What: I really expected to be annoyed by this movie. But it did not annoy me! In fact, I really like it (hence the recommendation). Burt and Verona, who are expecting their first child, embark on a trip across the U.S., visiting friends and family as they try to find a place to settle down.
Away We Go walks some tricky lines successfully. The funnier (but less subtle) segments end before they become annoying, and the tone of the film is sincere without becoming too twee. The cast (including Catherine O'Hara, Jeff Daniels, Allison Janney, and Maggie Gyllenhaal) is amazing, with a particularly noteworthy performance from Maya Rudolph as Verona. Why did we not give her all the awards? All of them.
Comparable to: I have seen it compared to (500) Days of Summer and Garden State, but I really did not particularly like (500) Days of Summer or Garden State. So.
Representative quote: "Do you promise that if I die some embarrassing and boring death that you're going to tell our daughter that her father was killed by Russian soldiers in this intense hand-to-hand combat in an attempt to save the lives of 850 Chechnyan orphans?"
You might not like it if: You actually wanted it to be more hipster-y and more twee. Or I may have altered your expectations to such an extent that you're expecting no hipster-y, no twee. So, fair warning: It is kinda hipster-y.
How to get it: It actually is a good movie to watch with your parents/children (as applicable), but you should maybe pretend that it starts when Burt and Verona are driving to Burt's parents' house. That opening scene would be very uncomfortable to watch in mixed generational company.
Comparable to: I have seen it compared to (500) Days of Summer and Garden State, but I really did not particularly like (500) Days of Summer or Garden State. So.
Representative quote: "Do you promise that if I die some embarrassing and boring death that you're going to tell our daughter that her father was killed by Russian soldiers in this intense hand-to-hand combat in an attempt to save the lives of 850 Chechnyan orphans?"
You might not like it if: You actually wanted it to be more hipster-y and more twee. Or I may have altered your expectations to such an extent that you're expecting no hipster-y, no twee. So, fair warning: It is kinda hipster-y.
How to get it: It actually is a good movie to watch with your parents/children (as applicable), but you should maybe pretend that it starts when Burt and Verona are driving to Burt's parents' house. That opening scene would be very uncomfortable to watch in mixed generational company.
[Originally posted 3/24/11.]
