Movie #27: Away We Go

Her Take: I saw this movie for the first time at the theater. It is an indie darling of a film. It felt just as powerful the second time, bringing tears to my eyes and a lump to my throat even though I’d seen it before. Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski are a couple expecting their first child in three months. Rudolph’s parents are dead. They go to visit Krasinski’s parents and find out their moving to Brussels for two years before the baby will be born. So, they decide to go on a trip, visiting friends and family all over the country to find a place that feels like home. What ensues is an awesome collection of vignettes featuring Allison Janney as an insane motormouth who talks shit about her own kids and Maggie Gyllenhaal as a crazy liberal feminist who won’t use strollers because she doesn’t want to push her kids away from her. The scenes featuring Gyllenhaal are over the top and hilarious. Not every scene is funny. There are some tender moments between Rudolph and her sister discussing their parents’ death. A couple in Vancouver discusses their five failed attempts at having children. Those scenes are pretty powerful. Overall this movie feels genuine and awesome. There are a lot of movies out there that are indie for indie’s sake and get too pretentious for me. This did not feel like one of those films. I give it 5 stars. Check it out!

His Take: There is a risk this movie takes. And that risk is of being too indie. Being too pretentious. I think casting John Krasinski is what perfectly keeps the film in check. He is soft and understated, but with just enough quirkiness to keep the film from losing its indie cred. I’ve loved watching him for years on The Office and have developed a slight man-crush on him. He is at least in good company. My other man-crushes include Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ryan Reynolds. Rest assured, should I ever get the opportunity to make movies I’ll be casting all three in a buddy-cop movie. It might even include a dog. Wait. Scratch that. Have you seen Turner and Hooch? Rough. I love how this movie is about searching for a home. I love that it comes from the perspective of the unborn child. When they do finally make it home, it makes me cry. It is pretty powerful, and the music is well cued. I love that it handles questions that I’ve always had about people who have children. It is very human, especially when they visit Canada and their college friends who cannot have children of their own. Plus, I don’t know if you’ve ever slept on a trampoline at night before or not, but this movie knows what’s up. Its got it. Now all that is left to be said….how come I never thought to wear goggles to my self defense classes? 4.5 out of 5.