Starring: Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, AnnaSophia Robb, Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph
Directors: Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Fox Searchlight
DVD Release Date: October 22, 2013
Run Time: 104 minutes
Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars
I did not have any interest in seeing this sleeper summer hit at all. Steve Carell films don’t really win me over to well. But this ensemble cast did and this little surprise was a real treat to watch. Besides Carell, this all-star cast includes Maya Rudolph, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, AnnaSophia Robb, Sam Rockwell, and Amanda Peet! The film isn’t hysterical funny but it overall very entertaining and yet also quite dramatic at the same time. Do not miss this film this year!
Official Premise: While 14-year-old Duncan (Liam James) is being dragged on a family trip with his mom (Collette) and her overbearing boyfriend (Carell), he finds a gregarious friend (Rockwell) at a local water park. The two form a powerful bond as Duncan learns to swim through the challenges of life, love, family and friendship, resulting in a vacation he’ll never forget.
Fox delivered “The Way Way Back” as a combo pack including the following Blu-ray + Digital HD copy with Ultraviolet. The 1080p transfer with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 is quite impressive for this digitally shot indie. Same goes for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, which works with the dialogue focused film and great score.
In terms of special features this release is not great though. There is collection of featurettes with “Behind the Scenes with the Hilarious Cast and Filmmakers”, which runs about 30 minutes. Next up is “Theatrical Behind the Scenes”, which includes “Tour of the Water Park”, “The Filmmakers: Jim and Nat” and an “Ensemble Featurette”. Lastly, there are a few short Deleted Scenes and Theatrical Trailer included.