Away We Go
Starring: John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph.
Directed by: Sam Mendes.
Rating: R for language and some sexual content.
Running time: 1 hour, 38 minutes.
If you find yourself picking up “Away We Go” in a rental store, you couldn’t be blamed for quickly thinking the movie was meant not only to be funny, but downright hilarious.
Not only do the traditionally skewed and biased “review blurbs” strewn about the case tout the film’s comedic genius, but just take a look at this cast: John Krasinski of “The Office” fame, Maya Rudolph from SNL, Catherine O’Hara, Jeff Daniels, Allison Janney and Jim Gaffigan. Surely a movie with this much humor potential will leave you on the floor.
But this film is much more dramatic and introspective than the cover would have you believe. And while it’s good for a few laughs, it’s not the “comedy” that you’d expect.
Directed by Sam Mendes, the Focus Features film “Away We Go” is a very simple movie that seeks to examine the bevy of emotions brought on by unexpected parenthood.
Krasinski and Rudolph star as Burt and Verona, an unmarried couple in their 30s who are unexpectedly expecting. They live in a rundown apartment with a cardboard window in the same area as Burt’s parents. But when the parents (O’Hara and Daniels) tell the couple that they are moving to Europe, the two realize that they have no ties left in their current location.
Burt and Verona take a trip to various areas across the country and Canada, seeking “home” and meeting up with people from their past in the meantime.
Along the journey, the couple must confront their doubts of life and parenthood by encountering their fears manifested. This plot device lends itself to sometimes hilarious and at other times heartbreaking revelations.
Burt and Verona come across many examples of dysfunctional families, at times heightening their worries and at other times leaving them with a “Well, at least we aren’t that bad” sensation.
The couple faces a loud, abrasive, degrading mother (Janney); a family that may be just a little too close for comfort (Maggie Gyllenhaal); an adopting family who cannot have their own children; and a father whose wife abandoned him and their daughter. On top of it all, Verona must also cope with the early loss of her own parents.
The soundtrack is a beautiful and brilliant complement to the movie. I have been a fan of Alexi Murdoch for a while, and his folksy style and deep tone capture the spirit of the film well. If nothing else, hopefully the movie will expose more people to his music.
“Away We Go” is a different kind of coming-of-age movie. It’s about a couple who maybe should have come of age quite a long time ago, but eventually realize that there’s no true definition of a family and the best that they can do is love each other and weather the hardships the best they can.
Overall, it’s not a blockbuster and not a life-changing film. But it is a cute, realistic piece that leaves you feeling a little more optimistic and hopeful about where your life is going.
3 1/2 of 5 stars
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