Title: The Way, Way Back (2013) [DVD]
Director(s): Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
Produced by: 20th Century Fox
ASIN: B00DL46ZN8
Genre: DVD, Comedy, Drama
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Reading Level / Interest Age: Ages 13 and up
Director(s) Profile:
[Nat Faxon]- “Faxon's early years started in the seaside community of Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, where he attended the Brookwood School. He later graduated from the Holderness School in Plymouth, New Hampshire and then Hamilton College in 1997. Faxon is also an alumnus of the Los Angeles-based improvisational and sketch comedy troupe The Groundlings, where he began performing in 2001.
As an actor, Faxon is best known for his appearances in comedic films such as Orange County (2002), Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007), Bad Teacher (2011), and several Broken Lizard films including Beerfest (2006). He co-starred in Darren Star's semi-autobiographical satire Grosse Pointe and had recurring roles in several television series such as The Cleveland Show, Joey, Up All Night and Reno 911!. Faxon and writing partner Jim Rash, whom he met while performing at The Groundlings, co-wrote the screenplay for the film The Descendants, starring George Clooney and directed by Alexander Payne. The duo made their directorial debut with The Way, Way Back (2013), based on their original screenplay.” – From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nat_Faxon
[Jim Rash]- “Rash was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He attended Charlotte Latin School in Charlotte. After graduating, he spent a post-graduate year at the Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. He later attended University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Rash played Mr. Grayson / Stitches, a sidekick to the super villain Royal Pain, in the 2005 film Sky High. He played Fenton on That '70s Show and Andrew (the "whore house guy") on Reno 911!. He guest starred in the final episode of Friends, and played Head T.A. Philip in Slackers. Since 2009, Rash has starred on Community as Craig Pelton, the dean of the community college in which the show takes place. Rash and comedy partner Nat Faxon moved into screenwriting, writing a pilot in 2005. Rash and Faxon wrote the screenplay for The Descendants, based on the novel of the same name by Kaui Hart Hemmings. The film received a Golden Globe nomination and won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Rash and Faxon co-wrote and directed the film The Way, Way Back. Parts of the film are based on Rash's teenage life.”
– From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Rash
Viewer's Annotation:
Duncan is not looking forward to spending his summer with his mother and her arrogant boyfriend. However, when Duncan meets his beautiful neighbor Susanna and is later introduced to charismatic Owen at the local waterpark, things start to look up as he learns what it means to embrace life and find the best parts of himself.
Plot Summary:
Fourteen-year-old Duncan would much rather be spending his summer with his dad in California, than going to the beach house with his mother, her boyfriend Trent, and Trent’s daughter Steph. Duncan has no problem with the beach, but rather Trent who is smug, condescending, and tells Duncan he is not good enough. However, being a teenager leaves him with little choice in the matter. Upon their arrival, Duncan meets their summer neighbors, taking note of the beautiful Susanna, who just so happens to be around Duncan’s age. Although, she greets him warmly, Duncan is tongue-tied, awkward, and incredibly shy. As the summer progresses, Duncan battles for attention from his mom as she becomes more immersed in Trent’s world than his, causing him to sink deeper into isolation. It is not until Duncan stumbles upon the nearby waterpark known as “Water Wizz,” where Duncan meets Owen, a carefree adult who lives by his own rules. The more time Duncan spends at the waterpark, the more he learns from Owen just how wonderful and freeing it is to be your best self.
Critical Evaluation:
This film is completely character driven and the casting could not have been more perfect. Steve Carell as Trent, the arrogant, condescending boyfriend, plays the role as if he was born to. Although viewers may be used to seeing Carell as the lovable funny guy, this role is a definite departure from that and he reveals a humor that is much darker and malevolent. Toni Collette as Pam was also an excellent choice. Her slightly shy and quiet demeanor works well with Carell’s character’s abrasive attitude, creating an interesting dynamic between the two. Sam Rockwell as Owen is one of my favorites because no one can do casual cool guy quite like Rockwell. He embodied the role of Owen by adding the perfect amount of humor and wisdom making him the ideal mentor that any fourteen-year-old boy would quickly idolize. The real star of this film though is Liam James who played Duncan. A young actor with little film experience, viewers would never know it by the amount of emotion, teen angst and awkwardness he was able to carry throughout the film. Everything from the way he walked to his facial expressions, to the stuttered dialogue worked so well to create such an authentic performance. His development throughout the film should also be noted because as Duncan becomes more confident, James was able to portray that with every slight adjustment of his body and speech that was clearly indicative of that gradual transformation. All of this is also do large in part to Nat Faxon and Jim Rash’s intelligent screenplay that captures adolescence so genuinely not just through Duncan himself but though his interactions with adults and his peers. The script is as funny as it is sad and is captured perfectly through the actors assigned to their respective roles.
Curriculum Ties:
Challenges / Issues:
Defense of Challenges / Issues:
Film Talk Id eas:
Why this Film?
Duncan is not only a likeable character but presents such an authentic portrait of what it means to be an adolescent male. Teen boys who may find themselves on the same side of shy and awkward as Duncan will easily relate, as will those who may be coming from divorced households. Additionally, the overall message of being the best self you can be is a wonderful theme to pass on to teens who may be struggling. An honest, funny, heartbreaking, and heartwarming coming of age film.
Director(s): Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
Produced by: 20th Century Fox
ASIN: B00DL46ZN8
Genre: DVD, Comedy, Drama
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Reading Level / Interest Age: Ages 13 and up
Director(s) Profile:
[Nat Faxon]- “Faxon's early years started in the seaside community of Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, where he attended the Brookwood School. He later graduated from the Holderness School in Plymouth, New Hampshire and then Hamilton College in 1997. Faxon is also an alumnus of the Los Angeles-based improvisational and sketch comedy troupe The Groundlings, where he began performing in 2001.
As an actor, Faxon is best known for his appearances in comedic films such as Orange County (2002), Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007), Bad Teacher (2011), and several Broken Lizard films including Beerfest (2006). He co-starred in Darren Star's semi-autobiographical satire Grosse Pointe and had recurring roles in several television series such as The Cleveland Show, Joey, Up All Night and Reno 911!. Faxon and writing partner Jim Rash, whom he met while performing at The Groundlings, co-wrote the screenplay for the film The Descendants, starring George Clooney and directed by Alexander Payne. The duo made their directorial debut with The Way, Way Back (2013), based on their original screenplay.” – From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nat_Faxon
[Jim Rash]- “Rash was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He attended Charlotte Latin School in Charlotte. After graduating, he spent a post-graduate year at the Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. He later attended University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Rash played Mr. Grayson / Stitches, a sidekick to the super villain Royal Pain, in the 2005 film Sky High. He played Fenton on That '70s Show and Andrew (the "whore house guy") on Reno 911!. He guest starred in the final episode of Friends, and played Head T.A. Philip in Slackers. Since 2009, Rash has starred on Community as Craig Pelton, the dean of the community college in which the show takes place. Rash and comedy partner Nat Faxon moved into screenwriting, writing a pilot in 2005. Rash and Faxon wrote the screenplay for The Descendants, based on the novel of the same name by Kaui Hart Hemmings. The film received a Golden Globe nomination and won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Rash and Faxon co-wrote and directed the film The Way, Way Back. Parts of the film are based on Rash's teenage life.”
– From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Rash
Viewer's Annotation:
Duncan is not looking forward to spending his summer with his mother and her arrogant boyfriend. However, when Duncan meets his beautiful neighbor Susanna and is later introduced to charismatic Owen at the local waterpark, things start to look up as he learns what it means to embrace life and find the best parts of himself.
Plot Summary:
Fourteen-year-old Duncan would much rather be spending his summer with his dad in California, than going to the beach house with his mother, her boyfriend Trent, and Trent’s daughter Steph. Duncan has no problem with the beach, but rather Trent who is smug, condescending, and tells Duncan he is not good enough. However, being a teenager leaves him with little choice in the matter. Upon their arrival, Duncan meets their summer neighbors, taking note of the beautiful Susanna, who just so happens to be around Duncan’s age. Although, she greets him warmly, Duncan is tongue-tied, awkward, and incredibly shy. As the summer progresses, Duncan battles for attention from his mom as she becomes more immersed in Trent’s world than his, causing him to sink deeper into isolation. It is not until Duncan stumbles upon the nearby waterpark known as “Water Wizz,” where Duncan meets Owen, a carefree adult who lives by his own rules. The more time Duncan spends at the waterpark, the more he learns from Owen just how wonderful and freeing it is to be your best self.
Critical Evaluation:
This film is completely character driven and the casting could not have been more perfect. Steve Carell as Trent, the arrogant, condescending boyfriend, plays the role as if he was born to. Although viewers may be used to seeing Carell as the lovable funny guy, this role is a definite departure from that and he reveals a humor that is much darker and malevolent. Toni Collette as Pam was also an excellent choice. Her slightly shy and quiet demeanor works well with Carell’s character’s abrasive attitude, creating an interesting dynamic between the two. Sam Rockwell as Owen is one of my favorites because no one can do casual cool guy quite like Rockwell. He embodied the role of Owen by adding the perfect amount of humor and wisdom making him the ideal mentor that any fourteen-year-old boy would quickly idolize. The real star of this film though is Liam James who played Duncan. A young actor with little film experience, viewers would never know it by the amount of emotion, teen angst and awkwardness he was able to carry throughout the film. Everything from the way he walked to his facial expressions, to the stuttered dialogue worked so well to create such an authentic performance. His development throughout the film should also be noted because as Duncan becomes more confident, James was able to portray that with every slight adjustment of his body and speech that was clearly indicative of that gradual transformation. All of this is also do large in part to Nat Faxon and Jim Rash’s intelligent screenplay that captures adolescence so genuinely not just through Duncan himself but though his interactions with adults and his peers. The script is as funny as it is sad and is captured perfectly through the actors assigned to their respective roles.
Curriculum Ties:
- N/A
Challenges / Issues:
- Sexual innuendo
- Some alcohol and drug use
- Some foul language
Defense of Challenges / Issues:
- Have a clear understanding of the library’s selection policy as well as copies available in order to identify specific points of the policy to challengers in order to strengthen defense.
- Express the library’s dedication to intellectual freedom and open access as outlined in the ALA Library Bill of Rights. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill
- Know the material being challenged in order to show that you understand the content and how the challenged material works in context with the rest of the text.
- Have access to both supportive and critical reviews from reliable sources, such as School Library Journal or VOYA. Provide challenger’s with these reviews through either hard copies or by including reviews in the catalog records of library materials.
- Have the ability to explain the rationale behind the inclusion of materials in the library’s collection by discussing an item’s literary merits, intended audience, and offering a brief summary.
- One of the most important lines of defense is to be an active listener and to stay calm. Pay attention to the patron’s concerns, do not interrupt, and do not take his/her challenge personally. Additionally, even if you do not agree with the challenge, still speak to the patron with understanding and compassion. Make sure to respectfully outline the library’s selection policies as well as the principles outlined in the Library Bill of Rights. If the patron is still adamant about the removal of the text, offer a “Request for Reconsideration” form, outlining the patron’s concerns that can be presented to senior library staff.
Film Talk Id eas:
- Discuss Duncan’s relationship with his mother, father, and Trent. How are they different? How are they similar?
- Talk about the qualities that Duncan admires in Owen and the effect Owen’s advice has on Duncan’s transformation.
Why this Film?
Duncan is not only a likeable character but presents such an authentic portrait of what it means to be an adolescent male. Teen boys who may find themselves on the same side of shy and awkward as Duncan will easily relate, as will those who may be coming from divorced households. Additionally, the overall message of being the best self you can be is a wonderful theme to pass on to teens who may be struggling. An honest, funny, heartbreaking, and heartwarming coming of age film.