Away We Go

The ramshackle tone and episodic structure of this 2009 road dramedy doesn't scream Sam Mendes ("American Beauty", "Revolutionary Road") to me, but his film-making style becomes more discerning as the journey of the two protagonists deepens emotionally with each succeeding stop in their journey. Written by married authors and first-time screenwriters Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida (he owns "826 Valencia", the pirate store/writing workshop in San Francisco), the storyline focuses on Burt and Verona, a pair of thirty-somethings who seem to recognize their lost years of relative aimlessness are about to close with the birth of a baby. They look to be living comfortably (he's a bellowing insurance salesman, she's a medical reference illustrator) albeit in a rundown home close to his parents in Denver. When Burt's self-absorbed parents announce abruptly that they are moving to Antwerp before Verona's due date, the young couple recognizes an opportunity to travel cross-country to find a place they can settle down and start to develop roots. Burt and Verona first journey to Phoenix and visit her former boss Lily, an acid-tongued harridan, and her defeated husband Lowell. One can only assume Lily has changed considerably since working with Verona, as I'm not clear why they would be drawn to such an unfiltered, alcoholic mess of a wife and mother. The couple immediately move on to nearby Tucson where Verona's younger sister Grace lives, and through their mutual memories of their deceased parents, we begin to understand Verona's hesitancy to marry. Burt and Verona then move on to Madison to meet his childhood friend Ellen, who has transformed into a smarmy New Age narcissist under the guise of a college professor who dubs herself "LN". The polarizing effect of her parenting skills pushes the young couple to Montreal where they reunite with seemingly contented college friends Tom and Munch, who have a rainbow tribe of children but slowly reveal a deep sense of melancholy over their existence. Their next-to-last stop is Miami to visit Burt's brother Courtney. His wife just left him, and he can't build the courage to tell his young daughter. Relatable performances are crucial to this sort of character-driven venture, and fortunately, the leads score on that front. John Krasinski, Jim on the US version of "The Office", is constantly upbeat as Burt, but he brings subtle shades of poignancy and resignation to avoid coming across as obnoxious. As Verona, Maya Rudolph makes a strong career transition from SNL sketch comic to straight actress, bringing a counterbalance of gravity and insecurity to the relationship. In the absence of manufactured friction, their comfortable interplay holds our interest while their journey evolves with unexpected turns until they find a deeper level of commitment on a trampoline. Surrounding them is a stellar cast of scene-stealers: a shrewish Catherine O'Hara and an avuncular Jeff Daniels as Burt's clueless parents, Allison Janney superbly inappropriate as Lily, comedian Jim Gaffigan looking forlorn and medicated as Lowell and Maggie Gyllenhaal hilariously hateful as LN, especially as she explains her progressive views on nursing and avoiding strollers. Comparatively subtle work comes from Carmen Ejogo as supportive sister Grace, Chris Messina and Melanie Lynskey quietly agonizing as the Montreal couple, and Paul Schneider as Courtney. It's good to see Mendes pull off a film that isn't defined as much by dark characters and polished production values. The change has really done him good.