John Wick: Chapter 4

My View: John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) R  Your favorite butt kicker, John Wick (Keanu Reeves), is back, and he has uncovered a path to defeat The High Table. However, before he can get back to earning his freedom, there is a new enemy that Wick must defeat. An enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and has ways to make old friends into foes. Well, it isn’t very often that a sequel is better than the original. It’s almost impossible for the 4th film of a series to be better than the first one, but John Wick: Chapter 4 does it. With brilliant fight sequences and a fun and not-too-complicated plot, this film is better than the first, which was damn good. Don’t wait to see this on your home TV. See it on a big screen to let the stunts and the gunfights wash over you with abandon. I love how Reeves has perfected the invincible Wick, making him an everyman you root for. Added to the cast are some fun additions, including Shamier Anderson as a new assassin (with a dog sidekick) and the villain of the story, the man driving the plot, and the Marquis de Gramont, played by Bill Skarsgard. Along the way, we still have Ian McShane and the late great Lance Reddick as your helpful hotel guides. The film is long but moves at such a quick pace that you won’t notice the length, which the final action sequence starting around 45 minutes to go until the end. There are a ton more fun and exciting characters, but I don’t want to ruin all the surprises. And yes, stick around through all the credits to see a bonus scene. So put on your Kevlar suit, load up your trusty sidearm, and join John Wick in a battle to end all battles. Or is it?   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again.  John Wick: Chapter 4 Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: A Good Person (2023) R  Alison’s (Florence Pugh) life has fallen apart after being involved in a fatal accident. With the help of her mother (Molly Shannon) and her would-be father-in-law, Daniel (Morgan Freeman), Alison slowly turns her life around, but not before a lot of pain is dealt with. Florence Pugh rises above a script that takes too long to develop and gives us a too-good-to-be-true ending. Pugh is perfect in the role of a woman full of guilt and wants to stay numb so that she doesn’t have to deal with anything. In one of his best performances of the last few years, Morgan Freeman is terrific as the father-in-law who now has to deal with a granddaughter (Celeste O’Connor) who has lost her parents. Through a chance encounter at an AA meeting, Alison and Daniel help each other heal, but it’s not an easy road to go down for either of them. I also loved Molly Shannon as Alison’s mom, who loves her daughter but does not know how to deal with her daughter’s addiction or pain. I loved that in both of Alison’s relationships, there isn’t an easy way to heal, and with Daniel, it’s a rough road with plenty of potholes. Maybe we, along with Alison, should have had to work a little harder to understand her pain and how damaged she is. Instead, it’s all kind of laid out for us.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  A Good Person Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

Indiefest: Rodeo (2022)   Julia (Julie Ledru) is a young woman who has a troubled life, living in social housing and having almost no relationship with her mother. She loves motocross and will do anything, including stealing bikes, to ride. She becomes part of a bike theft ring when an accident jeopardizes her ability to fit in. Ledru plays a character in Julia that is hard to like. Julia is a tough-as-nails woman trying to fit in with a rough crowd and therefore doesn’t let anyone near her. She rejects most people, constantly has a scowl on her face, and is ready for a fight at a moment’s notice. However, Julia has a flaw. She is way over her head in with the biker crowd and thinks she can bluff her way out of anything. Unfortunately, she doesn’t always figure out when to run or stop bluffing, which gets her into trouble. Rodeo is a film in that we never get to know the characters that well, and when the movie ends, it is very abrupt, much like Julia herself.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Rodeo Website  Now playing in select theatres.

Indiefest: The Lost King (2022) PG-13  An amateur historian, Philippa (Sally Hawkins), learns that no one knows where King Richard III’s remains are buried. Philippa goes on a quest to find where King Richard’s remains are, defying the stodgy academic establishment. She has a little help; the ghost of King Richard III. Based on a true story, Sally Hawkins is perfect as Philippa, a woman determined to find Richard’s grave and won’t give up, no matter the odds. Hawkins is utterly charming as she battles bureaucracy and her fragile health. Working on a feeling, lots of research, and an occasional visit from King Richard himself, Philippa is convinced she has found the final resting place. Now if Philippa can convince the world. I really liked this film about beating the odds and believing in yourself and, maybe, a five hundred-year-old king.   My Rating: Full Price  The Lost King Website  Now playing in select theatres. 

Forgotten Film: The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001) R  It’s 1949 in a small town in California, and Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton) is the 2nd barber in a two-man shop. Ed gets wind of a chance to make money in dry cleaning and decides to blackmail the man (James Gandolfini) who is having an affair with Ed’s wife, Doris (Frances McDormand). Things, of course, go wrong, with double and triple crosses, jail, and lots of bad luck. The film is shot in black and white by masters of the modern-day film noir, the Coen brothers. While not their best work, this is still a marvelous film to watch with a cast that knows how to make every scene work.  My Rating: Full Price  The Man Who Wasn't There Info     The film is available to rent or buy on iTunes and Amazon.

Weird Credits: From the Credits of John Wick: Chapter 4: Horse Team Translator

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Paint (2023) PG-13  Carl Nargle (Owen Wilson) is Vermont’s number-one public television painter, adored by his fans. He has it all with a signature perm, a custom van, a rocking studio, and a TV show where everyone watches his every stroke. Then a new painter comes to town, a woman named Ambrosia (Ciara Renée), and it all comes crashing down. The legendary PBS painter Bob Ross inspired Owen Wilson’s character, Carl Nargle.  Paint Website   The film opens nationwide on Friday, April 7th.

Until Next Time!

Deadpool

My View:  Deadpool  (2016)  R  Wade (Ryan Reynolds) is a former Special Forces operative who is now a mercenary for hire. He finds out he is dying of cancer and decides to accept an offer to try a rogue experiment. While it does cure his cancer, the experiment leaves him badly scarred. Now he is using his accelerated healing powers and his finely tuned reflexes to find the man who is responsible for the experiment going wrong.  If you are easily offended, then, please don’t see this film. Don’t see the trailer or even go near a theatre showing this film. On the other hand, if you love hilarious, irreverent humor that makes fun of everything, including its own genre, then this is a movie for you. The film is funny and witty from the opening credits. The Deadpool character is someone who can find humor (sometimes in a dirty way) in almost any situation, even life or death. Fans of the comic book are going to be euphoric with this movie, as am I.  I love this film and want to see more of his adventures. Make sure and stay through the credits for a bonus scene you will not want to miss. And a bit of a warning, don't take the kids! This is a hard R rated film and unless you want Child Protective Services after you, leave the kiddos at home.  My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again   DeadPool Website

My View:  Zoolander 2  (2016)  PG-13   The “world’s most beautiful people” are being assassinated and left with the “Blue Steel” look on their faces. Interpol recruits Derek (Ben Stiller) and Hansel (Owen Wilson) to find out who is doing this murderous deed.  To make matters worse, Derek’s rival, Jacobim Mugatu (Will Ferrell), has been set free from prison and is out for revenge.  I was not a big fan of the first Zoolander film, so it should not be a surprise that I am not a fan of this movie either. I will give the filmmakers props for creating a whole new storyline and not just carrying on from where the first film left off. The jokes are too far and few between long stretches of unfunny material. I am not a fan of the fashion lifestyle, so I am sure a few of the jokes went over my head. There are quite a few cameos, just like the first film, some working better than others, and few are so quick you might not notice them. The Justin Bieber death scene at the start of the film is quite funny. I just wish that they had kept that up.  My Rating: Cable   Zoolander 2 Website

My View:  How to be Single  (2016)  R    Four friends (Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Alison Brie, and Leslie Mann) struggle with being single in New York City. While displaying all the aspects of a typical rom-com, this film is a little smarter than most of its brethren.  Dakota Johnson makes an acceptable “everywoman,” Rebel Wilson is her usual off the cuff self, Alison Brie does an excellent job as the girl who over-analyzes everything, and Leslie Mann is fantastic as the headstrong doctor who is too busy for a family. This is a fun date movie (or girls night out film) where not everyone ends up with who you think they will. It’s fun, moves fast and doesn’t go for the lowest joke every time, so it’s a winner in my book.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   How to Be Single Website 

Indiefest:  The Lady in the Van  (2015)  PG-13    A playwright, Alan Bennett (Alex Jennings), makes the mistake of letting a homeless woman, Miss Shepard (Maggie Smith), park her van in his driveway.  It’s the start of a relationship that lasts fifteen years. This film is based on a stage play, and I bet, it works better on stage than it does here on film. While it’s always a joy to watch Maggie Smith perform, the material never gave her enough to work with to make this performance memorable. The weak point of this film is the character of Alan.  Throughout the movie, Bennett is seen as two different characters (one real, one imaginary), the playwright and the mild person that is dealing with Miss Shepard.  While things happen in the storyline,  the playwright Alan(imagined) sits and makes judgments on the real Alan while he deals with day to day life with a woman in a van. These dialogues become very tedious and uninteresting, giving us very little insight into his character. I never got the emotional moment that I needed from this film and was never invested in either character.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Lady in the Van Website

Indiefest:  The Final Project  (2016)  The film follows six college students as they set out to create a documentary about one of the most notorious haunted houses in America, Lafitte Plantation. Venturing deep into the backwoods of Louisiana, the students set out to record live footage of supernatural activity at the abandoned plantation, but one unsettled spirit gives more than they asked for.  This is a found-footage horror film that, while I did enjoy some of the storyline, took too long to develop and never quite delivered the scary moments that it needed. For a “found footage” concept, the production values were well done, especially the audio part of the film (very often that is the weak link in a smaller made film), which was crisp and clear. But the film is brought down by the idea that the first part of the film was used to make this film a full-length feature. The Final Project never can sustain any tension, and the ending is extremely predictable.  My Rating: Cable   The Final Project Website

Indiefest:  Where to Invade Next  (2015)  R  Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore travels around the world to seek out alternative methods of dealing with the social and economic problems that the United States is experiencing.  I enjoyed Michael Moore’s early documentaries that were quite funny while hitting some serious subjects, but his last few haven’t quite hit the mark. I think it’s because Moore now overshadows his subject matter. It used to be that Moore was an everyman fighting for the little guy, but I just don’t get that feeling from his films anymore. The idea of this film is that other countries are doing things that could solve some of America’s biggest problems, like healthcare, the cost of education and the overburdened prison system. The film is very one-sided, showing us only the happy, harmonious side of the offered solution, but never delves too deeply to discover the problems with other countries’ systems. My biggest issue with this film wasn’t that it was one sided, it was that I rarely found it funny.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Where to Invade Next Website

Indiefest:  Southbound  (2016)  The film is made of five interlocking tales of horror as it follows the fates of a group of travelers as they travel through the desert. Some of the tales are better than others and most don’t deliver enough horror to make them work, but I did like two of the stories, and I also liked how they all interconnected, even at the end. There are some nice homages to “The Twilight Zone” and one of the tales is funny in a strange kind of way, so some of the pieces work. I just wished that they all had. This is the type of film that you would probably enjoy more if it were showing at a horror fest and it was the midnight movie.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Southbound Facebook Page

Indiefest:  Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words  (2015)  Produced with the full cooperation of Ingrid Bergman’s family and friends, In Her Own Words is a film that is loaded with personal photos and home movies of the actress and her family. Bergman had a fascination for cameras from an early age. Her mother died when she was young, and her father seemed to want to document Ingrid’s life with photos and even home movies to make sure that she remembered everything from her childhood.  The film documents the struggles that Bergman went through, giving us insight into her thought process in the letters that she wrote to family and friends. Ingrid Bergman kept every correspondence and home movies that give us a complete picture of what it was like in the Bergman home. The home movies are wonderfully shot, primarily by Ingrid, and most are in color.  While a little long and spending a little too much time on footage showing the kids playing, Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words is a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes footage that will make any fan happy to rediscover this amazing actress and the life she led.    My Rating: Full Price   Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words Website

Indiefest:  Tumbledown  (2015)  Hannah (Rebecca Hall) is a widow of a musician who only recorded one album before he died. She still lives at their home in Maine, never quite getting over his death. A brash, New York professor(Jason Sudeikis) comes to town wanting to write a book on her husband. After much indecision, she decides to let him into her world and the grief that she has for her husband. I loved this film. It’s smart, witty and touching with great performances by Sudeikis and Hall. They have great chemistry on screen, and their banter back and forth is hilarious. It’s a film about grief, and when is it time to let that person go. Go see this rare film that combines romance and drama with a bit of comedy to make a winning combination.     My Rating: Full Price   Tumbledown Website

Forgotten Film:  Marjoe (1972)  PG   Marjoe Gortner, at the age of four, felt the call to preach to the masses and heal the sick. He went on the evangelical circuit, becoming famous for his sermons and making a boatload of money for his parents.  In 1972, at the age of 28, he went back on the evangelical circuit, this time, to expose the shady dealings and false healings that he had done in his childhood (most of which he didn’t know about). Sounds like a work of fiction, but this is one of the most fascinating documentaries that you will ever see. Because of this film, Marjoe went on to have a moderately successful acting career.  My Rating:  Full Price   Marjoe Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Deadpool:  Truck Costumer

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Whiskey Tango Foxtrot  (2016)   Kim (Tina Fey) is tired of being behind the scenes and volunteers to be a war correspondent in Afghanistan and Pakistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. She finds a fellow woman correspondent (Margot Robbie) who shows her the ropes and lets her know that she may have been a “four or five at home but is a ten here.”  Kim, who always was in the background in the states, is suddenly front and center and has the attention of a dashing war photographer (Martin Freeman). The trailer makes this film look like a blast to watch. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Website 

Until Next Time!

  

No Escape

My View: No Escape (2015)  R  An American couple (Owen Wilson, Lake Bell) and their kids are caught in the middle of a coup in a Southeast Asian country. Now they must get from their hotel to the American Embassy, running from a crowd hell-bent on executing every foreigner they find.   I liked Wilson as an every-man action hero, and while Bell isn’t asked to do much other than needing to be rescued, she is extremely likable on the screen. But, this film is filled with rampant xenophobia, an unknown country  filled with horrible people determined to rape or kill every foreigner. There are some action sequences that are so outrageous that at, my screening, most of the audience laughed. And, the two daughters (Sterling Jerins, Claire Geare) are so annoying that you almost wish that, at some point, the parents could leave them behind. This is a strange and messy film that isn’t enjoyable to watch and misses the mark by so much that it makes Vietnam (yes, that Vietnam) the hero of the film.    My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   No Escape Facebook Page

Indiefest: Mistress America (2015)  R   Tracy (Lola Kirkel), a college freshman, is not ready for her stepsister Brooke (Greta Gerwig), who is going to turn Tracy’s life upside down. Brooke is a whirlwind of non-stop ideas and talk. I loved this film, co-written by its star, Greta Gerwig. Gerwig plays Brooke, a 30-something girl who lives in a small apartment in Times Square. She is a woman of a million ideas and tells you them in a very rapid stream of conversation. Lola Kirkel plays a slightly shy, reserved college student trying to figure out a way to fit in while trying to become a short story, writer. Kirkel beautifully plays Lola and is able to take some of the spotlight from Gerwig with a winning, quirky performance. The dialogue is fast-paced and witty, and the storyline gets better as the complicated plot moves along. This film should make Gerwig a star and put Kirkel on every casting director’s radar. If you like smart, funny comedies that have rich, well rounded characters, this film is for you.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Mistress America Website

My View: We Are Your Friends (2014)  R   Cole (Zac Efron) is a struggling DJ with dreams of becoming a record producer. He meets DJ James (Wes Bentley) who takes an interest in Cole and helps him learn the business. When Sophie (Emily Ratajkowski), James’ girlfriend, starts dating Cole, Cole has to choose between love and business.  The only reason to see this mess of a film is to participate in the drinking game: “Take a shot when Zac takes off his shirt” (I lost count at 10). This film is predictable from the start with characters who do things with no other reason than just so that the plot can move along. We are supposed to like Cole, but he sleeps with his mentor’s girlfriend, takes serious amounts of drugs and abandons his friends when he gets better gigs. Sophie, played by Emily Ratajkowski, is equally shallow, turning down liquor several times, making a big deal about it, but then takes drugs at a moment’s notice. The dialogue is laughable with such lines as, “You’re not a real person until you’re 27.” My head was hurting after seeing this movie, not from the loud electronic dance music, but from the awful storyline and horrible dialogue.    My Rating: Cable     We Are Your Friends Website

Indiefest: Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet  (2015)  PG   Mustafa (Liam Neeson) is a poet whose works has been banned, and he has been a prisoner for seven years because the authorities believe his words will incite rebellion. He is given a chance to go back home, but that means he will have to leave his love Kamila (Salma Hayek) and her daughter Elmira (Quvenzhane Wallis). Will he choose to stay in prison for love or go home? This is a beautiful film that doesn’t quite fit together. It takes the poems of Kahlil Gibran and animates them, all by different artists using a vast array of mediums. The problem is the story, itself, about Mustafa, Kamila and Elmira is rather simple and has an almost cartoony feel to it. It makes the transitions between the storyline and the poems seem jarring, which makes the film seem at war with itself. I think kids will be bored when the poem sections come on, and adults will be bored by the Mustafa storyline.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Prophet Website

Indiefest: Digging for Fire (2015) R   A married couple (Jake Johnson, Rosemarie DeWitt) decide to spend the weekend apart. What could go wrong? Director Joe Swanberg, who co-wrote the script with leading man Johnson, brings us a tale of a modern couple who are struggling to keep their identities separate from their marriage. Both characters feel as if they have lost themselves by becoming a couple, especially after the birth of their son. Their lives have become meshed together, and both wonder if there will ever be a point when they feel like their old selves again. I like this film, but I wanted to love it. I think one of the problems with this film is that the cast is so big. There are certain characters whom we barely see, much less get to know. I enjoyed the performances of Johnson, and especially DeWitt, who makes her character seem conflicted and real. Sam Rockwell as the “fly in the ointment” friend is brilliant as the guy who loves to stir up trouble. It’s an interesting, light film that, while the plot is rather superficial, it does explore the cracks in a couple’s relationship. We get to see if those cracks become mended or if those cracks become massive fissures that a marriage ultimately can’t survive.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Digging for Fire Website

Forgotten Film: K-PAX (2001) Prot (Kevin Spacey) is patient at a mental hospital. Prot claims that he is from a faraway planet called K-PAX. As his psychiatrist (Jeff Bridges) tries to help him, the mystery of Prot grows deeper, and the psychiatrist begins thinking that just maybe his patient might not be crazy. While the cast in this film is excellent, it’s Kevin Spacey who makes this film so gripping to watch. He makes you hope and possibly believe that Prot is from another planet. This is a fascinating film with an ending that will have you thinking about this movie for days.    My Rating: Full Price   K-PAX Info

Weird Credit: From Digging for Fire: Food Stylist

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: Everest (2015)  PG-13   I have recently seen several documentaries about climbing. It will be interesting to see how Hollywood shows the sport. The film stars Elizabeth Debicki, Jake Gyllenhaal, Keira Knightley, Robin Wright, Josh Brolin and Emily Watson.   Everest Website  

Until Next Time!

The Internship

My View:  The Internship (2013)  PG-13  Billy (Vince Vaughn) and Nick (Owen Wilson) are salesmen who see the business they work for destroyed by the digital world. They decide, when you can’t beat them, join them, as they talk their way into an internship at the ultimate digital workplace, Google. Now, they must compete with fellow interns who are younger and much more tech savvy to land a job in the fast paced, high tech world.  The film is one long, and I do mean long, infomercial for Google.  The Google name is plastered across the screen so much that, at times I thought I was watching an instructional video on how to do a search on the web.  The characters are all one dimensional, the scenes are all predictable and the film rarely is funny. While Vaughn and Wilson do play off each other well, there just isn’t much to the script to make it interesting.  If you are asked should you see this film, you don’t need to Google it - just say no.  My Rating:  Cable   The Internship Website

My View:  The Purge  (2013)  R  In the near future, all crime has been eliminated due to The Purge. It’s one night, where, in a twelve-hour period, anybody can commit any crime and get away with it. The Sandin family is set for the night, as their house is literally a fortress. But a stranger begs his way into their home and, suddenly, they are the target of some devious hit-men out to get the stranger.  This is a violent film that uses the “shakey cam” (where the camera shakes for effect) for much of its action sequences.  In this Hunger Games for adults, the people in this film don’t really seem real, as their character development is almost paper thin.  Ethan Hawke and Lena Headly aren’t given anything to work with, and Headly, whom I like as an actress, comes off as a screaming crybaby.  I couldn’t tell if the filmmakers wanted this film to be a satirical look at American society or if they just wanted to make a siege picture with lots of killing.  Either way, it doesn’t work.   My Rating:  Cable   The Purge Website

Indiefest: The Kings of Summer  (2013)  R  Three teenage boys (Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso, Moises Arias) decide to get away from their rather strange and controlling parents by running away to build a house in the middle of the woods.  This is a great film for the summer.  It’s funny, moving and full of fine performances.  While viewers will see this film for the supporting cast, which is full of great comedians like Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally, it’s the three lead boys (Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso and Moises Arias) that make this film so exceptional and a joy to watch.  Nick Robinson, playing the leader of the gang, Joe, is absolutely perfect in the role of a kid who is so tired of his life that he just wants to run away.  Gabriel Basso does a terrific  job of portraying Patrick, the boy who just goes along with Joe’s ideas, and Moises Arias steals the  movies as he plays the strange but loveable Biaggio.  The film is a wonderful coming of age story where the boys find out that running away doesn’t always solve problems.  My Rating:  I Would Pay to See It Again   The Kings of Summer Website   Please note that the film is being released by CBS Films and I work for the CBS Television Stations Group.

Indiefest:  Stories We Tell  (2013)   PG-13   In this documentary, Actress/Director Sarah Polley has known that her family has harbored some secrets for some time now. So, Sarah decides to interview members of her family and let them, in their own words, tell what really happened.  This is an incredibly moving documentary about a woman who is determined to get to the truth.  It’s a fascinating film that explores how people remember events in their lives and how those stories are shaded by their own beliefs.  It’s a funny and touching film that is not to be missed.  My Rating:  Full Price   Stories We Tell Website

Indiefest:  Violet & Daisy  (2013)  R  Violet (Alexis Bledel) and Daisy (Saoirse Ronan) are not just your ordinary teenager girls. They do love clothes and the music of their favorite pop star, Barbie Sunday. But, the girls are a little different from your average teenager, as they are assassins for hire. When they discover that Barbie Sunday has designed a costly dress, they take a hit job – a job that may change their lives forever.  This is one of those strange “Indie” films that just doesn’t quite hit the mark.  It tries to be quirky but ends up being kind of clunky in its storytelling.  I liked Bledel and Ronan as the two lead characters, but the film tries too hard to be unconventional, making the film hard to really like.  Visually, it’s an interesting picture, but the storyline and the wordy dialogue slow down the picture to a degree that you really hope for any sort of action to speed things up.  It’s an ambitious film that never quite figured out what kind of film it wanted to be.   My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   Violet & Daisy Website

Forgotten Film:  The Warriors  (1979)  R   Set in the future, gangs control New York.  A dynamic gang leader has decided that now is the time for all of the gangs to come together and take over the city.  But the gang leader is assassinated,  and the gang from Coney Island, The Warriors, have been framed for his murder.  Now this one gang must make it across the city with everyone out to get them.  This is a fun film to watch, as long as you don’t take it too seriously, with each gang wearing different outlandish outfits.  The film moves incredibly quick and most of the film was shot at night, on location, which gives the film an almost surreal feel to it.  Fast, action-packed, it’s a film that was way ahead of its time.   My Rating:  Bargain Matinee    The Warriors Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of The Internship:  Personal Makeup Artist for Mr. Owen

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  The Way, Way Back  (2013)   PG-13  A big hit of the Sundance Film Festival, this film is brought to you by the same writers that did The Descendants (2011).  The film is about a teenager (Liam James) who, during a summer vacation, works at a water park and grows from being a withdrawn, shy kid to a confidant man with a girlfriend.  The cast includes Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, Amanda Peet, Rob Dorddry, Toni Collette, Allison Janney and Maya Rudolph.    The Way, Way Back Website

Until Next Time!