The Way, Way Back

Name: The Way, Way Back

Written and Directed by: Nat Faxon and Jim Rash

Produced by: Tom Rice Kevin J. Walsh

Executive Producers: Nat Faxon Ben Nearn George Parra Gigi Pritzker Jim Rash

Co-Producer: Rebecca Rivo

Director of Photography: John Bailey

Production Designer: Mark Ricker

Film Editor: Tatiana S. Riegel

Music by: Rob Simonsen

Costume Designers: Michelle Matland Ann Roth

Art Director: Jeremy Woodward

Set Decorator: Rena DeAngelo

Casting by: Allison Jones

Studio: Pixar Animation Studios

Production Companies: TSG Entertainment

Odd Lot Entertainment

Sycamore Pictures

Doubleyou, Inc.

What Just Happened Productions

Producer/Release: Fox Searchlight Pictures

Airdate: July 5, 2013

Length: 104 minutes, 37 seconds

Budget: $5 million

Box office: $26.5 million

Pixar Movie Number: 2754

The Way, Way Back is a 2013 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash in their directorial debut. The film stars Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, AnnaSophia Robb, Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph, and Liam James, with Rob Corddry, Amanda Peet, Faxon, and Rash in supporting roles. It premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

Synopsis
Fourteen-year-old Duncan from Albany, New York reluctantly goes on summer vacation to a beach house in a small seaside town near Cape Cod, Massachusetts with his mother, Pam; her wealthy boyfriend, Trent; and Trent's stuck up daughter, Steph. Trent emotionally belittles Duncan, frequently making comments and gestures that are condescending and rude to him. Steph follows suit in attitude towards him and is spoiled by Trent. On the way to the beach house, Trent asks Duncan to rate himself on a scale of one to ten; Duncan rates himself a six while Trent tells him he thinks Duncan is a three. They arrive at the beach house and are greeted by the neighbors: the gregarious, hard-drinking Betty, her children Susanna and Peter, and married couple Kip and Joan. Later that evening, Duncan and Susanna have an awkward conversation from their adjacent porches.

Duncan discovers a small girl's bicycle in the garage of the beach house and uses it to begin exploring the town. At a pizza restaurant, he runs into the staff of Water Wizz, the local water park. He meets Owen, who is playing Pac-Man, and eventually Owen takes Duncan under his wing and shows him around the park. Duncan meets the park's colorful, rag-tag group of employees: Caitlin, Lewis, and Roddy. Several kids at the water park speak reverently of a legendary pass in the tube slide, wondering how it could have been done. Owen hires Duncan for odd jobs at Water Wizz.

Outside the park, Duncan is continually neglected by his mother, Pam, who indulges in drinking, staying out at night, and smoking marijuana with other adult vacationers. At a Fourth of July cookout, Susanna sees that he is upset about this and invites him to go hunting for ghost crabs with her and Peter, where she talks about her absent father and helps Duncan to open up. Later that night, Duncan witnesses Trent and Joan kissing by the side of the house, but does not reveal what he saw.

Pam begins to suspect Trent and Joan are having an affair, but Trent convinces her nothing is going on. Later, Duncan confronts Pam in front of friends and neighbors and tells her to face up to Trent's affair and get rid of him. Trent in retaliation tells Duncan his divorced father does not want him. Duncan stalks away. Susanna follows him and comforts Duncan out on the beach. Duncan attempts to kiss Susanna, but she moves away, which makes him become even more upset. Accompanied by Peter, Duncan sneaks away to Water Wizz where Owen is throwing a going away party for Lewis.

After spending all night with his friends at Water Wizz, Duncan is still at the park the next morning, refusing to leave. Owen confronts him and asks him why he does not want to go home. Duncan opens up to Owen about his relationship with Trent and how the water park is the only place where he feels happy and accepted. Owen sympathizes with Duncan's problems.

When Duncan arrives back at the beach house, Pam tells him they are leaving with Trent and Steph. Betty and her kids arrive to say their goodbyes. Susanna finally kisses Duncan. When Trent stops for gas on their way out of town, Duncan jumps out of the station wagon and runs to Water Wizz, followed by his mother, then Trent and Steph. Duncan tells Owen and the other employees that he has to leave and tells Owen to follow him. He takes Owen to the Devil's Peak slide, and Duncan becomes the first person to ever pass someone in the water slide while the rest of the park watches. After finally introducing Owen to his mother, Duncan says goodbye to everyone at the park. Owen tells Pam she has a great kid, and introduces himself to Trent as "a good friend of the three". Trent, Steph, Pam and Duncan regroup in the car, where Pam finally stands up for herself as they head out of town. Pam climbs to the way, way back of the car where Duncan is sitting and they share a smile as Trent's protests are heard in the background.

Voice Cast

 * Liam James as Duncan
 * Steve Carell as Trent Ramsey
 * Toni Collette as Pam
 * Allison Janney as Betty Thompson
 * AnnaSophia Robb as Susanna Thompson
 * Sam Rockwell as Owen
 * Maya Rudolph as Caitlin
 * Rob Corddry as Kip
 * Amanda Peet as Joan
 * Jim Rash as Lewis
 * Nat Faxon as Roddy
 * Robert Capron as Kyle
 * River Alexander as Peter Thompson
 * Ava Deluca-Verley as Katy
 * Zoe Levin as Steph Ramsey

Home Media Release

 * The Way, Way Back is released on Blu-Ray and HD DVD October 22, 2013.

DVD Main Menu

 * Play
 * Setup
 * Audio: English, French and Spanish
 * Subtitles: English and Spanish
 * Scenes
 * Extras

Aspect Ratios
1.85:1 (Wide Screen)

1.33:1 (Standard Deviation)

Language Dubs

 * The Way, Way Back/Language Dubs

Other Languages

 * The Way, Way Back/Other Languages

Quotes

 * The Way, Way Back/Quotes

Credits

 * The Way, Way Back/Credits