Away We Go

I will be the first to proclaim my hatred for hipster scum. Twee little soundtracks to the likes of Garden State and Juno do not interest me. I have disdain for those who claim to have "food babies". All of these preferences (or lack thereof) SHOULD have made me dislike Away We Go. But no-- this film is the victim of false marketing, of ads catering to quirky college grads, and it is actually the best movie I've seen in theatres so far in 2009. 

For one thing, the cast is a dream team. Catherine O'Hara, Allison Janney, and Maggie Gyllenhaal-- three of my favorite working actresses-- get the chance to be off-the-walls hilarious. I'm no SNL fan but I certainly appreciate Maya Rudolph's grounded talent. John Krasinski is delightful. And it's always nice to see Melanie Lynskey pop up, now that she's grown up and not killing her mother or anything. Sam Mendes, who I've come to expect little from, lets his ensemble do their own thing, which is an unbelievable breath of fresh air from the overplayed arguments of Revolutionary Road in 2008. 

The screenplay is devoid of snobby references to Truffaut, monkey fruit or Nietszche. I am eternally grateful. The audience actually gets a chance to get to know the characters, from the straight-faced leads Rudolph and Krasinski to batshit crazy Gyllenhaal and Janney. I left the theatre having caught a glimpse of the very real hopes and dreams of a very likable couple-- not with an intimate knowledge of a fictional character's taste in music.

Well-played, Mr. Mendes et al. 

Oh, and if you're skeptical because of the hipster advertising, don't be. John Krasinski wears polo shirts and khaki shorts throughout the film and there are no Shins songs to be found. Rest assured that your pretentious-ness factor will not go up.