“The Way Way Back” is one of the best feel good movies of the year

Somewhere between Nerd-dom and Jock-hood lives a shy young man of 14 years. Duncan (Liam James) is struggling, trying to find his way and make sense of his life. Pam (Toni Collette), Duncan’s mom, is looking for companionship while trying to maintain her role as an effective single parent. Through Duncan’s eyes, parenting seems to have been put on the back burner while his mother tries to snag a new husband. Trent, Pams new flame ( wonderfully played by Steve Carell) is a man still not much more than a child himself at 40 something.

This story is a delight from beginning to end, even with the growing pains of life’s sobering drama in the mix. Here we see reflected in Duncan possibilities of what happens to children when the bottoms drop out of their lives. They feel unprotected or emotionally abandoned by their parent(s). This story shows us that in every case life will find a way to progress itself within each child. Some new teacher will step in and rescue –or destroy — the confused and struggling young soul.

In our dramedy the guru is Owen ( played by the wonderfully mischievous Sam Rockwell), accompanied by his team of merry imps at the magical Water Wizz water park. Finding the water park and the14-year-old girl living next door, the lovely Susanna (AnnaSophia Robb) may just turn the tide for young Duncan.