Stream it now Away We Go 2009

 

This is the ideal movie to rent and watch with a tub of popcorn and a special person. You will be sure to get lucky afterwordsThere are so many good actors in this movie that I was just amazed that no one got noticed even for the Spirit Awards.

I love watching movies. I've been watching them for as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest memories are of me watching movies on TV with my parents. I realize how that must sound, but it doesn't matter, what's done is done; it made me who I am today. I am not going to complain about that, what I am trying to say is that I grew up with movies; they were like a sibling to me. I can honestly say that I learned most of what I know from them, including the language I currently speak. I may have learned English in school taught by teachers, but I perfected it through film.
Last year when I was sitting at work petrified that I was going to lose my job I was trying to come up with ideas for me not to focus on that terrible reality. I knew I wanted to write, but I also knew it needed to be about a recurrent subject that I could write on a weekly basis for at least a year. I thought about the things I already knew about like: curling, dogs, movies, music, programming, food & drink, and web design. I thought about themes that interested me like: parenting, philosophy, filmmaking, and others. Of course I thought about writing about my life too, but my life is pretty boring. In other words I am quite happy. I have a happy and healthy marriage, I have good work ethics and I don't have many crazy friends. Well, there are a couple, but that's another story. No one wants to hear about how happy someone is.
I decided to go with movies because...I know them, I understand them, plus I get to express my opinion which means I am never wrong! It's perfect! It's a win/win situation and it has worked like a charm for the past few months. The reason I bring all this up right now is because when I was conceiving my project there were a few films that influenced me in one way or another to go with movies as my writing subject: Julie & Julia, Sunshine Cleaning, The Hurt Locker. I wanted to write about these movies because I wanted people to know about them because they are such great films. Then there were those movies that I hadn't seen, but I was really looking forward to seeing: Away We Go, Paper Heart, and Avatar. When I decided to do this, even after I compiled my Do Not Watch list, I knew that I was going to be watching some doozies. I knew that I would have to endure some really bad cinema, but I didn't care. I love movies and I know that you have to go through a lot of crap to find something nice. You have to go through a lot of psychos to find the perfect friend. And you have to go through a lot of rubble to find that flawless diamond. It's just part of life. It's what makes it exciting and worth living. Finding that one great movie is worth watching a hundred bad ones, at least it is for me.
I knew I was going to like Away We Go. It just seemed like such a nice picture. Plus Sam Mendes, the director, has produced some excellent films in the past, so I knew I was in for a real treat. I just had no idea the impact this movie would have on me. I didn't know how involved I would get with these characters. I absolutely loved this film.
Away We Go was about a young married couple who were about to embark on a journey to find the perfect life for their soon to be born daughter. However, as they went from city to city visiting friends and family they were discouraged by the fact that most people were just nuts. Their goal was to find people that would share in their lives and that believed the same things they believed in order to raise their child perfectly. And away they went. The plot was so simple, but the story was so beautiful and emotional and I believe anyone that has a family or that is thinking about starting a family would be able to relate to these two.
The performances in this movie were superb to say the least. John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph were casted perfectly for these two roles. The chemistry between the two was also outstanding. And the characters were...oh so real and sweet. They reminded me of my own relationship with my wife. Just like this movie no relationship is perfect, but if two people can accept and embrace that, then the relationship becomes perfect. I've always believed that and I think Sam Mendes showed that to us in this film.
Sam took a bit of a different path with Away We Go. In the past his movies have been very dark and sad. In American Beauty we see a distressed man trying to fix a broken family only to be shot and killed after he realizes what he must do to make amends. In Road to Perdition a father desperately tried to protect his son against all odds from people he once worked for and trusted. In Revolutionary Road we witness two selfish people married to one another never to realize that he or she is the problem not the other. In Away We Go we see the complete opposite. We see a couple who truly believe in team work and communication and no matter what they go through they are truly happy because of it. It goes to show you that Sam really knows and understands the concept of the human condition. I applaud him for that and I commend him for making such great films!

Away We Go is the most criminally forgotten film of last year. This I reckon is primarily because it is a film for couples, specifically those in a happy relationship. Thankfully, I consider myself part of that group and loved this film. It is so refreshing to find a film that portrays love in a realistic way rather than glossing over it like so many generic romantic comedies. Burt and Verona know each others flaws and bug the hell out each other at times but ultimately know how lucky they are.

The film often seems more like a series of sketches featuring a great array of quirky, hilarious and often cringe-worthy characters. It really helps peak your interest and keep things moving before the movie reaches it's touching conclusion.

Jon Krasinski's sweet and lovable performance helped kickstart my man-crush on the guy, I'd love to see him in more roles like this. You could hardly say he outshined Maya Rudolph's equally heartwarming turn though.

This fantastic change of pace for Sam Mendes could easily have failed (perhaps that's why it was so underrated) but just helps cement him as one of the most talented and versatile directors working today.

This movie was so different. I loved it. I loved how they just said crazy stuff. Seemed like a nice, open relationship. Loved it! Kranzinski and Rudolph were so great together and HILARIOUS!

such a sweet comedy, with all the predictable gags, likable characters, and cheap philosophy. but still sweet to the bone, and alive.
maybe because of the two leading actors, who had not much experience on the big screen (both are tv actors), so they were free all the time.
if you want to have fun and nothing more, this is the movie for you, but if you want something revealing, watch older movies.

I loved it from start to finish. Funny, emotionally credible, full of tremendous performances, a fine script, sensitive and thoughtful, and with a satisfying ending.

Away We Go is a delightful dramedy that follows a seemingly confused couple as they are about to embark on the journey of parenthood. Concerned that they have never been able to find their own way, the couple search for the best place to raise their child and give it a sturdy home. They search high and low to find this place from whacked out friends and distant relatives, finding that none of them are quite right. They discover that to raise their child happily, they must discover what they want to give before they can decide how.
The direction of the film by Sam Mendes (American Beauty) was fabulous. His unique style of films about human nature never seems to disappoint the audience and this film was no different. The filming brought through great quality and realism as it pertains to everyday humanism to the screen of life crises and questionable futures, something Mendes is able to capture quite well. His theme in this picture is quite clear and he is able to bring real self truth and discovery through the camera almost as well as it was written. His ability to gain the trust of his cast and putting the right actors into their suggested roles accented his message of the film.
The script by spousal team David Eggers (screenplay debut) and Vendela Vida (screenplay debut) was above average and had a great mixture of comedic style and dramatic sequence. The combination of heart felt moments and slapstick humor were well received and made for a very enjoyable coming of age film. The ending was great and though it approached somewhat quickly and came on fast like a light switch was turned on, the viewer couldn't help but smile. There were times when it would seem a touch slow, but the antics of Burt Farlander would come through to have the audience laughing once again.
The acting was great. John Krasinski (License to Wed) broke away from his character on the office slightly, and was the main comedic relief through actions or words, and excelled in that role. He showed good ability in that role but also the good, supportive partner he always plays for the woman he is with. In this case that woman was a free spirit Maya Rudolph (Idiocracy) who excelled in her role as a woman worried about the future of her child and unforeseeable future of the man she has refused to marry. Their chemistry was easy going and together brought a real character connection with the audience. The supporting characters, though ranging from oddly strange to just plain weird, brought out a lot of truth behind many different aspects of parenthood. The most influential emotional characters in the film were from their friends Chris Messina (Julie and Julia), Melanie Lynskey (Flags of Our Fathers), and Burt's brother, Paul Schneider (Bright Star), whose misfortune of miscarriages and an absent spouse pushes them to discover more of what they want for their child and how to make it a real home.
Sam Mendes was able to put together another great film about self discovery through human characteristic and realism. Looking for something when not knowing what your looking for is a hard task but Mendes and his great ensemble cast emphasized by Krasinski and Rudolph make it seem easy to find what we are looking for in life. While we all know it isn't, the message is quite clear that home is where people want it to be and is something that can ever be forced or made without love and effort. This is one of the best independent films of the year.

Extremely quirky, but I really enjoyed it.

A romantic flick like no other (not in a very good way). A weirdly acted, weirdly plotted, and weirdly written film. So the bottom line is, this film is weird. Now people read that and say, isn't that good?, it's a movie that stands out. This movie might win some awards of original screenplay, but this film to me is just plain. It didn't make me laugh, it didn't make me feel the romance, and most of all, it didn't make me hate it. Isn't that weird? Say no more, this movie could be liked but will not be loved.

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Maximum Score: C
Please leave comments telling me what you think of this film.

Although pretty slow, the plot is good and the sources of laughter hit home when they do come. The ending was not anything what i expected or desired, but it is still worth the watch