The Way, Way Back ... a 2013 film
The Way, Way back is a film about an awkward teen, Duncan, who spends the summer finding who he is in the presence of a toxic stepfather, a mysterious girl next door, and a plethora of other characters who contribute to the boy's journey of finding how his life is meant to be. The movie is mostly directed at teens who perhaps feel a little out of place and is intended to make them feel like they’re not alone. The overall message that the directors, Jim Rash and Nat Faxon, aim to convey is that even when the going gets tough, you must keep your head and your confidence up and you'll eventually find your path. Rash and Faxon attain this concept through a sort of series of events style of display. Specifically, they show the growth of Duncan’s expression, confidence, self-prioritization, and even posture throughout the movie to achieve the idea that the going gets better when you have your head held high. When the audience meets Duncan, we are not privy to anything close to resembling a smile for a solid portion of the movie. Once the “family” consisting of Duncan, his mom, her boyfriend Trent, and Trent’s uptight daughter arrive to Trent's beach house at the beginning of summer, we get to know Duncan as the kid whose days are spent tagging along with the adults. He generally doesn’t speak up and feels uncomfortable when spoken to. The directors’ use of this repetitive behavior in the first half of the movie is what makes seeing Duncan crack a smile for the first time so meaningful and authentic. This switch in behavior ties into the theme of growth when amongst obstacles. After being harassed by his narcissistic father on multiple occasions, Duncan finds relief at a nearby waterpark where he meets the man that will eventually become his source of guidance. It is this guidance and relief provided by the owner of the waterpark, Owen, that fuels Duncan’s first signs of happiness. Owen makes Duncan feel normal and like an equal through sarcasm, in talking to him like a friend, and inclusion, by getting him a job at the waterpark. As an audience, we get to watch Duncan become a generally happier kid and through these simple, yet powerful moments the message is strengthened. Through guidance, Duncan is given the tools to keep his head up and face his obstacles in a more positive way. Rash and Faxon also convey their message through the growth of Duncan’s confidence in the form of shared sarcasm, a little attitude, and standing up to the toxic people and events in his life-all things way out of Duncan’s comfort zone. We get to see how the more confident he becomes, the clearer his path and life become in return. The beginning of this particular journey starts with him standing up to Trent after they had both been out all night. When they both arrive home, Trent asks Duncan to respond to him when he talks to him, to which Duncan replies with “welcome home”. After being around Owen and the other employees at the waterpark, Duncan has gained some confidence in himself and uses it here against Trent, which furthers the idea of empowering confidence. We see this growth again in a short clip of Duncan enjoying his breakfast while Trent’s teenage daughter stares at him, obviously not used to seeing him so content. Duncan replies with a wink and continues to eat his food, which is a clear character growth moment as he used to cower away from her when she would walk past him. Another memorable moment of this newfound confidence is when Duncan is able to have a normal, friendly, and sarcastic conversation with Owen and another employee while Duncan is in the middle of talking to his mysterious and attractive neighbor, Susanna. The employees tease him by announcing that Duncan’s talking to a girl on a megaphone for the park to hear and insisting on him coming over to them. Duncan walks over to them and gives a witty reply once they ask him why he’s talking to them instead of Susanna. As an audience, we get to see how proud and happy the employees are to finally receive some attitude and confidence from a boy who before then, almost entirely lacked it. As Duncan’s confidence grows, he gains more friends at the waterpark and even coins the nickname “pop-n-lock” which he receives from an earlier scene. He slowly but surely finds his path and his personality grows into who he’s meant to be-a funny, witty, and nice guy. In order to illustrate the power of finding your own path, the directors also include a transformation of Duncan’s priorities and him learning to put himself first. In the first half of the movie, his mother and Trent are always encouraging and insisting that Duncan come along with them on family outings and doing things that don’t generally make Duncan happy. As Duncan becomes more confident, he learns to say no and finds things to do that make him happy, like go to the waterpark. One great scene that ties in this concept is when Duncan finds out he’s leaving the beach house before the end of summer and goes to say goodbye to Owen. He confides in him for the first time about his family issues and Owen says to him “You gotta go your own way. And you, my friend, are going your own way.” This scene is used to make full circle the message that the directors are trying to convey the whole movie. Keep your head up and go your own way, make your own path. By having one of the main characters say this near the end of the movie, it clarifies the theme and leaves the audience satisfied to hear the words that have been hinted at the past hour or so. One last smaller yet meaningful transition we see in the movie is Duncan’s posture. His character is introduced with a very shrunken and almost cowardly posture and as his confidence grows and he starts the journey of going is own way, his shoulders, and in turn his self-esteem, rise. The directors effectively convey their message by including this subtle transition throughout the movie, which highlights the growing confidence of a teen whose finding their way in life because of it. One considerable aspect of this film is its impact on society and culture through its ability to relate to a specific audience. It makes the awkward teenager feel not alone. It makes them feel like they’re not the only one who feels anxious and goes through the things that Duncan goes through throughout this movie. The film has an impact on society in that it rings true and relatable to a lot of kids I think, considering the events of the movie like fidelity, family issues, and teen awkwardness are all things that a lot of people in this day and age can probably relate to. This film makes these people feel included, heard, and hopeful. https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-way-way-back-2013 https://www.deseret.com/2013/7/18/20522708/the-way-way-back-shares-a-painful-but-worthwhile-journey#liam-james-as-duncan-and-nat-faxon-as-roddy-in-the-way-way-back
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