Mid-thirtysomethings Burt Farlander and Verona De Tessant are a loving couple. Burt has always wanted to marry Verona, but Verona resists, not seeing the point of the institution. Regardless, they are having a baby together, despite questioning their potential parenting abilities. They are happy that they made the decision to move close to Burt's parents, Jerry and Gloria Farlander, as they want to share the experience with the baby's grandparents. Verona's own parents died over ten years earlier, a situation about which she doesn't like to discuss. In Verona's sixth month, she and Burt learn that Jerry and Gloria are moving to Antwerpen, Belgium the month before the baby is due, just because it's something they've always wanted to do. Burt and Verona don't understand what they see as Jerry and Gloria's selfishness in putting this move above spending time with their impending granddaughter. Being mobile people, Burt and Verona decide to move. As they want to share their new family experience with people that they love, they decide to take a trans-continental trip to meet with old friends and relatives. Most of them are married with children of their own, and Burt and Verona want to see where they would like to live and with whom they want to share the experience.
Genre(s): Comedy, Drama
Runtime: 98 minutes
Rating: 7.9/10 (2,995 votes)
Release Date: 5 June 2009
Country: USA, UK
Languages: English
Company: Big Beach Films
Sound: Dolby Digital, DTS
MPAA: Rated R for language and some sexual content.
Director(s): Sam Mendes
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Producer(s):
Pippa Harris - executive producer
Sam Mendes - producer
Peter Saraf - producer
Edward Saxon - producer
Marc Turtletaub - producer
Corinne Golden Weber - associate producer
Mari-Jo Winkler - executive producer
Writer(s):
Dave Eggers - (written by) &
Vendela Vida - (written by)
Cast:
John Krasinski - Burt Farlander
Maya Rudolph - Verona De Tessant
Carmen Ejogo - Grace De Tessant
Catherine O'Hara - Gloria Farlander
Jeff Daniels - Jerry Farlander
Allison Janney - Lily
Jim Gaffigan - Lowell
Samantha Pryor - Ashley
Conor Carroll - Taylor
Maggie Gyllenhaal - LN
Music: Alexi () Murdoch
Pippa Harris - executive producer
Sam Mendes - producer
Peter Saraf - producer
Edward Saxon - producer
Marc Turtletaub - producer
Corinne Golden Weber - associate producer
Mari-Jo Winkler - executive producer
Writer(s):
Dave Eggers - (written by) &
Vendela Vida - (written by)
Cast:
John Krasinski - Burt Farlander
Maya Rudolph - Verona De Tessant
Carmen Ejogo - Grace De Tessant
Catherine O'Hara - Gloria Farlander
Jeff Daniels - Jerry Farlander
Allison Janney - Lily
Jim Gaffigan - Lowell
Samantha Pryor - Ashley
Conor Carroll - Taylor
Maggie Gyllenhaal - LN
Music: Alexi () Murdoch
Posted on: June 24, 2009
July 1st, 2009
I love Sam Mendes; I'll say that now. What else do I love? Comedieswith indie quirk. And that leads me to Away We Go, a film that embodiesthe genre completely as evidenced by the trailer with its awkwardlaughs, (I stapled the itinerary to your coat? Really?), and "cool"soundtrack, I must have absolutely loved it … right? Wrong. I know Ishould, I know that people all around me are showering it with praise,but besides the final thirty minutes—'Away to Montreal,' 'Away toMiami,' and 'Home'—it is laboriously slow and uninteresting. Sure Ilaughed, and stars John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph are fantastic, it'sjust the story that never resonated with me. Until those last travels,taking them places that included situations of true weight, we mostlywatch them reconnect with friends and family from the past to bring outsome cheap laughs and a whole lot of uncomfortable. If you thoughtAllison Janney was quite the character in the trailer, just wait untilthe crazy hijinks leave her mouth in unedited glory, you may justchange your mind.
Burt and Verona, (Krasinski and Rudolph), are a couple in theirmid-thirties, unmarried and pregnant with their first child. They havemoved to Burt's hometown in order to be by his parents, who haveoffered to help, (her folks passed on a decade earlier). Living in atrailer, doing mostly freelance work, and declaring their love for eachother every second of the day—they are quite the cute couple—the ideathat they have gone astray in life becomes one that sets them on across country journey to find a new place to call home. The fact thatthe two people they thought they could count on moving to Antwerp fortwo years definitely expedited that decision. So, they are off toPhoenix, Tucson, Madison, and Montreal to see where is best to raisetheir unborn daughter, all locales with people they know, an alreadyactive support group to help jumpstart their new life. The film is notabout the baby though, nor how the two try to learn how to be goodparents, despite the plethora of parenting advice thrown their way.Instead it is a tale about two lost souls that have each other with noother ties tethering them anywhere. It's a journey for them to discoverthat home is wherever the other is, none of the other static means athing.
Like any cathartic spiritual journey, there must be a series of stopsalong the way, showing them how bad life can be with wrong decisionsand lies. There is the couple that doesn't really love each other, anindifferent malaise that has trickled down to their children; parentsthat have the opportunity to be selfish and finally live forthemselves, no matter if their grandchild will be born the month after;a kooky family following the three S's in life, resulting in a hippylifestyle that makes them so self-important and bourgeois despite"hating" all that that label brings with it; and a pair of old collegefriends, unable to conceive, with a slew of adopted kids in a lovingand censored lifestyle. A lot of the antics dealing with these clichésbring some solid humor, but even more supply forced situations thatlead nowhere except for empty laughs leaving an unsatisfying taste inyour mouth. Maggie Gyllenhaal's LN, (yes that's her name), and JoshHamilton's Roderick and so over-written and stereotypical that Iwondered why it took so long for our "heroes" to realize how vapid theywere. And what is with the five-year-old breastfeeding? Talk aboutunnecessary shock value. I did like the stroller bit at the end of thesequence, however, so it wasn't all bad.
Kudos to Rudolph and Krasinski for really breathing some life in theirroles, though, embodying the affliction that is the thirty-somethingcrisis of being an adult. They react to the situations thrown their waywith consistency to character and end up in the place they had beenworking towards all along. Why they had to endure so much overwroughtcomedy before reaching that point, I do not know, especially since thetrip to Montreal and unfortunate visit to Miami are all that wereneeded to get them opened up to where they end. Maybe Verona's sister,played by Carmen Ejogo, helps the cause too, but no one else. Allothers become filler to pad out the story and trick the audience intothinking something relevant occurred since they laughed.
Miami contained the phenomenal Paul Schneider with virtually anextended monologue about how his wife has changed their family's livesforever. It's a strong performance that shows Krasinski what it meansto be a parent and how having his girlfriend by his side is the mostimportant thing to him. As for Montreal, the Garnetts, (Chris Messinaand Melanie Lynskey), expose our leads to the fragility of existenceand the many definitions of what family is. In a very touching scene,moreso because of its amateur night pole-dancing locale, we get twopowerful performances and a nice metaphor comparing love with syrup.After our introduction to the Garnetts, the end result surprises a bit,but with total clarity and understanding of where they are coming from.And the final segment, 'Home,' is just the perfect bookend to the tale,leading the soon-to-be parents and us to paradise. Why, oh why did thisfinal third have to be attached to such trite frivolity?
July 6th, 2009
Sam Mendes' attempt at a quirky indie comedy comes off a lot likerecent indie hits like Little Miss Sunshine and Juno, and it wouldeasily have scored one of his films his desperately desired second BestPicture nomination if it were released in the autumn. Unfortunately,the quality isn't much better than either Little Miss Sunshine or Juno.Like those films, it wants to be charming and sweet, but it's full ofcheap characterizations and plot lines (luckily, it lacks Juno'shorrible dialogue). The central two characters and their relationshipis quite nice, actually. John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph play a30-something unmarried couple which finds themselves unexpectedlypregnant. They welcome the child, even though they don't have much,but, through unexpected circumstances (his parents plan on moving toHolland), they find that they'll be all alone in the world. The movie'splot is comprised of the two of them flying and driving around Americavisiting relatives and old friends to find a real home to raise theirchild. Good enough for a movie, definitely, and Krasinski and Rudolphare both sweet and have a believable chemistry. I would award Krasinskiwith the acting honors. He really does have the most completely createdcharacter, and comes off as both a real person and a person you'd loveto be friends with. Unfortunately, the characters they meet along theway are far too thinly developed. Some of the time, like the Montrealsection with Chris Messina and Melanie Lynskey (the girl who wasn'tKate Winslet in Heavenly Creatures), you want more of them. You'd liketo know these people better, but the film is in and out in a fewminutes. Other sections, like the one with Jim Gaffigan and AllisonJanney, I just found so easily obnoxious. Yeah, they're supposed to be,but they don't come off as real people, just joke machines. By far theworst example of this is Maggie Gyllenhaal. After watching this, it'sdifficult to remember Gyllenhaal being tolerable in anything. She gives- and I'm not at all kidding – the single worst performance I've everseen a person give in a major motion picture. Away We Go really isn't abad film most of the time. I would have given it a moderately goodgrade if not for the Gyllenhaal section of the film. Most of theperformance is on the heads of the writers, but Mendes should havescrapped it, too, and Gyllenhaal should have strenuously objected. Sheplays a way over-the-top hippie chick who breastfeeds her fiveyear-old, not to mention any other babies she might come upon, anddoesn't want to push her kids in a stroller because "Why would I wantto push my kids away from me?" Huh? The stereotype is so ridiculous andso ugly. What's more, the script had already satirized New Age types(poorly, I might add) with Krasinski's parents earlier in the film, soit's repeating itself. Maybe it would have been acceptable in a broadfarce, like maybe a Wayans Brothers movie or something. This wholesequence is like a black hole, sucking the decent stuff in the movieinward. It hurts me personally even more because it takes place inMadison, Wisconsin, where I've lived. I don't think any of the variouspersons in the film were supposed to represent their places ofresidence, but I was really looking forward to the setting. Luckily,Away We Go is allowed to recover somewhat afterward, so the sour tasteis at least dulled. The Montreal and Miami sections are much, muchbetter. As I said, they're far too short and underdeveloped, but atleast we left behind the shrew and forgot about her as much as ispossible. The film also ends pretty strongly, though I would complain(and it's a complaint that applies to much of the rest of the film aswell) that Mendes mistakes soulful music on the soundtrack for soulfulfilm-making. I don't really expect much better from him. He's a fairlymediocre filmmaker who's only as good as his script, and this one isthoroughly mediocre.
July 7th, 2009
Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph), an unmarried butdevoted-to-each-other couple, are expecting a baby girl in threemonths. They moved near Burt's parents (Jeff Daniels and CatherineO'Hara) because they wanted to give their child loving relatives inclose proximity. Now, however, Burt's mom and dad announce that theyare fulfilling a lifelong dream of "moving to Belgium", where they willbe for the next two years. Huh. It does not appear that they arethinking of the coming granddaughter, only of themselves. This throwsBurt and Verona into a frenzy of activity, for they want to selectanother locale to call home, near friends or relatives, and there isn'tmuch time. Over the course of the next few weeks, the young coupletravel to Arizona, Wisconsin, Montreal, and Florida in search of a newplace to put down roots. Along the way, the pregnant twosome meet upwith a bizarre friend (Allison Janney), an "adopted cousin" (MaggieGyllenhaal), and other pals and relations. Will they find the perfectplace to raise their daughter? After viewing this winning movie, no onecan ever say that Sam Mendes does not have a softer side, which, to behonest, was fairly absent in his works such as American Beauty orRevolutionary Road. In fact, although Mendes is still wonderful atshowing the idiosyncrasies and flaws in the lives of average Americans,this film's sweetness is its core asset. The cast is great, withKrasinski and Rudolph near perfect as the loving couple, while Janney,Daniels, O'Hara, and all of the lesser known cast members do a greatjob as well. Gyllenhaal deserves special mention, for she lookssensational and is a scream as the "new age" type mother. Naturally, itis quite beautiful to go from one splendid venue to the next and thecostumes are lovely as well, especially Rudolph's maternity wardrobe.As for the script, it is stylish, imaginative, and very funny. If youlove exceptional movies that more closely resemble coq au vin thanmeatloaf in the world of films, here is one definitely for you tosavor. .
July 9th, 2009
This is convoluted, although trying to be simple road-movie; conceited,although trying to be simple-minded; unrealistic, although trying toimpart a sense of satire. The protagonist couple is so fuzzy cuddly tothe point of being disgusting. And who are these people? Are wesupposed to believe that the guy, the husband, is a seller of complexinsurance investment products? Where have the writers seen such scruffylaid-back mushy finance types? The rest of the characters are justcrass caricatures of wacky hippie family, callous self-centeredparents, frantically pro-creative but fiercely child-hating folks, orfiercely child-loving but confused and almost deranged couple (inMontreal). Is it supposed to be satire? If it is, it is blanket misfireacross the board. It never touches on the surface of reality. Is itsupposed to be romantic coming-of-age young family story? It fails hereas well, since it never goes anywhere in this sense . There are feebleattempts to make some jokes, but all of them simply fall flat. And thatstilted dialog just goes on and on. I forced myself to see this to theend, hoping there there would be some redeeming features. No, it endswith some deus-ex-machina open finale, that made me regret I spent my100 minutes on this mess.
July 12th, 2009
A thirty-ish couple (played by John Krasinski,from TV's 'The Office',as well as Maya Rudolph,also from 'The Office',as well as SNL)areexpecting their first born child in three months,and are ruminatingabout the lack of substance & form in their collective lives. A roadtrip to find answers to at least some of their questions only managesto cast doubt to the validity of parenthood. The cast is rounded outwith some familiar faces as family & friends (Catherine O'Hara, MaggieGyllenhall,Jeff Daniels,etc.). Sam Mendes ('American Beauty',The RoadTo Pardition',etc.) directs a nicely written screenplay by Dave Eggers& Vendila Vida that manages to mix humour,drama and pathos. A nicealternative to the slop bucket that is the Hollywood sausage factory ofdreck that's currently occupying screens. Rated 'R' by the MPAA,thisfilm contains pervasive crude language,sexuality & brief flashes ofnudity
July 19th, 2009
Sam Mendes…a good director married currently to my favorite actressKate Winslet. I thought Revolutionary Road was excellent. I went to seeAway we go for a well directed movie. I was bored after the first 45minutes. The movie starts off on a nice note: let's have our baby bornwith love because we want the baby and then of course we want people…people to help the baby experience life to the fullest. But who arethe right people? what if no other person than the man(Burt,played byJohn Kransinki )and woman (Maya played by Verona De Tessant )making thebaby are interested in the baby? Burt's parents are planning their own2 yr rendezvous 1 month before the baby is born. So, baby's paternalgrandparents are non-existent in the baby's life from birth to terribletwos year. Can friends be so..perfect and loving that will be good forthe baby. Well, certainly not LN, played by Maggie Gyllenhal, whobreast feeds her children till they are 8,9…yrs old, who has sex withher husband and lets her children watch mom and dad express love andsexual longing for each other so they do not develop Electra or Oedipuscomplex? what about friends who adopt children from all over the worldbecause female partner has multiple miscarriages? what about a femalefriend who is sure she had the best big boobs till her children suckledat her breasts and made them sag? Of course, all these friends live indifferent parts of the country. So, Burt and Maya trot off to Arizona,Wisconsin, Montreal, Miami.. The movie was not edited well. JohnKransinki did well as Burt. I enjoy his role in the TV show Office. Notvery familiar with Verona De Tessant but she is pleasant. Definitely,this movie is not an Oscar nominee. Sam Mendes was excellent withRevolutionary Road. It is difficult to make every piece of work Oscarworthy.