The Way Way Back
2013 · Directed by Jim Rash, Nat Faxon
Original language: English
- comedy
- drama
The story
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.
What it’s like
Warm, sun-bleached summer light over a coastal Massachusetts town, all sandy driveways, chlorine-blue water-park pools and weathered beach-house porches, shot with unhurried handheld closeness that stays near its shy teenage lead. The palette leans on faded yellows, bright water-park primaries and the soft greens of old pine, while the score is light acoustic guitar and easy pop that comes and goes like a radio through an open car window. Scenes breathe: long conversations on porches and bicycles, awkward silences left to sit, comedy that comes from people being uncomfortable together rather than from set pieces. The mood is wistful and gently funny, a warm, low-stakes ache about feeling out of place and finding a grown-up who sees you. Violence is absent; the sharpest moments are verbal humiliation and social cruelty, mild and quickly softened. It suits a lazy weekend afternoon, a comfort rewatch in late summer, or a quiet evening when you want something tender and funny. It is for people who enjoy coming-of-age stories built on character, awkward warmth and the feeling of a season slowly opening up.
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