The Way, Way Back

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Ed R 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. A very different role for Steve Carell. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/08/25 Full Review Tony S A divorced man with a daughter brings a divorced woman with a son to his beach house. The culture of the summer community is well known to him and his girlfriend and son try to adapt as well as they can. For the son, this is a coming of age story. For this mother, it's another reason for regret for another relationship decision that doesn't work out. I enjoyed this movie. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/03/25 Full Review Elle R This movie had potential but something was missing. The trailer was enticing with funny moments and a great cast. Honestly, how can you go wrong with Steve Carrel and Toni Collette? Unfortunately, while the writers clearly intended for some laugh-out-loud moments, I didn't laugh out loud once. I think the characters needed a little more background - maybe a few pre-vacation scenes before plunging them into the summer vacation. Steve Carrell's acting was great - I immediately understood he was a slime-ball as Duncan's mother's boyfriend, with absolutely no redeeming qualities. Toni Collette as Duncan's mother - her character fell short but it was clear that she wasn't interested in the mental welfare of her son. Allison Janney and Sam Rockwell stole the show. Janney's character as the "fun next-door neighbor" was similar to her character in Away We Go - making fun of her kid and never without a glass of alcohol in her hand. I wasn't fully rooting for Duncan until he connected with Rockwell's character, Owen. Owen, the manager of Water Wizz, saves Duncan from a miserable summer and provides him with an escape from a group of adults who are clearly more interested in their own fun than the kids'. Many pieces of the story seemed to come out of nowhere but there were a few mildly heartwarming moments. All in all, this movie isn't memorable - it certainly isn't The Sandlot. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 06/28/25 Full Review Shane H. Such a great message. One of my all time favorite movies Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/21/25 Full Review Paul E It passed the time and was enjoyable enough but I wouldn't recommend it. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 06/18/25 Full Review Daniel S Did I Watch the Same Movie as Everyone Else? It’s always interesting to see how differently people can respond to the same film. And honestly, what fun would it be if we all agreed on everything we watched? That said, I was genuinely surprised by the overwhelming number of glowing reviews I came across. I scrolled through several pages and found only one negative review—so, here's another one to balance things out. I gave the film a 5 out of 10, mainly because the acting was solid, and Sam Rockwell absolutely stole the show with his performance. He was, without a doubt, the highlight. However, I struggled to connect emotionally with the story or its characters. The plot felt predictable and didn't offer much that felt fresh or unique. Based on the praise I read, I expected something standout—something memorable. Instead, it felt like a rehash of stories I’ve seen many times before. At any point, I could have turned it off and felt like I wasn’t missing much. The comedic elements fell flat, and the drama lacked depth or nuance. I can’t help but wonder if the bar has been lowered lately—perhaps so many subpar movies have come out that a merely average one seems exceptional by comparison. I know many will disagree, and that’s totally fine. But I wanted to share my honest take and throw in my two cents. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 06/16/25 Full Review Read all reviews

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