Scene from the film, Away We Go _460
The couple kick-starts a journey of exploration, visiting old boss Lily (Allison Janney) and her hen-pecked husband Lowell (Jim Gaffigan), who give parents a bad name.
“She’s only 12 and I already know she’s a dyke,” cackles Lily cruelly, referring to her shy daughter, who can hear every stinging word.
Feminist Bohemian friend Ellen (Maggie Gyllenhaal) has very strict views on raising her brood: “No separation, no sugars, no strollers!” An emergency telephone call forces a detour to Miami, and the expectant parents reconsider their definition of “home”.
Away We Go is an entertaining ensemble piece that paints a vivid portrait of contemporary America and its foibles.
Krasinski and Rudolph are instantly loveable, and we root for them as they come up against overly-officious airline check-in staff and relatives who clearly don’t know best.
Janney is hysterically grotesque as a mother whose conduct will see her offspring in therapy for the rest of their lives, while Gyllenhaal is equally amusing in her colourful supporting role.
The narrative chugs along, covered in a thin veneer of sentimentality, towards an upbeat and life-affirming conclusion.
AWAY WE GO (Cert. 15, 97 mins)
Stars: John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Jeff Daniels, Catherine O’Hara, Allison Janney, Jim Gaffigan, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Josh Hamilton, Chris Messina, Melanie Lynskey, Carmen Ejogo
Directed by Sam Mendes
