In Review: Away We Go

Sometimes movies come along that you start off being not so wild about but then they kind of grow on you. That's how I found myself experiencing "Away We Go," an off-beat, quirky comedy from Sam Mendes of "American Beauty" fame (or infamy, depending on who you talk to). "Away We Go" is not just a romantic comedy but also a great road movie. It centers on Burt Farlander (John Krasinski) and Verona De Tessant (Maya Rudolph), a couple expecting their first child and trying to decide where to raise it. They travel everywhere from Phoenix to Montreal looking for the perfect place to raise their child. Along the way we meet all kinds of colorful characters, which would normally be a cliche in a movie like this, but are refreshingly not.

My favorite is the couple they meet up with in Madison, Wisconsin. No, it's not just because the couple happens to live in Wisconsin which is also my home state. This couple embodies people left over from the 60's hippie movement and are very believable. The couple (Maggie Gyllenhall as LN, that really is the name of her character, and Josh Hamilton as Roderick) make the characters in the musical "Hair" look normal by comparison. What makes them so odd? Let me count the ways: they live in a "continuum house" (which sounds like something right out of "Star Trek") , they forbid strollers for their children and they have a communal bed where they let their children sleep with them.

Don't just see it for that reason alone, however. There is a wonderful supporting cast, including Allison Janney and Jim Gaffigan. John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph carry this movie and they do it extremely well. With this movie and "Leatherheads" it is clear that John Krasinski is not just the cutest guy in "The Office" but also has big screen potential. Without saying anything that will give away the ending, let me just say that I found the end of this movie refreshing. It's a message that should ring true for lots of people. Go check out this gem on DVD.