Brandon at Random Reviews

There’s something remarkable about movies like this. The teenage male protagonist who’s having trouble fitting in or getting anything going in his life, and that whole journey to basically come out of his shell and connect with others and figure out how to be a functioning person in this world. Something so relatable. But I’m almost 35. And I just kind of bummed myself out just now.

So I’m gonna put this out there…I’ve watched this like a half-dozen times since it came out. It has been a while since the last time, but it is one I’ve had to revisit a lot. As I mentioned, there’s something about a story like this I just seem to connect with. I love so many of these characters, it’s one of those movies where I’d dare say that the main characters are the least interesting of all. I need to do a complete review of everyone’s likability factors.

Let’s start with our main character played by Liam James. Not a super likable guy, but that’s because he’s not out of his shell yet, you jerk. That being said, I’ve never seen this guy in shit else and I’m not super bummed about that to be truthful. His love interest, AnnaSophia Robb, is very good and likable here, as she seems to be in most things I’ve seen her in. Steve Carell gives a spectacular performance here as the unlikeable douchebag stepfather-type guy. Toni Collette, Allison Janney, and Sam Rockwell are super great, super enjoyable as well. I feel like I’ve said the word likable or some synonym of it way too much in this paragraph. I’m gonna switch it up in the next one I think.

I’m gonna give away some plot-synopsis level spoilers in the second half here, so maybe don’t read it if you like to not know shit about movies you’re about to see. Just peep the rating at the end and come back once you’ve watched.

Duncan (James) goes with his mom Pam (Collette) and her boyfriend Trent (Carell) go to Trent’s beach house for the summer. Trent is constantly making dickhead comments to Duncan and seems to basically try to make him feel like shit. As Duncan tries to branch out and get away from his over-worried mom and her assface bf, he finds a job at the local water park through a random acquaintance, a middle-aged enthusiastic man named Owen (Rockwell). Owen likes Duncan for who he is and takes him under his wing and shows him some of the ropes of life. It’s a nice laid back tale.

This movie is about spreading your fucking wings. Doing all you can to make friends, be yourself, get out and enjoy life, deal with parents, land a local hot girl, maybe get her preggers, who knows. Just fucking live, man. Like I never did. Like perhaps I never will.

This one’s worth seeing, fa sho.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2