The Way Way Back

2013

PG-13

1h 43m

IMDb RATING

7.1/10

1.8K

YOUR RATING

Rate

POPULARITY

Play trailer

1 Video

77 Images

Comedy

Drama

Shy 14-year-old Duncan goes on summer vacation with his mother, her overbearing boyfriend, and her boyfriend's daughter. Having a rough time fitting in, Duncan finds an unexpected friend in Owen, manager of the Water Wizz water park.

Directors

Nat Faxon

Jim Rash

Writers

Nat Faxon(writer by)

Jim Rash(writer by)

Stars

Liam James

Steve Carell

Toni Collette

See production, box office & company info

Videos1

Trailer
Watch THE WAY WAY BACK: Official HD Trailer

Photos77

Top cast

Duncan

Trent Ramsey

Pam

Susanna Thompson

Owen

Betty Thompson

Caitlyn

Joan

Kip

Roddy

Lewis

Steph

Peter Thompson

Niel

Jason

Kyle

Malcolm

Laura

Directors

Nat Faxon

Jim Rash

Writers

Nat Faxon(writer by)

Jim Rash(writer by)

All cast & crew

Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

User reviews2

Review

Featured review

6/10

"Duncan" (Liam James) is a typical fourteen year old boy. He keeps himself to himself, and isn't greatly looking forward to his family holiday with mother and her boyfriend and his older teenage daughter. Determined to get away from this domestic bliss, he heads to the "Wizz" water park where he strikes up a friendship with one of the animal keepers "Owen" (Sam Rockwell). The latter sees something, perhaps of himself, in this younger lad and allows him to help him. As the summer progresses, both help the other to find an inner strength to deal with their demons - and, gradually, a newly empowered "Duncan" emerges ready to assert himself a little more. Whilst this isn't a great film, there is something about James's strong and personable performance that merits watching. His teenage angst is cleverly, subtly even, presented to us and his relationship with Rockwell, not an obvious friend for the boy, evolves by degree - and not always positively, either. There is way too much dialogue, and I found the family sub-plot with his over-bearing step-father "Trent" (Steve Carrell) and his really irritating daughter "Steph" (Zoe Levin) whom would cheerfully have left in the shark pen, got in the way of the intensity of this otherwise quite engaging exercise in bonding and maturing confidence. Worth a watch.

Geronimo196718 Jun, 2022