Away We Go

Away We Go is probably the best non-animated film I have seen all year.  I say probably, because 500 Days of Summer is a close second.  And I say non-animated, because Up was hands down phenomenal.

Regardless, everything about this film was right on (though I winced a bit at the inclusion of a greyhound racing scene…sad).  Burt (the adorable John Krasinski, or Jim from the Office) and Verona (Maya Rudolph of SNL) are expecting their first child.  When they find out that Burt’s parents, the couple’s only nearby relatives, plan to move away before the baby is born, the two set out on a journey to find a perfect place to call home.

Along the way, they visit bosses, old teachers, siblings, and college friends (featuring guest stars Jeff Daniels, Jim Gaffigan, and Maggie Gyllenhaal, to name a few), each with their own issues and quirks.  Proceed to: subtle hilarity, then mix with super painfully awkward encounters, and top it off with a pinch of emotional loss, grief, and despair, and you’ve got the plot for Away We Go.  And also the plot for real life.

Dave Eggers and his wife, Vendela Vida, deliver a screenplay that is heartfelt, hilarious, and really really real.  Director Sam Mendes (Revolutionary Road, American Beauty) brings the story to life in what I like to call typical “indie” style, a bit Garden State-esque, with non-traditional but simple framing, earthy colors, and artful close-ups.

And Krasinski and Rudolph play a couple so convincingly in love, I found it difficult to believe they were not actually together in real life.  I had to keep reminding myself that they were not going to have the beautifully talented baby I imagined to be growing in Rudolph’s belly.

Any human who has ever been in a relationship will find a bit of themselves in Burt and Verona.

This movie left me ashamed to say I have only read one of Eggers books, as I loved his stylistic wit and satire.   Away We Go is worth the overpriced theatre ticket, as it will not only make you want to go on an adventure, and also visit your family (briefly, no matter how crazy they are), but it will, most of all, inspire you to become (or embrace already being) 100% tenaciously in love.

Bonus!: This film has a pretty great soundtrack, a mellow mix featuring mostly Alexi Murdoch, but also Bob Dylan, George Harrison, and the Velvet Underground; perfect for a lazy day or a chill road trip.