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Away We Go
Coming Soon to the Savoy Theater
Away We Go
1/2
If you’re in the mood for a romantic comedy and you recognize that “The Proposal” is probably too unspeakably awful to sit through, I have the perfect alternative: “Away We Go.”
John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph star as Burt and Verona, a young couple who are about to have a baby and are trying to decide where to settle down and raise it.
The bulk of the movie follows their whirlwind tour of North America, where they spend time with a variety of current parents – all of whom are quirky and unhappy in various ways.
By contrasting them to the parade of misanthropes that they meet, director Sam Mendes shows us what a special couple Burt and Verona are.
The kooky couples ensure that “Away We Go” is lively and entertaining. But it is Burt and Verona themselves that make it a great movie. Their relationship defies stereotypes and easy classification.
Burt and Verona are an unabashedly good couple. They love and respect each other. They view themselves as a team working toward a shared common goal. Their virtues as individuals compliment each other, making each one stronger together than either would be alone.
You rarely see couples like that in real life. It was truly a rare treat to see one on screen. It certainly is in direct contrast to Sam Mendes’s last picture, “Revolutionary Road,” where Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio played a terribly mismatched and miserable husband and wife.
I like dramas about dysfunctional relationships quite a lot. But there are far fewer films about healthy, happy relationships. That is why I definitely recommend “Away We Go.”
Bravo to John Kraskinski, who channels all of the intelligence and charm that he displays on NBC’s “The Office” into a totally different kind of character. Burt is practically the opposite of “The Office”’s Jim Halpert.
Jim is essentially a malcontent who could be great at his job if he only had the motivation and the humility to take it seriously. Basically, Jim thinks that caring is uncool and that is why I don’t like the character.
In direct contrast, Burt is a tirelessly caring person. He takes his responsibilities as a wage earner and loving boyfriend very seriously and you know he is going to take parenthood just as seriously. Burt is totally likable and admirable.
In fact, I can’t recommend “Away We Go” as a date movie because there is a distinct possibility that the woman you take will fall for Burt.
My only complaint with “Away We Go” is the ending, which isn’t nearly as thought-provoking as the rest of the picture. It should have ended on Burt’s brother’s trampoline in Miami – the film’s most romantic moment – instead of dragging on for another ten boring, meaningless minutes.
Anti-climactic ending aside, “Away We Go” is a terrific little drama. It deserves to be the underdog hit of the summer and is well on its way.
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