The Way Way Back

A boy coming-of-age near Cape Cod and more

A 14 year-old boy (Liam James) struggles to fit-in with the family & friends of his mothers new beau (Steve Carell) as they partake of a vacation at his beach house in the Cape Cod area. The teen finds a quasi-mentor (Sam Rockwell) at a water park while developing a friendship with the cute neighbor girl (AnnaSophia Robb). Toni Collette plays the mother, Allison Janney a friend and Amanda Peet a flirty woman.

The Way Way Back (2013) is a coming-of-age flick that meshes elements of films like "The Squid and the Whale" (2005), The Summer of 42 (1971), Meatballs (1979), Swimming (2000) and Lawn Dogs (1997), but this is arguably the best of them.

Part of the genius of the movie is tha...

"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 per...