Sunday, July 21, 2013

The Way, Way Back


A month ago I went to the Bonnaroo music festival in Manchester, Tennessee. They had some movies playing there and since I'm not a big music guy and I mostly wanted to go for the camping and travel experience (and the music did end up being outrageously awesome), I had the opportunity to watch some films I might not see otherwise. Aside from Sleepwalk with Me and the pilot for AMC's Low Winter Sun, writers/directors/actors Nat Faxon and Jim Rash's The Way, Way Back ended up being the most welcoming and pleasant surprise of a movie that I had seen in a while.

The story is a coming-of-age-during-the-summer sort of film in the vein of Greg Mottola's Adventureland with the occasional whimsy of John Hughes. Duncan (Liam James from AMC's The Killing) accompanies his mother (the always enjoyable Toni Collette) and her boyfriend (Steve Carell, cast against type as a bitter a-hole) to a summer vacation spot (reminds me of Montauk, where I spent many summers of my own youth). In the very first scene- Trent, the boyfriend, turns to Duncan while in the car on their way to the summer-home and tells Duncan that on a scale of 1-10, Duncan behaves like a 3. Duncan's mother is sleeping and Trent is driving, so the camera stays with Duncan. Starting with that moment, you start to realize that Liam James does an excellent job of conveying a boy who is out-of-place and socially awkward, but not to the point of over-exaggeration or annoyance. When he does speak and express himself more, it feels believable and not forced (take the nighttime BBQ argument). At no point do I feel like the character is going through the cliche paces of a traditional "kid learns to be accepted/others learn to accept the kid" sort of story, even though we are.

The film is certainly moving and like a previous script from Faxon and Rash, The Descendants, the film balances light/dark, drama/comedy, triumph/tragedy, etc. Certainly there is an aspect of the film that is typical and traditional, but the film is charming and heartwarming that what one might find cliche is overwhelmed by the tone and mood that the film projects. The cast is full of other recognizable faces- Faxon, Rash, Allison Janney (always a scene stealer), AnnaSophia Robb, Maya Rudolph, Rob Corddry, Amanda Peet, and most notably Sam Rockwell. An heir to Bill Murray, Rockwell has a timing and dedication that creates such a memorable performance and character. In fact, I only wish the film could keep his energy present throughout much more of the story. That being said, Faxon/Rash are great at their balancing act whether it's a depressing metaphor that takes place during a shoots and ladders game or the sheer fun of going down a water slide, they manage to get their points and story across well enough.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Emmy Predictions Wishlist


COMEDY SERIES
-30 ROCK
-ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
-GIRLS
-LOUIE
-MODERN FAMILY
-VEEP




COMEDY ACTRESS
-LAURA DERN (ENLIGHTENED)
-LENA DUNHAM (GIRLS)
-EDIE FALCO (NURSE JACKIE)
-TINA FEY (30 ROCK)
-JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS (VEEP)
-AMY POEHLER (PARKS AND RECREATON)




COMEDY ACTOR
-ALEC BALDWIN (30 ROCK)
-JASON BATEMAN (ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT)
-DON CHEADLE (HOUSE OF LIES)
-LOUIS C.K. (LOUIE)
-MATT LEBLANC (EPISODES)
-ADAM SCOTT (PARKS AND RECREATION)




COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS
-JULIE BOWEN (MODERN FAMILY)
-JANE KRAKOWSKI (30 ROCK)
-SOFIA VERGARA (MODERN FAMILY)
-JESSICA WALTER (ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT)
-MERRITT WEVER (NURSE JACKIE)
-ALLISON WILLIAMS (GIRLS)




COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR
-WILL ARNETT (ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT)
-TY BURRELL (MODERN FAMILY)
-ADAM DRIVER (GIRLS)
-NICK OFFERMAN (PARKS AND RECREATION)
-ED O'NEILL (MODERN FAMILY)
-JEFFREY TAMBOR (ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT)




COMEDY GUEST ACTRESS
-ELIZABETH BANKS (MODERN FAMILY)
-MELISSA LEO (LOUIE)
-LIZA MINNELLI (ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT)
-CATHERINE O'HARA (30 ROCK)
-PARKER POSEY (LOUIE)
-ELAINE STRITCH (30 ROCK)




COMEDY GUEST ACTOR
-WILL ARNETT (30 ROCK)
-MATTHEW BRODERICK (MODERN FAMILY)
-BOBBY CANNAVALE (NURSE JACKIE)
-NATHAN LANE (MODERN FAMILY)
-DAVID LYNCH (LOUIE)
-PATRICK WILSON (GIRLS)




DRAMA SERIES
-BREAKING BAD
-GAME OF THRONES
-HOMELAND
-HOUSE OF CARDS
-MAD MEN
-THE NEWSROOM




DRAMA ACTRESS
-GLENN CLOSE (DAMAGES)
-CLAIRE DANES (HOMELAND)
-VERA FARMIGA (BATES MOTEL)
-ELISABETH MOSS (MAD MEN)
-KERI RUSSELL (THE AMERICANS)
-ROBIN WRIGHT (HOUSE OF CARDS)




DRAMA ACTOR
-STEVE BUSCEMI (BOARDWALK EMPIRE)
-BRYAN CRANSTON (BREAKING BAD)
-JEFF DANIELS (THE NEWSROOM)
-DAMIAN LEWIS (HOMELAND)
-JON HAMM (MAD MEN)
-KEVIN SPACEY (HOUSE OF CARDS)




DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS
-MORENA BACCARIN (HOMELAND)
-EMILIA CLARKE (GAME OF THRONES)
-MICHELLE FAIRLEY (GAME OF THRONES)
-ANNA GUNN (BREAKING BAD)
-CHRISTINA HENDRICKS (MAD MEN)
-KATE MARA (HOUSE OF CARDS)




DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR
-JONATHAN BANKS (BREAKING BAD)
-PETER DINKLAGE (GAME OF THRONES)
-MANDY PATINKIN (HOMELAND)
-AARON PAUL (BREAKING BAD)
-JOHN SLATTERY (MAD MEN)
-COREY STOLL (HOUSE OF CARDS)




DRAMA GUEST ACTRESS
-LINDA CARDELLINI (MAD MEN)
-JOAN CUSACK (SHAMELESS)
-JANE FONDA (THE NEWSROOM)
-LAURA FRASER (BREAKING BAD)
-MARGO MARTINDALE (THE AMERICANS)
-DIANA RIGG (GAME OF THRONES)




DRAMA GUEST ACTOR
-JIM BEAVER (JUSTIFIED)
-RUPERT FRIEND (HOMELAND)
-MIKE O'MALLEY (JUSTIFIED)
-PATTON OSWALT (JUSTIFIED)
-JIMMY SMITS (SONS OF ANARCHY)
-JAMES WOLK (MAD MEN)




MINISERIES/TV MOVIE
-AMERICAN HORROR STORY
-BEHIND THE CANDELABRA
-THE GIRL
-PARADE'S END
-PHIL SPECTOR
-TOP OF THE LAKE




MINISERIES/TV MOVIE ACTRESS
-REBECCA HALL (PARADE'S END)
-JESSICA LANGE (AMERICAN HORROR STORY)
-LAURA LINNEY (THE BIG C)
-SIENNA MILLER (THE GIRL)
-HELEN MIRREN (PHIL SPECTOR)
-ELISABETH MOSS (TOP OF THE LAKE)




MINISERIES/TV MOVIE ACTOR
-KENNETH BRANAGH (WALLANDER)
-BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH (PARADE'S END)
-MATT DAMON (BEHIND THE CANDELABRA)
-MICHAEL DOUGLAS (BEHIND THE CANDELABRA)
-TOBY JONES (THE GIRL)
-AL PACINO (PHIL SPECTOR)




MINISERIES/TV MOVIE SUPPORTING ACTRESS
-FRANCES CONROY (AMERICAN HORROR STORY)
-HOLLY HUNTER (TOP OF THE LAKE)
-JANET MCTEER (PARADE'S END)
-SARAH PAULSON (AMERICAN HORROR STORY)
-LILY RABE (AMERICAN HORROR STORY)
-IMELDA STAUNTON (THE GIRL)




MINISERIES/TV MOVIE SUPPORTING ACTOR
-JAMES CROMWELL (AMERICAN HORROR STORY)
-ROB LOWE (BEHIND THE CANDELABRA)
-PETER MULLAN (TOP OF THE LAKE)
-EVAN PETERS (AMERICAN HORROR STORY)
-ZACHARY QUINTO (AMERICAN HORROR STORY)
-JEFFREY TAMBOR (PHIL SPECTOR)