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The Way, Way Back

PG-13 Released Jul 26, 2013 1h 43m Comedy Drama List
84% Tomatometer 188 Reviews 84% Popcornmeter 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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The Way, Way Back

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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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Critics Reviews

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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 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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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 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 08/11/24 Full Review Charles C Very underrated summer movie, one of the best dramedys of the 2010s. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/27/24 Full Review Audience Member Strong movie. Well acted and great character arcs. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/17/24 Full Review 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 Read all reviews
The Way, Way Back

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Cast & Crew

The Open Road 29% 25% The Open Road St. Vincent 78% 78% St. Vincent The Art of Getting By 20% 46% The Art of Getting By Admission 37% 32% Admission Darling Companion 21% 29% Darling Companion TRAILER for Darling Companion Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

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
Sycamore Pictures, Odd Lot Entertainment, Doubleyou Inc.
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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