Movie · 2013 · Comedy, Drama · 1h 43m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 6.1/10 (165.2K ratings)
We've all been there.
Overview
Shy 14-year-old Duncan goes on summer vacation with his mother, her overbearing boyfriend, and her boyfriend's daughter. Having a rough time fitting in, Duncan finds an unexpected friend in Owen, manager of the Water Wizz water park.
Ratings
Curator score: 6.1/10
IMDb: 7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
Metacritic: 68
TMDB: 7.1/10
Director
Jim Rash, Nat Faxon
Production
Sycamore Pictures, OddLot Entertainment, The Walsh Company
Cast
Liam James, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, AnnaSophia Robb, Sam Rockwell, Allison Janney, Maya Rudolph, Amanda Peet, Rob Corddry, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, Zoe Levin, River Alexander, Adam Riegler, Jeremy Weaver, Robert Capron, Rodney Lodge, Devon Werden, Ava Deluca-Verley, Jake Picking
Curator Review
Verdict
A warm, sharply observed coming-of-age dramedy with a strong sense of place and a genuinely uplifting emotional payoff. It balances awkward teen misery, family tension, and summer escapism with enough wit and heart to feel easy to recommend.
Best for
fans of bittersweet coming-of-age stories
viewers who like understated indie comedy-drama
people who enjoy summer-set films with emotional sincerity
audiences looking for a hopeful, feel-good arc without being sugary
Skip if
you want high-concept comedy or big plot twists
you dislike awkward-family dynamics and passive-aggressive adults
you prefer more cynical or aggressively edgy coming-of-age films
Overview
The Way Way Back is one of those small summer movies that understands how humiliating adolescence can feel, then gives its hero just enough room to breathe. Duncan’s misery is specific and believable, and the film never overstates its own wisdom; it lets the details of a bad vacation, a too-loud adult world, and a first real friendship do the work.
Worth noting
What makes it land is the balance between pain and release. The water park setting gives the movie a buoyant, sunlit energy, while the family conflict keeps it grounded. It’s funny without becoming a joke machine, and it earns its emotional lift instead of forcing it.
Bottom line
The supporting cast helps a lot, especially the easy chemistry around the water park crew. This is a crowd-pleaser in a modest key: sincere, lightly funny, and quietly restorative rather than sentimental. If you like coming-of-age stories that feel lived-in and humane, it’s an easy yes.
Top Letterboxd reviews
minick (5★) · 2621 likes
me @ the beginning of this movie : yea....steve carell is right I'm a 3 ... I sukme @ the end of this movie : fuck Steve carell !!!! I can do anything & sam Rockwell would probably think I'm cool . The world is beautiful & I feel light & fresh & nice.
This is such a pure movie & it makes me so incredibly happy
cinéfila... 🕯️ (3.5★) · 2273 likes
i'm a 3 but sam rockwell believes in me and thats all i need
lauren (3.5★) · 1408 likes
the wonderful, glorious, beautiful but rare instance of sam rockwell not playing a racist
sofi✨ (5★) · 1387 likes
why wasn’t cool guy sam rockwell around when i was fourteen and miserable, huh?
Framesofnick (3★) · 1206 likes
I literally fucking love water parks like fuck I will drink all the piss water