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Away we go to "Away We Go"
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Imagine if a movie couple behaved rationally.
If they loved each other in a tangible, relatable way and had a functioning, healthy relationship.
Imagine if the difficulties they faced weren’t just elaborate comic setups.
In “Away We Go,” which opened last Friday, you don’t have to. Director Sam Mendes has created a touching and poignant portrayal of a young pregnant couple and their search to find somewhere to belong.
The story revolves around Burt and Verona, a thirtysomething couple that’s a bit lost in life. Six months into their first pregnancy, they live in a small trailer on the outskirts of a small Colorado town. When Burt’s parents move to Europe, the couple loses its one connection to the state and decides to find somewhere new to live. The adventure takes them to various cities in North America as they catch up with old friends and family.
John Krasinski (“The Office”) and Maya Rudolph (“Saturday Night Live”) are Burt and Verona. Each has a background in comedy that helps bring levity to the characters that dramatic actors are often lacking.
Mendes’ directing is perfect. He happily gets out of his actors’ way to let their performances soar. The soundtrack, composed for the film by singer-songwriter Alexi Murdoch, is particularly compelling. Murdoch weaves gentle melodies through the plot and subtly highlights the mood without stomping all over it. It’s a score reminiscent of Damien Rice’s work on “Closer.”
The film’s strongest point, however, is its script. In a cinematic landscape that’s overwrought with exaggerated and ridiculous movies like “The Proposal” and “Made of Honor,” “Away We Go” offers audiences the chances to see a real relationship in the making. Burt and Verona behave the way normal couples do. They fight, they discuss, they laugh, and most importantly; they love each other. It’s heartwarming.
Their struggle to belong may not involve any zany identity misunderstandings or grand romantic gestures, but it will make you smile and it will make you think.
And isn’t that what romance is anyway?
Watch the TV Guide Interview with John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph below.
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