Movies You May Have Missed:Away We Go

Burt and Verona are thirty four and having a baby. They are months away from the baby being born and Burt’s parents tell them that they are moving to Antwerp, Belgium for two years. So they decided to go visit friends and/or family in Phoenix, Madison, and Montreal. In Phoenix, they visit Verona’s old boss, Lily and her family. Lily is a woman that reminds me of my best friend’s mom when I was a kid. She drank, was loud and wildly inappropriate in social situations because she always spoke her mind and was brutally honest.

Next they go to Tucson to visit Lily’s younger sister, Grace.  Grace always wants Lily to talk about their deceased parents, which Lily is not comfortable with.

Next they go to Madison to visit Burt’s childhood friend, LN (Ellen). LN is that new-age hippy woman that is extremely comfortable with her, but everybody around her thinks that she is crazy, weird or both. She breastfeeds her children that are old enough to talk, refuses to use a stroller and has a communal family bed. Their interactions show that the two families obviously don’t agree on parenting styles and why the other group isn’t like them.

Finally, they go to Montreal and visit their college friends, Tom and Munch. This is a couple that has adopted several children, but they share the same sensibilities with. They are that couple that every married couple wishes that they had.  But before they can stay for too long, they go down to Miami to visit Burt’s brother, whose wife had just left him.  This causes Burt to freak out, himself.

This is a movie that is filled with weird and quirky moments that you don’t need to be married or a parent to appreciate. There are the running jokes of how far along Lily is and Burt trying to get the baby’s heart rate up.

This movie is superbly written and acted. It has a nice balance of being funny and serious all the while staying honest. This movie was nominated for best original screenplay in 2009. It was written by novelist couple Dave Eggars and his wife, Vendela Vida and directed by Sam Mendes. I highly recommend this movie to those that are expecting a baby. Or anybody that just wants to watch a good movie.