Away We Go

R

Released Jun 5, 2009

1 hr. 37 min.

Comedy

Drama

List

67%

192 Reviews

Tomatometer

74%

50,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

As they await the birth of their baby, a couple (John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph) travel across America in search of the perfect place to raise their family. During their journey, they share assorted misadventures and reconnect with old friends and relatives. The experiences and people they encounter help them define the word home on their own terms, possibly for the first time in their lives.

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Critics Consensus

Built on a set of quirks and charms that are as noticeable as they are interchangeable, Away We Go is a sweet but uneven road trip.

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Jeff M

I don't think there's going to be a lot of middle ground when it comes to this movie - I think you will either think it's the most pretentious piece of crud you've ever seen and turn it off halfway through or you'll fall in love with the two protagonists and become enamored by their journey and the eccentric group of people they visit along the way. I most definitely fell into the latter and enjoyed pretty much every minute of this character study. The only performance I really couldn't stand was Alison Janney as an obnoxious ex-coworker of Rudolph's with whom they visit in Arizona. Gyllenhaal is comic gold here, but the main reason the movie works as well as it does is the relationship and chemistry between Krasinski and Rudolph. Both are understated and marvelous - simultaneously funny and touching. It's largely subtle work, and largely reactionary - much of their screentime is reacting to the oddities around them. But I was surprised by the end how much I enjoyed going on this journey with them, and it's the very rare film to which I would have appreciated a sequel to see what became of them and the new oddball characters who have come into their lives. Definitely not for everyone, but it worked for me wonderfully well!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/11/24

Full Review

L S

Wonderful film superbly brought to life by all of the cast. Some epic cameos, and has its heart so well placed. A joy to watch.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/07/23

Full Review

Pheasant W

A true gem. Very meaningful. Really makes you think.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/09/23

Full Review

robert p

There is no place like home and all of the weird relatives they encounter teach them a lesson... There is no place like home...

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I tend to agree with the "critic consensus: good but uneven". I think as the movie unfolds it does get its legs, primarily through the performances of Krasinski and Rudolph. I won't recite the plot; check other reviews for that. But I will say it's a road movie and think a more serious and affecting "Four Christmases". Some very good actors (Catherine O'Hara, Jeff Daniels, Maggie Gyllenhaal for example) deliver less than stellar performances; I attribute that to directing but that's odd - Sam Mendes knows his craft. No, the movie is carried by Krasinski and Rudolph and I think their performances redeem the movie. Their characters, in a way, set out to answer their own question: "Are we fuckups?". It's not easy sometimes to blend drama and comedy, but they (particularly Krasinski) certainly do it well. Time well spent. I've recommended it to others.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Don't usually go in for these types of movies but it never dragged. It moved along as we met a cast of vastly different characters each living their own lives with their own set of positives and negatives.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

Full Review

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Sam Mendes

Director

John Krasinski

Burt

Maya Rudolph

Verona

Jeff Daniels

Jerry

Carmen Ejogo

Grace

Jim Gaffigan

Lowell

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Deborah Ross

The Spectator

It's sweet, I suppose, but it's also oddly inconsequential, fake and annoying.

Aug 30, 2018

Full Review

David Zuckerman

Film Comment Magazine

It's to the actors' credit that they retain their authenticity amidst all these well-cast but cartoonishly drawn cutouts. Then again, perhaps Mendes's point was to throw Burt and Verona into relief by making everyone else a little ridiculous,

Mar 28, 2018

Full Review

Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

Overall, the movie was touching, funny at times, and really conveyed an imperfect couple's search for the perfect parenthood.

Rated: B+

Sep 12, 2017

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Bittersweet and charming, Away We Go drives on emotional terrain, resulting in a wholly atypical romantic comedy.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 30, 2023

Full Review

Jeff Mitchell

Art House Film Wire

Rudolph and Krasinski have miles and miles of chemistry in this endearing road-trip movie.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 2, 2021

Full Review

Jason Adams

My New Plaid Pants

It washed over me with the most genuine sense of good humor and honest emotions... these were wonderful people, people I want to strive to be like.

Jul 2, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

As they await the birth of their baby, a couple (John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph) travel across America in search of the perfect place to raise their family. During their journey, they share assorted misadventures and reconnect with old friends and relatives. The experiences and people they encounter help them define the word home on their own terms, possibly for the first time in their lives.

Director: Sam Mendes
Executive Producer: Mari-Jo Winkler, Pippa Harris
Screenwriter: Dave Eggers, Vendela Vida
Distributor: Focus Features
Production Co: Big Beach, Edward Saxon
Rating: R (Some Sexual Content|Language)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 5, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $9.4M

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