Away We Go (2009)

Director:

Sam Mendes

Writers (WGA):

Dave Eggers (written by) &
Vendela Vida (written by)

Release Date:

26 June 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

A couple who is expecting their first child travel around the U.S. in order to find a perfect place to start their family. Along the way, they have misadventures and find fresh connections with an assortment of relatives and old friends who just might help them discover "home" on their own terms for the first time.

Plot Keywords:

Baby | Couple | Friend | Belgium | Parenting

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

John Krasinski	...	Burt Farlander
Maya Rudolph	...	Verona De Tessant
Carmen Ejogo	...	Grace De Tessant
Catherine O'Hara	...	Gloria Farlander
Jeff Daniels	...	Jerry Farlander
Allison Janney	...	Lily
Jim Gaffigan	...	Lowell
Samantha Pryor	...	Ashley
Conor Carroll	...	Taylor
Maggie Gyllenhaal	...	LN
Josh Hamilton	...	Roderick
Bailey Harkins	...	Wolfie
Brendan Spitz	...	Baby Neptune
Jaden Spitz	...	Baby Neptune
Chris Messina	...	Tom Garnett

Also Known As:

Farlanders (USA) (working title)
This Must Be the Place (USA) (working title)
Untitled Sam Mendes Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some sexual content.

Runtime:

USA:98 min | Argentina:98 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #45199) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Netherlands:AL | Ireland:15A | Norway:A | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | New Zealand:M | Germany:12 | UK:15 | Hong Kong:IIB | Argentina:13 | Sweden:Btl | Singapore:M18

Filming Locations:

Leesburg, Florida, USA

Company:

Big Beach Films

Trivia:

For the brief oral sex scene, Maya Rudolph wore four pairs of biking shorts under the gown.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Burt and Verona arrive at her childhood home, the scene cuts back and forth between a shot through the house towards the water, and a shot from that side back through the door they originally entered. The shots featuring the shore front side of the house show a strong breeze and lots of tree movement, while the shots looking the other direction show no wind and the trees completely still.

Quotes:

Beckett: Babies like to breathe, and they're good at hiding it. I put a pillow over a baby. I thought she wasn't breathing, but she was. She was sneaky, but I'll try again.

Movie Connections:

Edited into "The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Duplicity/Knowing/I Love You, Man (#1.4)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Mr. Tambourine Man

Meet the Family...

i just got back from a pre-screening of this in Dallas, and i must say i really enjoyed it. it seems like the whole audience enjoyed it as well, the theatre was often filled with laughter throughout this wonderful film.

i'm a fan of Sam Mendes' work, and his work excelled here in the realm of comedy. John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph shared great chemistry as a couple expecting their first child and trying to decide where to settle down and raise their family. it's a bit of a coming-of- age story about people who should have already come-of-age, as we travel across the country along with them meeting quirky parents, friends, and old schoolmates.

it's not all laughs, though. there are plenty of serious and introspective moments and my hat is off to Ms. Rudolph, generally known for her skills in comedy, for adding fine dramatic moments to her character. in the end, this movie doesn't offer any solutions to life's quirks, but it looks at them and even celebrates them.

it's not Mendes' best film, but it's a very enjoyable film with a great cast and lots of laughs, and should appeal to a pretty wide audience. it's a breath of fresh air from all of the Hollywood flash and crap that will be slopped across theater screens this summer. go see it!