The family extended summer holiday seems to be a peculiarly 'American' activity at least in the world of movies. I remember seeing films of the ilk of 'The Way, Way Back' as a teenager and adolescent. They had a particular resonance with me. I would associate with the lead character, usually a lonely misfit, a fish out of water, who would undergo a rite of passage whilst on the extended holiday and who would come out of it confident, popular and with the unstated expectation that life would be rosy from then onwards.
As a lonely, 'different' child I viewed these films as though in a dream pretending they were about me and that my life would be the better for that ninety minutes spent in dreamland.
In 'The Way, Way Beyond' a sad 14 year old (Liam James) is spending the summer holiday with his divorced mother (Toni Collette), her obnoxious boyfriend (Steve Carell), the boyfriend's daughter and an assortment of other dysfunctional and/or kooky individuals (Allison Janney and Sam Rockwell amongst them).
Watching this very nicely acted and observed drama about relationships and the search for love and attention I was once again the 14 years' old misfit - spooky given that I am fifty years older and supposedly wiser than the film's young 'hero'.
Memories of my own childhood aside, I liked this film a lot.
★★★★
I'm not familiar with it and off to look it up. Thanks for the tip.
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