In The Dark – Away We Go

 Genre: Comedy with a splash of drama

Tagline: Doesn’t have one…

Ebert gave it: 3.5 stars

Burt and Verona are expecting their first baby. No they don’t live in a house with white picket fences, no they aren’t married and no they don’t even have careers. Burt and Verona have love, and that makes the fact that their windows are taped up with cardboard and they are both living in a college state of mind. After being ditched by Burt’s parents, who decide to leave the country before the baby is born, Burt and Verona decide there is nothing left in this town and it’s time to go exploring for the perfect place for baby. First stop is Phoenix, AZ to see Verona’s old boss and then on to her sister. Verona’s boss portrays those upper middle class mothers who day drink and have verbal diarrhea in front of their children – probably causing them seriously issues in the long run. Next is Madison, WI (holla!) where they go to witness the parental genius of the liberal feminist, Ellen. Or LN as she calls herself. After a stroller issue Burt and Verona head even further north to Montreal to visit their barren, sound of music loving college friends and finally land in Miami where Burt’s wife has just abandoned the family. 

As you know I am a huge fan of Sam Mendes’ Revolutionary Road and he has wowed me yet again. But this time it was different, I didn’t leave the theater feeling depressed and slightly suicidal, I felt hopeful. Rev. Rd. was about a couple and their internalization of their life and love and problems. Away We Go is about a couple who seeks out challenges together and interacts with everyone along the way. Away We Go is a modern Odyssey and the journey leads the couple home, but not necessarily where they started. Away We Go is so well written and weaves an intricate roadmap of sighs and laughter. Usually when I sit in a large, dark theater of a comedy I look around with disgust when people laugh at the stupid jokes. But this time I was wiping away tears because I laughed so hard. The difference? Away We Go wasn’t there to make you laugh, it was to show you that no one is perfect, and these imperfections are what we laugh at everyday – it’s the belly laughs that come easily. Josh Krasinski makes the entire movie and if he had to fight the urge to look at the camera with those big brown eyes as if to say, “can you believe this is the life I live?” he hid it well. Maya Rudolph was the weakest link for me…there were times when Verona became less believable, luckily whoever shared the screen with her pulled me back in and the movie didn’t lose any of it’s luster.

Critics have said the characters are pretentious and unlikable, I strongly disagree. Sure Burt and Verona are in their own little world of love, but it’s unique and crazy and unpredictable and quirky – and the way they interact with their friends and family make them even more lovable. We should all be so lucky to have a relationship as fun as theirs.

I give this movie

 It was so easy to watch, the only thing that made it hard was not having someone sitting right next to me to share the jokes and laughter with. Cheesy? Sure. But you know what? This journey temporarily changed me. I’ll be back to normal next week.