Quickcard Review Away We Go
Directed by: Sam Mendes Cast: Maya Rudolph, John Krasinski, Maggie Gyllenhall, Allison Janney Time: 1 hr 37 mins Rating: R Release Date: June 5, 2009
Plot: Burt (Krasinski) and Verona (Rudolph) are a young couple looking for a place to call home before they have their first baby. They set off on a path to Phoenix, Tuscon, Madison and Montreal to visit friends and family in an attempt to decide where they should set up roots.
Who’s It For?: This is an adult drama comedy. It's necessary that you think about things like parenthood to enjoy this film. It's a great ensemble cast as well that will constantly have you with a smile on your face for who shows up next. It's easy to see Dave Eggers (co-screenwriter) and Sam Mendes (director) touches on this film as well.
OVERALL
Most of you will say, oh, it's Jim from "The Office." But that's just the beginning of Away We Go. Krasinski adds a beard and completely transforms himself. Burt is an anxious father who at first seems nothing but simple, unaware that he and his wife Verona may be f**k-ups. Verona, of course, is the one who poses the f**k-up question to Burt. They're both stuck in their place, but only Verona notices it.
So, that means ROAD TRIP! OK, it's more of a cross-continent journey (because of a quick trip to Canada) filled with genuine laughter and moments that every young or old couple will feel connected to.
Not only does Krasinski impress the hell out of me with this role (especially after his turn in George Clooney's Leatherheads), but what shocked me even more was Rudolph. I recently saw her in Bollywood Hero with Chris Kattan and decided I'm still not a fan (and I love "Saturday Night Live"). She proved me wrong. Rudolph's Verona is the heart of this film. She plays off of Krasinski perfectly, rolling her eyes at his geeky-enthusiasm. She also might have my favorite "sister moment" in recent film history. Carmen Ejogo plays little sister Grace and slips into a tub with Verona and gets her to open up about their parents. It's a flawless scene.
Then there are the couples ... Allison Janney and Jim Gaffigan, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Josh Hamilton, Chris Messina and Melanie Lynskey. Burt and Verona not only visit different climates, they visit different stages and styles of parenthood. Sure Gyllenhaal is over the top, but she's also hilarious, and just nudges out Janney as the comic relief in this film. Plus, after Gyllenhaal, we get the film's most touching moment that comes in a shocking location with Messina opening up about the difficulties of pregnancy. Messina makes me realize he can be great with great material, so now I must blame someone else for his Julie & Julia performance. Alexi Murdoch also controls the soundtrack (I love when they hand the reigns over to one artist for a soundtrack, like Tom Petty's She's the One).
Sam Mendes was declared a great director thanks to American Beauty. Since then he's done Road to Perdition, Jarhead, Revolutionary Road and now Away We Go. Directors don't get enough credit for switching gears and doing it well. Menes should always be mentioned when talking about today's best directors. Away We Go should get it's due when they are handing out awards at the end of the year. I loved it. And now I'm ready to have babies ... wife, you reading this?
Final Score: 9/10