Podcast | ‘Away We Go’ Episode Recap

The Imbibe Cinema hosts, Jonathan C. Legat, Trisha Legat, and Michael Noens, are joined by their first guest, Katherine Siegle, to discuss the 2009 road trip film, Away We Go. The movie is praised as an "amazing film about love and family" that manages to be both extremely funny and heavy on the heart, covering the almost infinite ways a family can be represented.

Directed by Sam Mendes (1917), the film is lauded for its cohesive storytelling and technical depth.

• Cinematography and Production Design: The movie uses visual elements to highlight deep moments in childlike settings, such as an intense scene taking place on a backyard trampoline. Cinematographer Ellen Kuras (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) brought a "gritty kind of realism" to the film, while production designer Jess Gonecher (Saturday Night) was praised for showcasing the various families through their unique environments.
• A "Green Production": The production team made a conscious effort to lessen its carbon footprint, practicing an entirely "green production" by using hybrid vehicles and recyclable materials, which was noted as an interesting and rare choice for a film project.
• Writing and Casting: The screenplay, written by Dave Eggers (his first writing credit on this film) and Vend La Vita, is well-written, showing a clear male and female point of view. Casting directors Ellen Lewis and Debra Zane brought together an excellent cast, especially the leads.

The film follows Verona De Tessant (Maya Rudolph) and Bert Farlander (John Krasinski) who embark on a road trip across the country to find the perfect home to start their family. Known for The Office and Jack Ryan, John Krasinski is praised for his range, vulnerability, and humor, which gives weight to the film's serious moments. Maya Rudolph, the Saturday Night Live alumna and Bridesmaids star, is called "one of the greats" for her ability to humanize her character and "make the funny" without taking it beyond a certain point.

The central theme of the movie is the couple's search for the kind of family they want to be. On their journey, they encounter a wide and often bizarre array of family types:

• The Departing Grandparents: Bert's parents (portrayed by Catherine O'Hara and Jeff Daniels) decide to move to Belgium just three months before the baby is due, removing a potential sense of stable relationship and free babysitting.
• The Faux-Parents (Phoenix): Bert’s former boss and his wife (played by Alison Janney and Jim Gaffigan) are portrayed as scary and terrible parents due to their loud, offensive behavior and apparent neglect of their children.
• The Intellectual Hippies (Wisconsin): A couple (portrayed by Maggie Gyllenhaal and Josh Hamilton) who are anti-establishment and practice "family bed," leading the hosts to agree that their characters exemplify "ass hattery."
• The Adoptive Parents (Canada): A loving couple (played by Chris Messina and Melanie Lynskey) who adopted children after the wife experienced five or six miscarriages. They represent a stable, loving family, though their situation is rooted in sudden, traumatizing events.
• The Single Father: Bert's brother, Courtney (played by Paul Schneider), whose wife abruptly left him to raise their daughter. His heartbreaking dialogue about the difficulty of being a single father trying to provide a stable life is a major emotional moment.

The hosts conclude that the film elegantly explores all these different amalgamations of love and what family means, and makes Verona and Bert absorb the chaos to find their home.

Ultimately, the film delivers a beautiful message about confronting unknowns and proceeding with fearlessness. The hosts fully recommend the film, disagreeing with critics who called it "fake" or claims that none of the places seemed "remotely real," arguing that the film achieves a hyper-realism.

Episode Beverage Pairing

Ingredients

• 2 bottles pinot grigio
• 1½ cups mixed frozen berries
• ¼ cup orange liqueur
• 2 tablespoons simple syrup

Stir into large pitcher and pour into individual glasses with fresh mixed berries for garnish.