The Way Way Back parents guide

The Way Way Back Parent Guide

Unfortunately this commentary on the sad state of parenting misfires for family viewers concerned about content.

Overall C

Things were tough for Duncan (Liam James) even before his mom (Toni Collette) started dating Trent (Steve Carell). With little hope that a vacation together will improve the situation, Duncan begins what turns out to be a life-changing summer.

Release date July 19, 2013

Violence B
Sexual Content C-
Profanity D+
Substance Use D+

Why is The Way Way Back rated PG-13? The MPAA rated The Way Way Back PG-13 for thematic elements, language, some sexual content and brief drug material.

Run Time: 104 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

It’s not unusual for teens to feel like they have the “worst parents ever”. But in the case of the kids in The Way Way Back, they might just be right. Once these adults arrive at their beachfront properties they begin behaving badly (though they likely do the same at home too). But while acting like college kids on spring break is one thing, admitting to it would require something none of these adults possess—maturity.

Instead these grown-ups engage in unmarried sex, excessive drinking and illegal drug use. Meanwhile their kids, who are more often than not treated like unwanted baggage from now-defunct marriages, are left to fend for themselves if they’re lucky or openly disparaged by the adults if they’re not.

So is the behavior of Trent (Steve Carell). When he and his daughter Steph (Zoe Levin) pull up at their cabin they have his new girlfriend Pam (Toni Collette) and her son Duncan (Liam James) in tow. By the time they are greeted by Trent’s blathering alcoholic neighbor Betty (Allison Janney), Trent has already taken the opportunity to humiliate Duncan, letting him know where the two of them stand. (Let’s just say Trent is not into parenting. He gladly turns a blind eye to his teenaged daughter’s drinking and hardly even acknowledges her existence.)

Duncan can’t think of a worse place to spend his summer.

Forced to fill his time while the adults party into the night and then sleep in all morning, the awkward teen wanders down to the water park where he eventually meets Owen (Sam Rockwell), another failed-to-launce adult who manages the complex. While Owen lacks any real managerial skills (he leaves it to his staff to run the park), he does have the ability to connect with the unhappy teen. And although Owen might not be a parent’s first pick for a role model, he does a better job of it than any of the other grown-ups in this movie. Befriended by Owen, Caitlin (Maya Rudolph), Roddy (Nat Faxon), Lewis (Jim Rash) and the other staff members, Duncan finally finds a place where he fits in.

The Way Way Back, written and directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, walks a fine line between comedy and drama with its adult children and childish adults. But those aren’t the only disparities in this film. Steph and her girlfriends parade around the public beach in tiny bikinis but seem to think they can choose who looks at their near naked bodies. And Betty, who constantly belittles her son Peter (River Alexander), expects his respect.

I’m not sure if this film is supposed to justify teens’ feelings about terrible parents or give adults a wake-up call. Unfortunately this commentary on the sad state of parenting misfires for family viewers concerned about content. Along with frequent profanities (including some strong sexual expletives) and alcohol abuse, Betty’s running sexual dialogue leaves even her neighbors feeling uncomfortable. Considering how dysfunctional every adult is in this movie, it’s surprising their abandoned offspring function as well as they do. Luckily for Duncan, he finds the one place in the world where he can thrive—and that’s a hopeful turn of events in an otherwise miserable summer.

Theatrical Release Date: 3 July 2013 (Limited)

Directed by Nat Faxon, Jim Rash. Starring AnnaSophia Robb, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney. Running time: 104 minutes. Theatrical release July 19, 2013. Updated

The Way Way Back
Rating & Content Info

Why is The Way Way Back rated PG-13? The Way Way Back is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for thematic elements, language, some sexual content and brief drug material.

Violence: Some characters experience bullying from adults. Brief moments of peril are included. One song includes lyrics about suicide.

Sexual Content: Brief kissing and embracing are shown. Sexual activity is implied. Frequent crude sexual comments and innuendo are included. Characters are seen in low cut clothing or bikinis. A woman talks about her niece’s rape and her own unplanned pregnancy. Adult women dance provocatively with a teen boy. A boy pretends his action figures are “hooking up” in an incestuous relationship. Park employees ogle water park attendees. Crude terms for anatomy are used.

Language: The script contains a strong sexual expletive and crude terms for sexual activity. Profanities, scatological slang, slurs and frequent vulgar terms are also included, along with terms of Deity. A character uses a rude hand gesture.

Alcohol / Drug Use: Characters frequently drink, including one alcoholic woman who is often portrayed as tipsy. Brief cigar use is shown. Adult characters buy and use illegal drugs.

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The Way Way Back Parents' Guide

What are the challenges of blending families? What responsibility do parents have to their children from a previous relationship? Why do the adults in this movie act so irresponsibly?

Why do so many employees at the water park seem to be caught in time warp where they are unable to move on to more adult responsibilities or relationships?

Why does Owen relate to Duncan? What may have happened in his past?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of The Way Way Back movie is October 22, 2013. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: The Way Way Back

Release Date: 22 October 2013

The Way Way Back releases to home video (Blu-ray/DVD/Ultraviolet Digital Copy) with the following extras:

- Behind the Scenes: Tour of the Water Park

- Filmmakers: Jim & Nat

- Ensemble Featurettes

- Deleted scenes

- More laughs with the hilarious cast & filmmakers in the Making of The Way, Way Back

Related home video titles:

Steve Carell plays a much nobler father figure in Dan In Real Life. Sam Rockwell can also be seen in Everybody’s Fine and Galaxy Quest. And a younger AnnaSophia Robb stars in Because Of Winn Dixie and Bridge to Terabithia.

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