The Way, Way Back
The directorial team of Nat Faxon and Jim Rash make a fun feature debut with this coming-of-age story about Duncan, a shy kid forced to spend the summer with his mom (Toni Collette) and her douchebag boyfriend (a barely recognizable Steve Carell) at his vacation home. While there, Duncan sneaks away and gets a job at a water park run by a friendly goofball (the blessed Sam Rockwell). Over the course of the film, Duncan comes out of his shell, befriends the cute girl next door (AnnaSophia Robb), and learns to stand up for himself. The film veers into uncomfortable melodrama at times. It works best when it's just being funny, or dealing with the Carell character. Rash and Faxon both have small, funny roles in the film, which does a good job displaying the craziness of your average water park. It's certainly worth watching, if only for Rockwell and Carell. They have a great time playing against type.