Away We Go (2009)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Best movie ever!

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski are not critically acclaimed, by any means, but they were quite magical in Away We Go; a quirky, misnomer of a love story. Which, ironically made it one of my favorites. Burt (Krasinski) and Verona (Rudolph) take off on a "grass may be greener on the other side" road trip after the unmarried couple find themselves knocked-up without productive futures at hand. Eternal optimist, Burt, sticks right with skeptical Verona as she ventures to find a perfect place for their baby to grow-up. Never really able to argue, they refute about whether or not they are quote, unquote "Fuck-ups" only to discover home leads to home. Away We Go offers multiple great cameos, from Jeff Daniels (displaced father) to Maggie Gyllenhaal (radical, former friend). Director, Sam Mendes (Skyfall, Revolutionary Road, Road to Perdition) provides lots of candid, tender moments that have a way of of melting your heart.http://themovie-geist.blogspot.com/

About 40 minutes in, I had to pinch myself to see if I was still alive.Once I confirmed that, I pushed the stop button.I then needed something, anything to make me laugh, so I dug around and found my 'Lake Placid' DVD.Now, compared to 'Away We Go,' 'Lake Placid' is a masterpiece.'Lake Placid' knows it's a ridiculously awful movie. It makes fun of itself, unpretentious, even with a cast of A list actors.This shows a cool self awareness.'Away We Go' wanted to be something like 'Sideways,' could have been similar to 'Something About Mary,' but just got bored with itself and self should have self immolated.But, we aren't that fortunate now are we? If you need some sleep, view this....whatever it is, and in about 22 minutes, I promise you'll have the best nights rest in your life.

I am a fan of good comedies and independent smaller movies that are not about action and flashy special effects (which I also enjoy) but about looking closely at the characters, exploring the lives and desires of the ordinary people, and finding kindness, love, and gentle humor in every day situations. I like to follow the sympathetic characters on the journey of self-discovery and in search for the perfect place for them to live - just like the couple in Sam Mendes' comedy "Away We Go" 2009). Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph) are 30-something educated, independent, intelligent, and what is quite unusual in the modern movies, truly loving each other unmarried couple who have been together for years and expecting their first child. The movie takes them on the road trip all around America. They leave Denver after having found out that Burt's cheerful and self-absorbed parents (Catherine O'Hara and Jeff Daniels) who live close by will be moving out of country to spend two years in Antwerp, Belgium and wont'be present at their grandchild's birth. Burt and Verona will be visiting friends and relatives in Phoenix, Tucson, Madison, Montreal, and Miami trying to find the perfect place to raise their daughter and to be with the soul-mates. Sounds like a perfect independent comedy and fun, and I was ready to love it. After I finished watching, I see that it was supposed to be funny and touching, personal and realistic, subtle and offbeat, and it sure was at times but it did not completely succeed for me. I think it tried too hard. I found some of the characters not realistic and funny but obnoxious over the top cardboard figures, and some jokes felt awkward. The film looks nice - Sam Mendes has a good eye for American beauty and he brings it it in every film he has made, and Away We Go is not en exception. Two main characters, expecting parents Burt and Verona as played by John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph are believable and likable even if not always interesting. There is a story behind Verona's constant refusal to get married even though Burt keeps insisting and she is in love with him and sees him as her soul-mate. I assume it has to do with the death of her parents and the memories of the true happiness and closeness she and her younger sister had with them. Even if there is more than decade since they are gone, she still copes with their absence from her life. I read that Dave Eggers, the writer of the script, was 21 and living in Lake Forest, Illinois when he lost both his parents to cancer five weeks apart, leaving Eggers to raise his 8-year-old brother, Christopher. I think that he wrote the script that caught Mendes's attention coming to terms with his own past and his loss. The best, the most moving scenes of the film are these where Verona opens up and recalls the scene of pure happiness from her childhood. Another memorable scene for me was the ending of the film. Some can see it as melodramatic but I think it was an appropriate and fitting end to the journey in search for Home. Away we Go is not a bad movie but as the rather short road movie, it is abrupt and inconsistent - some characters that we meet and their stories are quite interesting but we don't have time enough to learn about them because away we go to the next destination of Burt's and Verona's journey.

Away We Go is set as a comedy drama surrounding a couple getting prepared for the birth of their unborn child. Although the original driving focus of the narrative is preparing for their unborn child, somehow Away We Go gets lost in a world full of zany characters and situations.Away We Go is formed via a number of segments in which the protagonist couple Burt and Verona meet with former acquaintances whilst attempting to find the perfect home for their unborn child. The zaniness is all too apparent through out the majority of the narrative, from Verona's former boss Lily acting cruel towards her kids for laughs along with her ridiculous attitude and Burt's childhood friend LN showing the couple her radical opinions on childcare. Such scenes do not contain an ounce of comedy as I'm guessing was the initial purpose. This kind of so called comedy continues as Away We Go goes further into its ludicrous world by having brief segments of Burt and Verona acting over the top or having discussions which miss the mark from a comic perspective. In my opinion it does not add anything meaningful to the narrative.However amongst all this wackiness there are glimpses of serious drama which benefits the narrative rather than filling time. In a touching scene with his friend Tom, Burt learns of Toms Wife's recent miscarriage whilst she relieves her inner pain by dancing on a strip pole. Odd as it may sound it makes the scene a poignant moment for Burt realising the strength it must take to keep a family unit together and how some can buckle under the pressure. This vibe continues in the latter stages of the narrative as Tom's sister in law leaves his brother alone with his young daughter making Burt and Verona reflect on their situation, promising to stay strong for themselves as well as their unborn child. These examples of reflection on part of the characters give depth not only to themselves but to the narrative as well, which is sorely missing from Away We Go. If it had been more fluent with this tone then I feel Away We Go could have been a better film.Reflecting upon Away We Go overall it has an uneven mix of mostly comic action and touches of clarity which if it had more of the latter then it would have been a better rounded movie.