Away We Go (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
I don't think I can properly convey in words how enamored I am with 'Away We Go' (directed by Sam Mendes, American Beauty, Revolutionary Road), a film that I did not expect to enjoy, at all. Whether it was the too-quirky trailers or the so-so reviews, I just did not anticipate my loving it; which is always a fantastic & welcomed surprise. The film opens with 33 yr. old live-in lovers Burt Farlander & Verona De Tessant (John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph) discovering - in a very unorthodox way - that they are expecting a child. Fast forward 6 months later: the couple, living in a tiny, & cramped Colorado home, are visiting Burt's parents (Jeff Daniels, Catherine O'Hara) for dinner; Verona's parents died tragically when she was 22. During dinner, Burt's parents drop a huge bombshell, "We're moving to Belgium"; thus, leaving Burt & Verona without a hoped for (and expected) support system.
With their small world turned upside down, the couple decides that a change in venue could be a blessing. And they embark on a trip around North America; trying to figure out who they know that they can live near (for support), and if that place is a suitable one to bring up their child. They want a legitimate place to call home. From here on in, the film chronicles the misadventures & interesting connections that our protagonists make as they bunk with an assortment of old friends & relatives. The stops they make are filmed episodically; where Burt & Verona must make heads or tails of if they're staying where they're at ... or movin' on down the road. And every step of the way, with every encounter, they pause for reflection, & question themselves: 'Though I'm pregnant & fat, am I still attractive?' 'You won't leave me, right?' 'What are we going to do?' 'What's going to happen?' 'What if you don't get this job?" 'How will we raise our child?' 'Will we ever find our Home?' 'You'll love me forever, right?'
Their 1st stop is Phoenix: where they meet up with Verona's old boss; a touchy-feely, drunk named Lily (played hysterically by Allison Janney). I was bent over in stitches as she talked smack about her children without realizing that they can hear her. Their 2nd stop is Tucson; to visit Verona's sister (Carmen Ejogo). It's a nice visit, but all it does is bring back sad memories (for Verona) of her dead parents. Their 3rd stop is Madison, Wisconsin: where Burt's new-age hippie 'cousin' (the wonderful Maggie Gyllenhaal) makes our protagonists run from her trippy home kicking & screaming. The 4th stop is Montreal, Canada; where they visit a pair of college friends (Chris Messina, Melanie Lynskey ... God, loved their scenes together) who have adopted 4 multicultural children. And finally, they must visit Burt's brother (the continually impressive Paul Schneider) in Miami; whose wife has just abandoned both him & their young daughter, Annabelle.
So, yeah. The film is about this couple; a couple searching for the right answers; a couple longing to be the perfect family; a couple who must realize that it's more about the journey than the destination; they can only discover their home ... on their own terms. Each stop offers Burt & Verona a different perspective on how staying together & parenting is different for everybody; and that there is no "one" good answer. Their bond is so tight. But it takes this extended road trip for them to figure out that all the ingredients were always there for them to be successful partners & parents all along.
What won me over - other than the fantastic performances from everybody - was the way Sam Mendes balanced this material with such restraint. It's all very go-with-the-flow, & low-key ... much like Burt & Verona. And yet, while our protagonists are low-key, they're also infinitely fascinating: smart, but self-conscious, healthy, but weary, self-employed, but unstable, whimsical, yet extremely grounded & most importantly - quietly, yet madly in love. Maya Rudolph is amazing; showing that you can have all the talent in the world to be funny (on a show like SNL), but she also has what it takes to bring it down a few notches & subtly transition to heartbreak; she modulates beautifully (don't know any other colloquial way to explain it). John Krasinski (someone I've never thought much of) is wonderful here. He tries so hard to be so positive & cheerful (especially when faced with turmoil), that you wish you could be like him. And his undying devotion to the woman he loves is just incredibly commendable. I loved the easy chemistry btwn. these 2.
'Away We Go' starts off slowly, but it quietly overwhelmed me with unexpected feelings about love, 'home', & where life can take you. You feel like you've been on this quest with Burt & Verona as they re-examine their life. Some of the vignettes are satirical (Burt's parents), others are just flat out funny (with Janney & Gyllenhaal), & some are beautifully touching (Montreal & Miami). The episodic structure works because while it highlights the eclectic characters they encounter, Sam Mendes smoothly shifts the tone from funny (like Burt checking the baby's heart rate) to melancholic (like Verona resolving feelings about her parents), & back again. Before I knew it, the movie was over, & I wanted it to go on - to see where life would lead Burt & Verona next. 'Away We Go' is not ground-breaking; but neither is it some pre-determined off-beat, faux-indie (like I assumed it was). It's just a sweet film that has no pretenses. A film with real heart.
With their small world turned upside down, the couple decides that a change in venue could be a blessing. And they embark on a trip around North America; trying to figure out who they know that they can live near (for support), and if that place is a suitable one to bring up their child. They want a legitimate place to call home. From here on in, the film chronicles the misadventures & interesting connections that our protagonists make as they bunk with an assortment of old friends & relatives. The stops they make are filmed episodically; where Burt & Verona must make heads or tails of if they're staying where they're at ... or movin' on down the road. And every step of the way, with every encounter, they pause for reflection, & question themselves: 'Though I'm pregnant & fat, am I still attractive?' 'You won't leave me, right?' 'What are we going to do?' 'What's going to happen?' 'What if you don't get this job?" 'How will we raise our child?' 'Will we ever find our Home?' 'You'll love me forever, right?'
Their 1st stop is Phoenix: where they meet up with Verona's old boss; a touchy-feely, drunk named Lily (played hysterically by Allison Janney). I was bent over in stitches as she talked smack about her children without realizing that they can hear her. Their 2nd stop is Tucson; to visit Verona's sister (Carmen Ejogo). It's a nice visit, but all it does is bring back sad memories (for Verona) of her dead parents. Their 3rd stop is Madison, Wisconsin: where Burt's new-age hippie 'cousin' (the wonderful Maggie Gyllenhaal) makes our protagonists run from her trippy home kicking & screaming. The 4th stop is Montreal, Canada; where they visit a pair of college friends (Chris Messina, Melanie Lynskey ... God, loved their scenes together) who have adopted 4 multicultural children. And finally, they must visit Burt's brother (the continually impressive Paul Schneider) in Miami; whose wife has just abandoned both him & their young daughter, Annabelle.
So, yeah. The film is about this couple; a couple searching for the right answers; a couple longing to be the perfect family; a couple who must realize that it's more about the journey than the destination; they can only discover their home ... on their own terms. Each stop offers Burt & Verona a different perspective on how staying together & parenting is different for everybody; and that there is no "one" good answer. Their bond is so tight. But it takes this extended road trip for them to figure out that all the ingredients were always there for them to be successful partners & parents all along.
What won me over - other than the fantastic performances from everybody - was the way Sam Mendes balanced this material with such restraint. It's all very go-with-the-flow, & low-key ... much like Burt & Verona. And yet, while our protagonists are low-key, they're also infinitely fascinating: smart, but self-conscious, healthy, but weary, self-employed, but unstable, whimsical, yet extremely grounded & most importantly - quietly, yet madly in love. Maya Rudolph is amazing; showing that you can have all the talent in the world to be funny (on a show like SNL), but she also has what it takes to bring it down a few notches & subtly transition to heartbreak; she modulates beautifully (don't know any other colloquial way to explain it). John Krasinski (someone I've never thought much of) is wonderful here. He tries so hard to be so positive & cheerful (especially when faced with turmoil), that you wish you could be like him. And his undying devotion to the woman he loves is just incredibly commendable. I loved the easy chemistry btwn. these 2.
'Away We Go' starts off slowly, but it quietly overwhelmed me with unexpected feelings about love, 'home', & where life can take you. You feel like you've been on this quest with Burt & Verona as they re-examine their life. Some of the vignettes are satirical (Burt's parents), others are just flat out funny (with Janney & Gyllenhaal), & some are beautifully touching (Montreal & Miami). The episodic structure works because while it highlights the eclectic characters they encounter, Sam Mendes smoothly shifts the tone from funny (like Burt checking the baby's heart rate) to melancholic (like Verona resolving feelings about her parents), & back again. Before I knew it, the movie was over, & I wanted it to go on - to see where life would lead Burt & Verona next. 'Away We Go' is not ground-breaking; but neither is it some pre-determined off-beat, faux-indie (like I assumed it was). It's just a sweet film that has no pretenses. A film with real heart.