Away We Go Review

Away We Go has certainly been a surprise indie hit this summer if you look at the circumstances. Never going higher than 500 screens, and with an R rating, the movie has slowly over 31 days at the box office made it up to 6 million dollars, and is gaining a slow momentum with word of mouth and a healthy crop of reviews. And rightfully so. Sam Mendes rom-com coming of age story has a naive feeling to it that is refreshing in movies this summer.

Away We Go focuses on Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph), a couple who are having a baby and are, needless to say, feeling unprepared and aren't sure what kind of parents they want to be. After finding out that Burt's parents (the over the top Jeff Daniels and Catherine O'Hara) are moving away, the couple go in search of somewhere new to live. Their itinerary including Phoenix, Tuscon, Madison, Montreal, and Miami. Their trip has them viewing parenthood from different angles.

One thing that deserves high praise is Mendes' shots of each city. He captures the best in each, and makes you understand why Burt and Maya could choose to stay there. And making Phoenix look appealing...hard to do people, be honest.

The chemistry between Krasinski and Rudolph is unmatchable. You have no problem buying into their relationship and their feelings of being lost or unsure (or as they eloquently put it, being "fuck ups").

The comedy in this movie is also something truly special. The R rating comes out and shocks you because of how tame and genuine the rest of the movie feels, but some outrageous things occur. Krasinski's character Burt is an odd ball. But in a different way, so is Verona. And the reason that over the course of the movie they begin to seem more and more sane is because the people they are being forced to deal with live on a different level of insanity (Maggie Gyllenhaal's character is a good reference if you've seen the film).

At it's core the movie is a sensational balance of comedy and deep realization on becoming an adult and taking on the responsibilities of a child, a journey that is made more enjoyable with Burt and Verona. A surprise summer hit. Grade - A