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THE WAY, WAY BACK

"The Importance of Positive Father Figures"

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What You Need To Know:

THE WAY, WAY BACK is a wonderfully warm, touching and funny comedy about a young teenage boy who is forced to spend a summer at his mother’s new boyfriend’s house after his parents’ divorce. He makes some new friends and even gets a summer job working at a water park. In the process, he learns what it means to work hard and be a man.

Throughout its running time, THE WAY, WAY BACK deals with some difficult issues, including divorce, alcoholism and struggling single parents as well as the importance of having a positive father figure in a teenager’s life. The writing and directing team handle almost every issue with subtlety and care. As such, the movie’s more charming qualities and frequent humane comedy combines with its positive messages to mark a movie that teenagers and adults alike perhaps can enjoy while learning right from wrong. THE WAY, WAY BACK has some foul language and adult themes requiring strong caution. Otherwise, however, it could turn out to be one of Hollywood’s better-made, more inspiring comedies of the year for mature audiences.

Content:

(Ro, BB, C, LL, S, AA, DD, MM) Light Romantic worldview but with strong moral elements and some redemptive content stressing a work ethic and stressing the importance of good parenting and positive father figures as well as showing the devastation divorce can cause; 21 obscenities and profanities, including one “f” word and five GDs; no violence; it’s implied that the mother of the main character, a teenage boy, is having sexual relations with her boyfriend, as she’s spending the summer at his house and giving a bad example to her teenage son as a result, plus one scene shows the mother and boyfriend kissing and grabbing each other a bit while standing in shadows fully clothed, and the boyfriend is seen kissing and groping a friend’s wife, but he stops with the kissing and groping before it goes further, but later it’s implied and discussed he committed adultery with the friend’s wife, thus cheating on his girlfriend, the mother; no nudity; strong alcohol content where a female neighbor who’s a mom has a drinking problem that’s portrayed comically yet negatively, and it’s briefly implied that the teenage boy has a beer at a party; subtle drug content as the mom’s boyfriend is seen paying a long-haired teenager for a plastic bag of an unknown substance that seems to be marijuana, then running with her and friends away from a party to use it, unaware the teenage boy is angrily watching them, which presents the drug use in a negative light; and, lying by the mom’s boyfriend about his affair with his friend’s wife, occasionally surly teenage behavior toward parents, although the parents are shown to be irresponsible until forced to confront their wrongs by the end, in the main mother’s case especially.

More Detail:

THE WAY, WAY BACK is a wonderfully warm, touching and funny comedy about a young teenage boy forced to spend a summer at his mother’s new boyfriend’s house with her after his parents’ divorce. THE WAY, WAY BACK has a Romantic worldview, but there are strong moral elements in the movie’s depiction of the devastation caused by divorce and its premise arguing for the importance of good parenting and positive father figures in a child’s life.

The story itself follows Duncan, a 14-year-old boy whose parents have recently divorced, and whose mom has quickly jumped into a sexual relationship with a new boyfriend. The boyfriend, Trent, invites them both out for the summer to his house in a small lake town, but under his smiling surface, he’s either distant or emotionally cruel to Duncan. Making matters worse, Duncan soon finds out Trent is cheating on his mother with a friend’s wife.

Meanwhile, Duncan finds a girl’s bike in a garage and starts sneaking through town on it. He discovers a water slide park, where he gets a summer job, unknown to his mom, who wonders where he disappears every day. At the park, his boss is like a fun-loving older brother who nurtures Duncan’s self confidence at the same time Duncan is having his first romance with the girl next door, Susanna, who’s dealing with her own divorced, and alcoholic, mom.

The movie thus becomes the story of how Duncan has to decide whether to stay a quiet and weak person or step up and start being a man, and how the two male figures in his life affect his decisions. Throughout its running time,

THE WAY, WAY BACK deals with some difficult issues, including divorce, alcoholism and struggling single parents as well as the importance of having a positive father figure in a teenager’s life. The writing and directing team of Nat Faxon and Jim Rash (who shared an Oscar for their screenplay on THE DESCENDANTS) handle almost every issue with subtlety and care.

As such, the movie’s tremendous charm and frequent humane comedy combines with its positive messages to mark a movie that teenagers and adults alike perhaps can enjoy while learning. The stellar cast’s performances are outstanding across the board, especially new discovery Liam James as Duncan and Steve Carell in a rare darker turn as the cheating boyfriend who comes to regret his immoral and hurtful behavior.

THE WAY, WAY BACK has some foul language and adult themes requiring strong caution. Otherwise, however, it could turn out to be one of Hollywood’s better-made, more inspiring comedies of the year for mature audiences.

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.


Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.