The coming-of-age drama is often synonymous with the summer movie - this is the time of year when school is far from a person's mind and they put their studies behind them and learn far more from the actual experience of living life for themselves. The Way, Way Back is one of the best of the crop of recent American indie movies which deal with adolescent awakening. It follows 14-year-old Duncan (Liam Jones) as he sets out to the coast with his mother (Toni Collette) and her boyfriend Trent (Steve Carrell) where, through boredom and restlessness he ends up working part time at the local water park run by the spontaneous manager Owen (Sam Rockwell). As laid back as a summer vacation, yet filled with small dramatic touches which reflect the whims of its young protagonist (we see everything from Duncan's perspective), The Way, Way Back evokes memories of holiday romances and how it feels to jump into a cool swimming pool on a scorching summer's day.
