Away We Go is a contemporary comedy directed by Academy Award winner Sam Mendes from an original screenplay by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida. The movie follows the journey of an expectant couple (John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph), as they travel the U.S. in search of a place to put down roots and raise a family.
Away We Go is a hipster's wet dream: An eccentric young couple travel cross-country in their beat-up car, trying to find a new place to call "home." They do battle with ghoulish grown-ups who try to crush their whimsical spirits, while meaningful acoustic rock punctuates their moments of reflection. Pregnant and panicked, Verona (Rudolph) asks her boyfriend Bert (Krasinski), "Are we fuckups?" Bert, an insurance salesmen with chunky glasses and a buoyant sense of quirk, replies with an emphatic, "No!" See, Burt and Verona may be screwups, but it doesn't matter because everyone else around this sensitive couple is way more effed up. And aren't we all? The two wander dreamily between cities, visiting friends and looking for the right place to raise their unborn. The sojourn is, of course, much more existential than geographic. The pregnancy becomes a referendum on their ramshackle existence and ability to raise a happy child if they themselves are just unhappy, well, children. The pace is open and airy, and the chemistry between the couple gives the story a warm glow. But screenwriters Dave Eggers and Vendela Vita relish, too much, in looking down on others who rightfully deserve scorn: Allison Janney's a burnt-to-a-crisp, soused-in-gin Tucson mom who humiliates her children, and Maggie Gyllenhaal nearly throws the movie off its graceful axis with an explosive portrayal of a New Age mom gone bad. In their reactions to offbeat behavior and unanticipated situations, they come across like a real-life couple, even people we might know. The notions of what it takes to raise a family and what constitutes a happy upbringing are explored in subtle and intriguing ways as the pair visit friends and relatives. Should they settle in Phoenix near Lily (Janney), Verona's brashly honest colleague? Or perhaps they'd be better off in a Wisconsin college town near LN (Gyllenhaal), Burt's childhood friend with a child-rearing style that is a weird blend of rigid and politically correct? In Montreal they visit college friends with an eclectic and happy family, and things seem to be crystallizing. But they are called away on a family matter that makes them delve deeper into complicated feelings. Away We Go is an exploratory and occasionally bittersweet trek that takes unexpected turns and winds up in an emotionally satisfying place.
Fortunately, Krasinki is able to anchor the movie with a limber, melancholy performance—and doesn't draw too heavily from his overflowing reservoir of nice-guy charm. And though this may be a common story about two mixed-up kids just trying to find their way in this no-good world, it has a unique and honest quality that's hard to find at the movies today. Away We Go is a movie with memorable and engaging performances. John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph are one of the most appealing and believable screen couples to star in a romantic comedy. Not only do they project terrific chemistry, but they adeptly switch between broad comedy and poignancy, sometimes in the same scene. This is even more noteworthy because neither has much film experience, having both made their names in television comedies —The Office in Krasinski's case and Saturday Night Live for Rudolph. Mendes deserves credit for choosing them as leads, and also for the quirky supporting cast. Maggie Gyllenhaal and Allison Janney give hilarious performances in roles that are extreme yet familiar. Strong performances in this dramedy. This is one that I highly recommend seeing. 4 on my "Go See" scale.
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