THE WAY WAY BACK   3.5***

 

   There are some movies which sound so simple that it's hard to convey to people just how good they are. "The Way, Way Back" is one of those movies.  I have to go "way way back" to remember a  coming-of-age  movie that made me (and my wife feel so good.

 

 The film stars teen actor Liam James as 14 year-old Duncan who is an isolated, painfully shy teen who hates the idea of  a summer vacation with his timid mother Pam (Toni Collette), her arrogant boyfriend Trent (Steve Carell), and Trent's narcissistic daughter. Their vacation spot is at Trent's beach house somewhere in New England..  To spice up things there are eccentric neighbors ... the always tipsy( she drinks a LOT) but hilarious Betty(Allison Janney), a divorcée with three kids. Having a rough time fitting in with the beach house crowd, the introverted Duncan finds an unexpected friend in gregarious Owen (Sam Rockwell), manager of the nearby Water Wizz water park. 

 

 In  their Oscar-winning script for "The Descendants," writers Nat Faxon and Jim Rash showed remarkable skill for showing the fear and confusion adults face when they reach a major crossroads in their lives. With "The Way Way Back,", which they also directed, they use that same sparkling writing style to show the emotions young people deal with during their own life-changing moments.

Liam James is exceptional as Duncan. He makes the character so socially inept in the beginning that it's amazing he can even speak. Equally good is Steve Carell, who takes the smart script and gives it a wicked spin in being so hateful to Duncan. On the  other end is Rockwell's brilliant performance as the mentor/father figure in Duncan's life. There are times when his character seems like a joke of a manager at the water park, but in a wink he becomes insightful and sympathetic through the strength and intelligence he shows toward Duncan .

"The Way, Way Back" is an  exceptional  account of an introverted adolescent being told to grow up by a bunch of adults who can't seem to practice what they preach. With movies like "The Bling Ring" showing  how terrible young people can be, it's  nice to see a film  showing young people trying to get it right. It captures the right emotions at the right time and explores not just their cause but also their solution.

 

Clark