The Way, Way Back

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The Way, Way Back

PG-13

Released Jul 26, 2013

1h 43m

Comedy

Drama

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Popcornmeter

83%

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186 Reviews

84%

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50,000+ Ratings

Duncan (Liam James) is an awkward teen who must spend the summer at a beach house with his mother (Toni Collette), her boyfriend, Trent (Steve Carell), and Trent's obnoxious daughter. Trent can't resist badgering Duncan, so the youth steals away to a water park and gets a job that will help him stay off Trent's radar. As Duncan tends to the slides and pools of the aging park, he finds a father figure in wisecracking park manager Owen (Sam Rockwell) at a time when he desperately needs one.

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Critics Consensus

Despite its familiar themes, The Way Way Back makes use of its talented cast, finely tuned script, and an abundance of charm to deliver a funny and satisfying coming-of-age story.

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Amy Taubin

Film Comment Magazine

Sundance would not be Sundance without a few unbelievably stupid, clichéd, graceless movies in the mix.

Aug 28, 2019

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Wesley Morris

Grantland

The film has been complacently concocted for likability even as it gives you very little that's real, structured, or spontaneous enough to enjoy.

Jan 6, 2014

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Thelma Adams

Yahoo! Movies

If you're first act was writing the Oscar winning screenplay for "The Descendants," looking for an encore can be tough. But Nat Faxon and Jim Rash leveraged that win and made the leap to directing their own small-budget, bighearted coming of age comedy.

Nov 1, 2013

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

There's just something about the way that The Way, Way Back is performed, written, and directed that sets it apart from other coming-of-age movies.

Rated: 5/5

Dec 26, 2023

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

It’s refreshingly honest and surprisingly funny. There are also some fabulous characters brought to life through some good acting led by Rockwell.

Rated: 4.5/5

Aug 21, 2022

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Josh Winning

Radio Times

Warm and well-meaning, with a fantastic soundtrack and a poignant ending that can't help but bring a lump to the throat.

Rated: 4/5

May 13, 2022

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S R

My friend had rented it and I had never heard of it. The ratings were decent and so was the movie. A good balance of drama and humor. A good coming of age movie. Some of the smut humor could’ve been left out, but it was tolerable. Saw on Amazon.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/21/24

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Mason M

This is one of the best balances of comedy and drama that I've seen. The Way Way Back has great and interesting characters and story, and is absolutely hilarious. This is a must-see film for the summer.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/20/24

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Jason W

I'm surprised how much I disliked this movie after seeing all the positive reviews. It's one of the most "movie-ish" movies I've ever seen. All of the characters are caricatures and all of the extras were very obviously extras. Everything seemed fake and outdated and formulaic about this film. The lead kid was a terrible actor and most of the characters were extremely annoying. It's also unclear when it was set. I believe it was set in 2013 with a nostalgia for the 80s, but my wife insisted it was actually set in the 80s. People are raving about Sam Rockwell's performance but I thought he was ridiculously over-the-top. The climax was hoaky and nowhere close to satisfying. I guess the best I can say is that neither my wife or I fell asleep while watching it.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

10/23/24

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Charles C

Very underrated summer movie, one of the best dramedys of the 2010s.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/27/24

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Audience Member

Strong movie. Well acted and great character arcs.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/17/24

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KB B

This was such a compelling movie with good acting and storyline. I felt so sorry for Duncan. Liam James did a great job. Of course Sam Rockwell was exceptional as usual. It's definitely worth the watch.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/12/24

Full Review

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Nat Faxon

Director

Jim Rash

Director

Steve Carell

Trent

Toni Collette

Pam

Allison Janney

Betty

AnnaSophia Robb

Susanna

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Synopsis

Duncan (Liam James) is an awkward teen who must spend the summer at a beach house with his mother (Toni Collette), her boyfriend, Trent (Steve Carell), and Trent's obnoxious daughter. Trent can't resist badgering Duncan, so the youth steals away to a water park and gets a job that will help him stay off Trent's radar. As Duncan tends to the slides and pools of the aging park, he finds a father figure in wisecracking park manager Owen (Sam Rockwell) at a time when he desperately needs one.

Director: Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
Producer: Kevin J. Walsh, Tom Rice
Screenwriter: Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
Distributor: Fox Searchlight
Production Co: Odd Lot Entertainment, Doubleyou Inc., Sycamore Pictures
Rating: PG-13 (Language|Brief Drug Material|Some Sexual Content|Thematic Elements)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 26, 2013, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 22, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $21.4M
Runtime: 1h 43m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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