This underrated Steve Carell movie is one of my favorite coming-of-age comedies — and it's now on Prime Video

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The summertime flick 'The Way, Way Back' features a starry ensemble, with Toni Collette, Allison Janney, Maya Rudolph and Sam Rockwell

The Way Way Back
(Image credit: Searchlight Pictures)

Steve Carell is known for big-budget comedies like "The 40 Year-Old Virgin," "Crazy, Stupid, Love." and the "Anchorman" franchise, but some of the actor's best work is in smaller-scale fare like "Little Miss Sunshine," "Dan in Real Life" and "The Way, Way Back".

In particular, that latter title — which sees an against-type performance from Carell as a nightmare stepfather — is a surefire summertime charmer, complete with a fantastic ensemble full of some of Hollywood's funniest people. And, best of all, it's currently available to stream on Prime Video.

What is 'The Way, Way Back' about?

Written and directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash in their directorial debuts, 2013's "The Way, Way Back" centers on Duncan (Liam James), an introverted 14-year-old on summer vacation in a New England beach town with his mother Pam (Toni Collete), her overbearing boyfriend Trent (Steve Carell) and Trent's daughter Steph (Zoe Levin).

Trent is quite hard on Duncan — the older man tells the teen to rate himself on a scale of one to ten and harshly dubs him a three — and, even worse, he's caught by the boy cheating on Pam with a friend's wife (Amanda Peet). To escape the messiness of it all, Duncan finds solace at the rundown local water park, Water Wizz, where he encounters a merry band of colorful employees (played by Maya Rudolph, Jim Rash and Nat Faxon, among others), all led by wisecracking but compassionate park manager Owen (Sam Rockwell).

Though Duncan's family is none the wiser about where he's spending his summer days, the teen is hired by Owen for odd jobs around the park and soon the wallflower opens up, even catching the attention of Susanna (AnnaSophia Robb), the pretty daughter of his neighbor Betty (a scene-stealing Allison Janney).

Why should you watch 'The Way, Way Back' on Prime Video?

The Way, Way Back

(Image credit: Searchlight Pictures)

There's a sweet nostalgia that permeates "The Way, Way Back" — fittingly, the title refers to sitting in the third row of seats in old-school station wagons — and a youthful relatability to Duncan's story.

And along with a believably villainous turn from usual good-guy Steve Carell, the unexpected buddy duo of Sam Rockwell and Liam James is an especially delightful attribute. Both actors received Critics' Choice nominations for their performances, as did the comedy film as a whole.

Rockwell's warm and witty screen work, in particular, was lauded by critics: David Gritten at The Daily Telegraph wrote: "Rockwell seizes on this role and milks it for all it’s worth." And for The Guardian, Catherine Shoard also showed love to Carell and Collette: "There's some terrific performances – particularly from Collette, putting flesh on some quite bare bones, and Carell, a wholly plausible, half-sympathetic overgrown jock with a bullying charm."

On Rotten Tomatoes, where the movie has an 83% approval rating, critical consensus reads: "Despite its familiar themes, 'The Way Way Back' makes use of its talented cast, finely tuned script, and an abundance of charm to deliver a funny and satisfying coming-of-age story."

Watch "The Way, Way Back" on Prime Video now

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Christina Izzo
Christina Izzo
Writer

Christina Izzo is a writer-editor covering culture, food and drink, travel and general lifestyle in New York City. She was previously the Deputy Editor at My Imperfect Life, the Features Editor at Rachael Ray In Season and Reveal, as well as the Food & Drink Editor and chief restaurant critic at Time Out New York. 

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