Posts
2013, 07-05:
This spring, I started
a “series” of reviews concerning some especially good young and / or
comparatively “unfamiliar” actors -- people who I feel may well become
some of the "UP-&-COMING"
STARS
of TOMORROW:
… You can see the details in my writeups
concerning the films “DISCONNECT”
[which can be found at = http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com/2013/05/review-of-film-disconnect-mentions-of.html ]; & re “MUD” [which can be found at = http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com/2013/05/review-of-film-mud-mentions-of.html ]…
… Further, the
film “THE KINGS OF SUMMER”
is covered not only in my REVIEW
of the film [which can be found at = http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com/2013/05/review-of-film-kings-of-summer-q-with.html
],
but also in my REPORT on the Q&A
by the 3 young male stars in it [which can be found at
= http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com/2013/06/report-on-film-kings-of-summer-q-with.html ]…
… I’m now going
to do a “review / commentary” about the last main film in the “series”, “THE WAY,
WAY BACK”:
… This 103-minute
PG-13 “coming-of-age” comedy / drama is co-written & directed (& acted in) by NAT FAXON (who’s played Ben Fox in the 2012-2013 TV series “BEN & KATE”, + been involved in
films such as 2007’s “WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY” and in 2011’s “BAD TEACHER” [reviewed at = http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com/2011/06/review-of-film-bad-teacher.html
] & “ZOOKEEPER” [reviewed at = http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com/2011/07/review-of-film-zookeeper.html
]; he's seen on the left in the photo below)…
… And, it’s also
co-written & directed (& acted in) by JIM RASH (who’s been Dean Pelton in
the 2009-2013 TV series “COMMUNITY”, +
been in such movies as 2002’s “MINORITY
REPORT” ; he's seen on the right in the photo above)…
… Here’s the basic plot of the film:
… Duncan (played by LIAM JAMES) is a 14-year-old guy who doesn’t feel particularly good
in life since the DIVORCE of his mother Pam (TONI COLLETTE), whom he lives
with… (He's seen at the bottom of the poster at the top of this Review)...
… When we first meet Liam (in the 2nd
half of the 20th Century), he’s been picked up in a car by his
mother’s newest boyfriend “Trent” (played
by STEVE
CARREL), who’s driving them to his beachfront home where Toni
is waiting for them…
… It’s clear that also-divorced
Steve is a pushy, “control-freak”
type guy: he promptly asks Liam how he’d
“RATE” himself on a scale of 10, & then promptly “PUTS-DOWN” Liam by saying he disagreed with his rating &
would rate him far LOWER than
he had…
… That and other comments by Steve quickly make
Liam feel very UNWELCOME,
& especially SORRY he’d come on
the trip-- far preferring to have spent
the summertime with his real father…
… Once at Trent’s home, Liam meets Steve’s daughter Steph (ZOE LEVIN)
& Trent’s gregarious alcohol-addicted neighbor Bette (played
by ALLISON
JANNEY)…
… Allison’s daughter Susanna (ANNASOPHIA ROBB)
is pretty & sort of “intriguing--
tho Liam is too SHY to let her know he likes her ”down-to-earth” attitude…
… Liam’s visit grows ever more HARD for
him to “deal” with when he’s “left-out”
of the adult doings (-- pictured below --) between Steve, Toni, & Steve’s friend Kip (ROD CORDDRY)
& Rod’s wife Joan (AMANDA PEET)…
… Needing to “get-away”
from the adults, Liam soon takes off on a BIKE to explore the beach community…
… He chances to meet a very friendly, outgoing
guy named Owen (SAM
ROCKWELL), who eventually invites him to where he works, namely, a WATER PARK
named “Water Wizz” (pictured below)…
… Sam obviously lives his life to the “beat” of
his “own drummer”: he’s wry, sarcastic, deeply UN-serious &
very FUNNY in his relationships at the “Wizz”: he happily “ignores” his nominal boss Caitlin (MAYA RUDOLPH),
& enjoys kidding with his co-worker Roddy (NAT FAXON) who eagerly “rags”
on thin booth-honcho Lewis (played by JIM RASH)…
… Things continue being very uncomfortable for Liam at the home of
Steve (who makes clear he doesn’t especially WANT him
around)… Thus, Liam hops on his bike
& visits SAM at the park…
…
Sam quickly senses that Liam needs to
feel APPRECIATED / CARED-about
& to have his confidence
built-up in life— so, he offers Liam a JOB
as his assistant at the “Wizz”…
… Altho Liam starts out timid & greatly lacking in self-assurance,
little-by-little, with Sam’s help,
he starts to come out of his “SHELL”
in his new job…
… Will Liam’s mom Toni ever realize that he’s not
even “AROUND” Trent’s place
much?…
… Will anyone see Steve’s “true-colors” of being
an UNRELIABLE partner for Toni?…
… Will Liam ever get enough self-confidence
to feel at ease with ANNASOPHIA
& other people?…
… Will Toni and others ever learn about the
“secret” JOB Liam has had at the water park?…
… What will happen in
OTHER relationships, such as Sam
with Maya,
etc?…
… While this is a “simple” story set in
“easier” times, it’s especially WELL-ACTED
by the main characters:
… STEVE plays
an unusual “UN-sympathetic” role, & does a fine job at it… TONI is very effective, as is ALLISON as the irrepressible funny
neighbor, ANNASOPHIA as a
sympathetic friend, & MAYA, NAT
& JIM as the “Wizz” workers…
… SAM
ROCKWELL must’ve had a ball playing the NUTTY, slacker-like “ODDBALL”: he’s very
FUNNY and effective as an unrestrained but
warmly-supportive & HELPFUL character…
… LIAM has appeared previously in 2006’s “PSYCH”, 2007’s “ALIENS vs. PREDATOR: REQUIEM”, & 2009’s “2012” [a review of which can be seen at = http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com/2011/02/review-of-film-2012.html ] …
… Here, he’s able to achieve a finely UNDERSTATED performance, which greatly underpins
the “believability” of his
“feeling-out-of-place” character to the point that you quickly end-up “ROOTING” for him in life…
… As with the other young actors I’ve mentioned in my “series”, I feel
he’s likely to be “someone-to-WATCH”
in the future…
… With fine acting, lots of good HUMOR, & a number of “thought-provoking”
elements that have you “CHEERING”
for Liam & others, I’d rate this film as 8.00 out of 10 stars…
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