The Way, Way Back is a coming-of-age film done right

In the opening scene of The Way, Way, Back awkward teenager Duncan (Liam James) is being grilled by his Mother’s stern boyfriend Trent (Steve Carrel, finally playing against type) on how he would rate himself on a scale of 1-10. Eventually pressured into answering, Duncan meekly posits himself a 6. “A 3,” Trent counters back harshly. “You’re a 3.”

This scene quickly sets up the dynamic of this standard but effective coming-of-age story, directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, the Oscar-winning writing team behind The Descendants, making their joint directorial debut.

Shepherded by his Mother (Toni Collette) to Trent’s country retreat, Duncan has to contend not only with Trent’s constant passive aggressiveness, but also with Trent’s obnoxious teenage daughter, who is particularly unenthused about being cooped up all summer with the painfully shy Duncan.

While Duncan’s Mother and Trent spend their days and nights partying with Trent’s old friends Joan and Kip (Amanda Peet and Rob Corddry) and their tag-along boozy neighbor Betty (Allison Janney), Duncan is left with nothing to do but explore his new small-town surroundings with an old girl’s bike he finds lying about.

Duncan eventually stumbles upon Water Wizz, a slightly dilapidated water park on the edge of town, where he quickly falls under the tutelage of the perpetual Peter Pan employee Owen (Sam Rockwell). A mile-a-minute gabber who clearly adores the park, Owen takes Duncan under his wing, immediately hiring him as a general schlepper.

With the help of a series of memorably quirky and cantankerous co-workers, including SNL’s Maya Rudolph, Duncan quickly begins coming out of his shell at the park, all the while developing a deep friendship with the older Owen. While working at Water Wizz every day and studiously avoiding mentioning his new job to Trent and his Mother, his neighbor Betty’s daughter Susanna (Anna Sophia Robb) has her curiosity piqued by Duncan’s long absences and follows him to Water Wizz. Needless to say, these two end up having more in common that initially suggested, and form a tight bond.

However, every coming-of-age story needs conflict to sustain itself, which manifests itself here as a simmering tension between Duncan’s Mother and Trent. As things begin to deteriorate in the household, Duncan takes refuge at an all-night party with his new older friends at Water Wizz, backed by Betty’s eye-patch wearing young son Peter (a scene-stealing River Alexander).

The film eventually wraps up in a cliché-ridden final act in which all of the characters eventually meet during an elaborate set-piece sort of way, but it is effective and heartfelt nonetheless.

Rockwell is consistently great as the sarcastic slacker employee that is either living the life, or living in hell, depending on your outlook, as is Allison Janney as the lonely neighbor, desperately striving to keep the good times going for just a little bit longer.

This is a film that both celebrates nostalgia, exemplified through Trent’s old station-wagon with the backwards-facing trunk seat (hence, the title of the film) and the flurry of 80’s music, yet also clearly demonstrates the dangers of constantly living in the past.

While not necessarily adding anything too revelatory to the adolescent dramedy cannon, The Way, Way Back succeeds through its great performances and sheer heart, an increasing rarity in this era of ironic and detached films about growing up.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwNo1i3jkCo&w=560&h=315]