Away We Go
2009 Directed by Sam Mendes
Synopsis
Verona De Tessant (Maya Rudolph) and Burt Farlander (John Krasinski) moved to Colorado to be close to Burt's Parents. Now Verona and Burt expecting their first child and are shocked to hear that his parents are moving to Belgium, leaving them in a place they hate living without a support structure in a place. They set off on a whirlwind tour of of disparate locations (Tucson, Montreal, Miami) where they have friends or relatives, sampling not only different cities and climates but also different families. Along the way they realize that the journey is less about discovering where they want to live and more about figuring out what type of parents they want to be.
Cast
Popular reviews
More-
After being blown away by Skyfall last night, I had the idea to revisit all of Sam Mendes's past films starting with the one before Skyfall, Away We Go.
Away We Go is a film driven more by characters and story than by Sam Mendes's direction and the film is better for it. He's proven time and time again in the past that he has an incredible directorial talent but here, he doesn't utilize it and leaves everything up to the actors. It's clear he cares about the story and he decides to make a film surrounded solely by story. The story is very sweet, honest, and funny, especially thanks to wonderful chemistry from Maya Rudolph and John Krasinki. They…
-
Regardless of directorial experience, particularly with meaningful and often dark features, Sam Mendes’ 2009 romantic comedy is very different. Little known lead actors, limited cinema release and a modest budget, Away We Go has all the look and feel of an indie film.
The central narrative is simple and formulaic, making it easy for focus to drift. However, if you give it the attention it deserves there are plenty of interesting characters interjected in order to keep it refreshing. This is where the support cast really shine – Jeff Daniels, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jim Gaffigan, among others, provide thoroughly entertaining performances. Their sub-narratives provide the structure for the episodic narrative as they each provide an amalgam of different lives, focussing…
-
Sam Mendes reels back his usual visual flair, after the stylish but emotionally vacuous Revolutionary Road, and gives us a more stripped down, sincere character drama.
Away We Go is easily one of his best films because he trusts the beautifully simple prose of Dave Eggers' script and his game cast can do the heavy lifting. No pretense, just people.
-
Sweet film with a good soundtrack. John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph are so great together. Full of wonderful energy. The diner scene monologue by Chris Messina was a fantastic scene. Getting very excited for Skyfall now.
-
This film pulls off an exquisite balancing act, pairing genuinely heartfelt and moving drama with fun and witty comedy in exact proportions, switching effortlessly between them on a whim. My only complaint would be that many of the people the film chooses to satirize stray pretty close to caricature, but they're played so honestly that I can't really say any of them crossed the line. The new-age couple especially come off looking like pretty easy targets, but their scene is so full of potent gags I really can't say I didn't completely enjoy it.
If you blur your eyes, this film fits right in with all the awkward dysfunctional offbeat indie comedies that it's so fashionable to be impatient with…
-
One of the most real films I've seen in a long time. A brilliant story line and superb effort from Mendes. Really enjoyed Maya Rudolph's role compared to her more recent comedy based ones, and John Krasinski is fantastic in the lead. A really beautiful film.
Recent reviews
More-
I really liked the movie, but I didn't get to love it, it feels a bit too structured I think. They go to a city they meet a family, they go to a new city they meet a new family, repeat til end of movie. Now the families they meet are interesting and they are certainly engaging to watch, I cant really tell what but there's just something missing for me here.
-
I forget how much I really enjoy this movie. Krasinski is hilarious.
-
A lovely human story. A character driven film, great soundtrack, and brilliant supporting cast. If you like indie films with a beautifully simple story to tell, watch this.
-
and please stay away...
this film was painful to finish...
No like... -
My only advice is to stick with this. The first half-hour or so is fairly boring, but it does really perk up. After a while you come to realise that whilst it's sweet, it certainly knows it. But, by the end, I couldn't get the smile off my face. And really, films, like this, that manage to change my opinion so impressively, are those that I come to remember and value.
-
Sweet, kooky, funny, perfect. Lovely film.
Learned: It’s ok to be a bit odd.
-
(i just wanted to put a tag dont make me write a review)
-
TWEE TWEE TWEE
-
Can't believe I am just now seeing this. Sam Mendes is insane. I'm wasn't much of a fan of John Krasinski or Maya Rudolph but now I am