Away We Go (2009)

3.0

DRAMA/COMEDY
U.S. Release Date: 06/05/09
Running Length: 98 Minutes
MPAA Classification: R (Profanity, Sexual Situations)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2:35:1
Cast: John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Jeff Daniels, Catherine O'Hara, Allison Janney, Jim Gaffigan, Carmen Ejogo, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Josh Hamilton, Chris Messina, Melanie Lynskey, Paul Schneider
Director: Sam Mendes
Screenplay: Dave Eggers & Vendela Vida
Cinematography: Ellen Kuras
Music: Alexi Murdoch
U.S. Distributor: Focus Features

Review by: Carter Moulton

07/01/09

Away We Go, judging from the previews and posters, looks like a film that is trying too hard to fit a certain genre-niche: the indie, heart-string grabber and feel good hit of the summer with artistic titles and an underground soundtrack, a film wanting to fit in with Juno, Little Miss Sunshine, Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, among others. It seems to setup an awkward combination, given the prescence of Sam Mendes (Revolutionary Road, Road to Perdition, American Beauty), a director well recognized for his period dramas, and television stars John Krasinski, Jim Halpert from NBC’s ‘The Office’, and Maya Rudolph, ‘Saturday Night Live’ contributor—an “indie” film with some mainstream names.

Thankfully, after cringing in anticipation of Away We Go’s “indie” titles, I was pleasantly surprised to see a black screen, with the white words, in bold, “AWAY WE GO.” And with that, my mind opened, and I’m thankful that it did, because there is plenty to love about Away We Go.

Photo © Focus Features

John Krasinski plays Burt Farlander, a man who sees the bright side of every struggle—Krasinski gives him an optimism that ripples all over the screen. I was skeptical about Krasinski’s ability to break free from his “Jim Halpert” persona, but he reaches a new level here. Yes, he’s often delivering witty lines, but Farlander bears a burden of melancholy underneath the surface—not just the “I have a crush on a girl and she doesn’t like me” form, as Krasinski has shown in ‘The Office’, but a life-in-question sort of emptiness. He repeatedly asks for Verona De Tessant’s (Maya Rudolph) hand in marriage, and, despite her love for him, she makes it crystal clear that she will never get married.

Burt and Verona, the latter being six-months pregnant, have lived near Burt’s parents (played by Jeff Daniels and Catherine O’ Hara) for some time, but, after an odd visit (one of more forgettable scenes in the movie), it is revealed that Burt’s parents are moving two thousand miles away. The news is eye-opening for Burt and Verona, now in their mid thirties. The couple decides to go on a road trip, visiting Phoenix, Tucson, Madison, Montreal, and Miami—places where they have family or friends living—to look for a new home. While trying to find the perfect place to raise a family, they end up finding themselves.

Rudolph gives a wonderful performance as well. She creates Verona, and her reactions to various friends and family she meets on the road trip, subtle as they may be, are genuine enough to make us care—she doesn’t force anything as she would on ‘Saturday Night Live.’ Alexi Murdoch provides an introspective soundtrack that is admittedly way too loud at certain parts, but his songs parallel the theme of wandering uncertainty within Away We Go.

The film feels like an experiment, given that its director and stars are trying to break free from their conventions. With the hypothesis implied, the conclusion is a mild step forward. Also covering new territory are Dave Eggers & Vendela Vida, novelists providing their first screenplay, but they don’t make the transition quite as successfully. The screenplay is awkward, at times offering insight and brilliance, at others sounding horribly formulaic. The supporting characters are mostly forgettable, especially Allison Janney who plays a friend of Verona’s—the scenes with her are unfunny, vulgar, and frankly unnecessary. The tight-knit between Rudolph and Krasinski makes up for all of this, especially in the soft, one-on-one conversations throughout. Even the mishaps in Away We Go feel sincere, as if the film was commenting on life itself—the forgettable, the doubt; the memories, the laughs, and the journey.