For this first blog, it seems only fitting to begin with one of my favorite movies that I would have never known about unless someone had forced me to watch it.

The movie is called “The Way Way Back,” and is may be one of the best kept secrets in the realm of great cinema. Now, I may be exaggerating slightly the extent of how unknown this movie is, but nevertheless, it is great and should be brought to light for those who have not seen it. 

The movie follows the story of a young, awkward teen trying to find his way in a newly adjusted family. Duncan, the troubled youngster, goes on vacation with his mom, her jerk boyfriend and his older daughter.

After days of feeling isolated by his mother, stepfather and his drunken friends, Duncan finds comfort and eventually himself at a run-down water park owned by a less than responsible middle-aged man named Owen.

Unlike his immediate family, Owen and the rest of the employees at Water Wizz accept Duncan as one of their own and teach him that the only thing he needs to be in life is his quirky self. Owen especially becomes a father-like figure for Duncan in all the ways his actual father and mother’s boyfriend are not.

The summer ends with Duncan’s mother coming to the realization that her boyfriend has been cheating on her all summer.

The last scene of the movie shows Duncan’s mother joining him in the back seat on the road trip home, symbolizing the new life they will begin relying only on each other in the future.

There are so many aspects of this film that makes it great but I think the dry yet hilarious humor makes it unforgettable. The realistic, sometimes twisted jokes that are made throughout the movie allows the viewer to easily connect with every character.

Scenes a the Water Wizz water park reminds people of all ages the fun and horror that accompanies amusement parks. For example, Duncan is kind of forced to rent a pair of swim trunks from the water park which seems to be a disgusting idea, but to a teenager it isn’t that big of a deal.

The transformation Duncan goes through over the summer is something that many young men and women can identify with, and it is executed in a very simple, hilarious way.
 

IMDb rating: 7.4/10

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 85%