very ambiguously).  There's no need for that, unless the film was an absolute waste of time.  I'm looking at you, Eric Kohn. As I can tell, you gave it a "C+" and not an "F."  So, have a little respect for your readers, a'right?

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American Hustle     August: Osage County     Foxcatcher     Fruitvale Station     Out of the Furnace     Prisoners     Saving Mr. Banks     The Secret Life of Walter Mitty     The Way, Way Back