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Away We Go (2009)

Director: Sam Mendes

Time Out rating

Average user rating

10 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

Sam Mendes began shooting ‘Away We Go’ while the editing suite was still warm from ‘Revolutionary Road’. You can imagine why, after that gruelling anatomy of a failed marriage, he was drawn to the story of a happy and well-adjusted, if under-prepared, couple on the threshold of family life. Let’s hope it was more fun to make, anyway, because it’s pretty insufferable to watch.

The script, by husband and wife Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida, follows semi-slacker thirtysomethings Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph) as they search for the perfect site to raise their unborn child, zipping from Arizona to Wisconsin, Colorado to Carolina. Along the way, they encounter relatives and old friends including Burt’s hippy-dippy parents (Jeff Daniels and Catherine O’Hara) and neo-feminist childhood pal (Maggie Gyllenhaal), Verona’s braying former colleague (Allison Janney) and two old buddies (Chris Messina and Melanie Lynskey) and their adopted kids.

Krasinski and Rudolph are amiable company and there’s some nice scenic photography from Ellen Kuras (shot mostly in Connecticut). But the film’s laboured humour and self-satisfaction grate, as does its twee indie-acoustic soundtrack. That every supporting character is depicted as insufferable or pitiable or both would be bad enough; what’s worse is that the couple discover nothing about themselves that wasn’t obvious from the opening, unless you count the banal dictum that there’s no place like home. A screenplay that jokes about the lack of tension between its leads should at least have something to say about their interaction with the rest of the world. This doesn’t.

Author: Ben Walters

Time Out London Issue 2039: 17-23 September, 2009

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User reviews of this film

jayne said...

Posted on Jan 30 2011 16:44 This film gets better each time I watch it. It is about an ordinary couple. Some viewers may descirbe them as boring Certianly not cool or blessed with cenematic sex appeal.- phew such a relief. The gentle humour, sharp feaful honesty was received by this reviewer gratefully.

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Stone Manly said...

Posted on Jun 14 2010 20:59 This movie will drain you of your will to live.

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jonathan said...

Posted on Feb 13 2010 22:56 just seen this film on dvd and thank goodness I didn't read the time out review before hand as it would have put me off. The only thing Ben Walters review has taught me for future reference is to not take any notice of Time Out film reviews - it's a great film, with a good soundtrack, very funny and very touching. I'm 38, have a young daughter and work in insurance - exactly what qualifications thee days do you need to write a fair film review for Time Out - Ben, I'm sure you're a decent man but please, please loosen up and learn to enjoy this kind of film a bit more, it's a real gem!

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Floyd said...

Posted on Dec 31 2009 11:53 Yes, the reviewer gets it. Awful film. These characters kid at being adults, but they're vapid and dull. Which is, I suppose, the point. A better screenplay (perhaps with this base material) would certainly help.

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bizzybee said...

Posted on Oct 11 2009 18:53 I completely agree with this review. I'm very disappointed by this film... Could have used a script doctor. I feel that many of the characters were under-developed..

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Mick said...

Posted on Sep 21 2009 15:07 dreadful

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Yannis said...

Posted on Sep 21 2009 14:57 Cannot believe what i am reading. I totally disagree with Ben Walters. Away We Go is one of the best films i've seen lately and i have seen almost everything... Realistic characters, powerful dialogue and majestic directing made me feel so good after seeing the film. People can relate themselves to the story something that is rare nowadys in mainstream cinema. Well done, Sam Mendes!

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lucy sheridan said...

Posted on Sep 21 2009 14:40 This was an absolutely harmless and enjoyable film about the pressures and fears of modern parenthood. How Time Out can justify this level of spite in a review is a mystery to me especially as it has elected to reward the revolting and utterly pointless remake of 'The Firm' three stars!

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Michael said...

Posted on Sep 19 2009 08:15 Ben Walters is spot-on. The humour is heavy-handed; the main characters dull; the story a series of random encounters that go nowhere and mean nothing; and such weak and juvenile attempts at satire that you have to groan. It could have been a great film, because the hysteria that pervades American life all over the continent deserves a biting satire, and American parenthood would be a good place to start, but this film fails miserably.

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Jones said...

Posted on Sep 16 2009 12:48 I saw this film on Wednesday and couldn't disagree with Ben Walters more.
The humour feels very natural and is far from laboured, the whole film is a breath of fresh air in comparison to the usual romantic tripe on offer.
It is a delightful little film which will leave all but the most bitter among us with a smile.

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