Away We Go is about a life-changing road trip. Or a road trip that will change two lives. But what is even better about this film is it’s funny. It contains humor and dramatic elements, which makes for a very enjoyable film.
The story centers on a couple that is not married, but is expecting their first child. Bert (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph) are a great couple. Their relationship feels genuine. Bert has been wanting to get married and Verona wants no part of it. But it’s not for selfish reasons. She will not marry him, but promises to never leave Bert or their child. Their relationship is stable all the way through. It’s the people they come in contact with that really shake things up.
Bert and Verona lived close to his parents. Then they find out they are moving over 3,000 miles away to another country. So Bert and Verona decide to leave to find a place for their new family. They visit her sister, his good friend, her old boss and his brother. This road trip takes them from Phoenix to Toronto to Miami. And all of these supporting characters have family issues in some way. It deals with their kids, or spouses, and the decisions they have made. And it definitely becomes a learning experience for Bert and Verona.
In the supporting cast there is Jeff Daniels, Catherine O’Hara, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jim Gaffigan, and Allison Janney. They are all great actors and play messed up characters. In a funny way of course. But Janney steals the show. She is the funniest maybe in the entire film, but I have never seen her act so crazy and over-the-top. It’s entertaining for sure.
And Krasinski and Rudolph are so perfect together. It’s fascinating that these two actors come from the world of comedy. Krasinski stars in The Office and Rudolph was on SNL for years. And sure they know how to do comedy and they use it in this film. However, there is a mix of drama as well and they deliver on that element just as well as the comedy parts. Their chemistry together works so well and the way they take on the world in this film is amazing to watch.
Sam Mendes directed this film and it’s a little different than his usual stories he tells. He has directed American Beauty, Road to Perdition, Jarhead, and Revolutionary Road. These titles contain a lot more drama and the material is much darker. Away We Go is light-hearted, but has a great message about life and family, and how to survive it. And Mendes does a great job relaying this message to the audience. He has a lot of talent and a great wife (Kate Winslet).
Away We Go is about searching for a new home and a new life. Bert and Verona love each other. Sure they aren’t married, but after you see the characters who are it is not such a bad thing. Bert and Verona are intelligent people. And when they do find that perfect place to call home, there is peace. They find peace.
“Nature Boy” Brandon Vick is the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and star of Brandon’s Box Office In Your Mouth. Follow him on Twitter@SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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