The Way, Way Back - Wikipedia The Way, Way Back This article may be expanded with text translated from the corresponding article in Portuguese. ( September 2016 ) Click for important translation instructions. View a machine - translated version of the Portuguese article. Google 's machine translation is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy - pasting machine - translated text into the English Wikipedia. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low - quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign - language article. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary ( using German ) : Content in this edit is translated from the existing German Wikipedia article at ( ( : de : Exact name of German article ) ) ; see its history for attribution. You should also add the template ( ( Translated pt O Verão da Minha Vida ) ) to the talk page. For more guidance, see Wikipedia : Translation. The Way, Way Back Theatrical release poster Directed by Nat Faxon Jim Rash Produced by Tom Rice Kevin J. Walsh Written by Nat Faxon Jim Rash Starring Steve Carell Toni Collette Allison Janney AnnaSophia Robb Sam Rockwell Maya Rudolph Rob Corddry Amanda Peet Liam James Music by Rob Simonsen Cinematography John Bailey Edited by Tatiana S. Riegel Production company Sycamore Pictures Odd Lot Entertainment Distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures ( United States ) StudioCanal ( Australia ) Release date January 21, 2013 ( 2013 - 01 - 21 ) ( Sundance ) July 5, 2013 ( 2013 - 07 - 05 ) ( United States ) Running time 103 minutes Country United States Language English Budget $5 million Box office $23.2 million The Way, Way Back is a 2013 American comedy - drama film written and directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash in their directorial debut. The film stars Liam James, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, AnnaSophia Robb, Sam Rockwell and Maya Rudolph, with Rob Corddry, Amanda Peet, Faxon and Rash in supporting roles. It premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Box office 4 Reception 5 Soundtrack 6 Accolades 7 References 8 External links Plot Fourteen - year - old Duncan from Albany, New York reluctantly goes on summer vacation to a beach house in a small seaside town near Cape Cod, Massachusetts with his mother, Pam ; her wealthy boyfriend, Trent ; and Trent 's stuck up daughter, Steph. Trent emotionally belittles Duncan, frequently making comments and gestures that are condescending and rude to him, Steph sequentially, follows suite in attitude towards him and is spoiled by Trent. On the way to the beach house, Trent asks Duncan to rate himself on a scale of one to ten ; Duncan rates himself a six while Trent tells him he thinks Duncan is a three. They arrive at the beach house and are greeted by the neighbors : the gregarious, hard - drinking Betty ; her children Susanna and Peter ; and married couple Kip and Joan. Later that evening, Duncan and Susanna have an awkward conversation from their adjacent porches. Duncan discovers a small girl 's bicycle in the garage of the beach house and uses it to begin exploring the town. At a pizza restaurant, he runs into the staff of Water Wizz, the local water park. He meets Owen, who is playing Pac - Man, and eventually Owen takes Duncan under his wing and shows him around the park. Duncan meets the park 's colorful, rag - tag group of employees : Caitlin, Lewis, and Roddy. Several kids at the water park speak reverently of a legendary pass in the tube slide, wondering how it could have been done. Owen hires Duncan for odd jobs at Water Wizz. Outside the park, Duncan is continually neglected by his mother, Pam, who indulges in drinking, staying out at night, and smoking marijuana with other adult vacationers. At a Fourth of July cookout, Susanna sees that he is upset about this and invites him to go hunting for ghost crabs with her and Peter, where she talks about her absent father and helps Duncan to open up. Later that night, Duncan witnesses Trent and Joan kissing by the side of the house, but does not reveal what he saw. Pam begins to suspect Trent and Joan are having an affair, but Trent convinces her nothing is going on. Later, Duncan confronts Pam in front of friends and neighbors and tells her to face up to Trent 's affair and get rid of him. Trent in retaliation tells Duncan his divorced father does not want him. Duncan stalks away. Susanna follows him and comforts Duncan out on the beach. Duncan attempts to kiss Susanna, but she moves away, which makes him become even more upset. Accompanied by Peter, Duncan sneaks away to Water Wizz where Owen is throwing a going away party for Lewis. After spending all night with his friends at Water Wizz, Duncan is still at the park the next morning, refusing to leave. Owen confronts him and asks him why he does not want to go home. Duncan opens up to Owen about his relationship with Trent and how the water park is the only place where he feels happy and accepted. Owen sympathizes with Duncan 's problems. When Duncan arrives back at the beach house, Pam tells him they are leaving with Trent and Steph. Betty and her kids arrive to say their goodbyes. Susanna finally kisses Duncan. When Trent stops for gas on their way out of town, Duncan jumps out of the station wagon and runs to Water Wizz, followed by his mother, then Trent and Steph. Duncan tells Owen and the other employees that he has to leave and tells Owen to follow him. He takes Owen to the Devil 's Peak slide, and Duncan becomes the first person to ever pass someone in the water slide while the rest of the park watches. After finally introducing Owen to his mother, Duncan says goodbye to everyone at the park. Owen tells Pam she has a great kid, and introduces himself to Trent as `` a good friend of the three ''. Trent, Steph, Pam and Duncan regroup in the car, where Pam finally stands up for herself as they head out of town. Pam climbs to the way, way back of the car where Duncan is sitting and they share a smile as Trent 's protests are heard in the background. Cast Liam James as Duncan Steve Carell as Trent Ramsey Toni Collette as Pam Sam Rockwell as Owen AnnaSophia Robb as Susanna Thompson Allison Janney as Betty Thompson Maya Rudolph as Caitlin Rob Corddry as Kip Amanda Peet as Joan Jim Rash as Lewis Nat Faxon as Roddy Robert Capron as Kyle River Alexander as Peter Thompson Ava Deluca - Verley as Katy Zoe Levin as Steph Ramsey Box Office The film had its premiere screening at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. The film became one of the most financially successful films to come out of the festival that year, outperforming well - known entries and Oscar - nominated films from the previous year. It was released on July 5, 2013 in 19 theaters and surpassed box office expectations, averaging an impressive $30,263 per screen and grossing $525,000 total for the weekend. On July 15, 2013, the film was added to an additional 60 theaters, and grossed $1,110,000. The film ended up earning $21,506,546 in North America and $4,968,374 elsewhere for a total of $26,474,920. Reception The Way, Way Back received positive reviews and has a rating of 85 % on Rotten Tomatoes based on 172 reviews with an average score of 7.3 out of 10. The consensus states, `` Despite its familiar themes, The Way Way Back makes use of its talented cast, finely tuned script, and an abundance of charm to deliver a funny and satisfying coming - of - age story ''. The film also has a score of 68 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 41 reviews. Inkoo Kang of The Village Voice called, The Way, Way Back `` a crowd - pleasing summer treat, predictable in its sweetness but satisfying all the same ''. BBC Radio 5 Live film critic Mark Kermode praised the performances of Sam Rockwell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney and Maya Rudolph and similarly reasoned that whilst `` it 's not world - changing, or earth - shattering '' the film is `` really sweet and funny ''. David Gritten of The Telegraph also praised the scene - stealing performances of Janney and Rockwell, concluding that despite a flood of similar coming - of - age films released in 2013 the film `` feels warm, funny -- and even fresh ''. Catherine Shoard of The Guardian gave the film a positive review, concluding that `` for all the longueurs, there are still enough moments of near brilliance to sustain you through the trip ''. Betsy Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times commended the film 's quirky dialogue and cast performances, calling the film `` witty, heartwarming, hopeful, sentimental, searing and relatable ''. Sam Rockwell 's performance was met with critical praise, with many critics agreeing that his performance was deserving of an Academy Award nomination. MaryAnn Johanson of Flick Filosopher said that Rockwell `` makes the biggest splash with a sizzling supporting performance. Not only is he naturally funny, but he has the great ability to make every sharp line of dialogue sound freshly improvised. '' By contrast The A.V. Club gave the film a C+, describing it as `` generically constructed '' and `` never as refreshing as it 's constantly straining to be ''. Soundtrack Heather Phares of Allmusic gave the film 7 / 10 stars saying : The charming coming of age comedy The Way Way Back soundtracks its tale of 14 - year - old Duncan 's fateful summer working at the Water Wizz water park with bouncy ' 80s hits and indie rock... While the collection is n't as consistent as the soundtracks to like - minded films such as Juno or Little Miss Sunshine, it still has enough personality to be an entertaining set of songs. `` For the Time Being '' -- Edie Brickell / The Gaddabouts `` Kyrie '' -- Mr. Mister `` Out the Door '' -- Ben Kweller `` Come and See '' -- Young Galaxy `` Last Legs '' -- Army Navy `` Young Blood '' -- UFO `` Shine '' -- Wild Belle `` New Sensation '' -- INXS `` Sneaking Sally Through the Alley '' -- Robert Palmer `` Young at Heart '' -- The Rondo Brothers / Tim Myers `` Recess '' -- Eli `` Paperboy '' Reed `` Power Hungry Animals '' -- The Apache Relay `` Alone '' -- Trampled by Turtles `` Go Where the Love Is '' -- Edie Brickell / The Gaddabouts `` The Way Way Back '' -- Rob Simonsen Other songs `` Ca n't Fight This Feeling '' -- REO Speedwagon Accolades Awards Award Recipients and nominees Result AARP Annual Movies for Grownups Awards Best Comedy The Way, Way Back Won Critics ' Choice Movie Awards Best Comedy Nominated Best Actor in a Comedy Sam Rockwell Nominated Best Young Actor / Actress Liam James Nominated MTV Movie Awards Best Breakthrough Performance Liam James Nominated Online Film Critics Society Best Supporting Actor Sam Rockwell Nominated Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards 2013 Best Actor in a Supporting Role Sam Rockwell Nominated Best Ensemble Acting Nominated Breakthrough Performance on Camera Liam James Nominated Best Performance by a Youth in a Lead or Supporting Role -- Male Liam James Nominated San Diego Film Critics Society Best Supporting Actor Sam Rockwell Nominated Best Ensemble Performance Nominated St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Best Comedy Nominated Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Best Acting Ensemble Nominated Best Youth Performance Liam James Nominated Young Artist Awards Best Leading Young Actor in a Feature Film Liam James Nominated Best Supporting Young Actor in a Feature Film River Alexander Nominated References Jump up ^ `` THE WAY WAY BACK ( 12A ) ''. British Board of Film Classification. May 16, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2013. Jump up ^ Chai, Barbara ( July 3, 2013 ). `` The Water Park Behind ' The Way, Way Back ' ''. The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company. Retrieved October 29, 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` The Way Way Back ( 2013 ) ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 3, 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` The Way, Way Back ( 2013 ) - International Box Office Results - Box Office Mojo ''. boxofficemojo.com. ^ Jump up to : `` The Way, Way Back Archives Sundance Institute ''. filmguide.sundance.org. Archived from the original on December 30, 2012. Retrieved March 23, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Sundance 2013 Pickups Are Outperforming Last Year 's Crop - TheWrap ''. thewrap.com. Retrieved March 23, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Specialty Box Office : ' Way, Way Back ' Scores Strong Debut ; ' Midnight ' Tops ' Sunrise ' and ' Sunset ' Filmmakers, Film Industry, Film Festivals, Awards & Movie Reviews Indiewire ''. indiewire.com. Retrieved March 23, 2014. Jump up ^ `` The Way, Way Back ''. Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved October 29, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The Way Way Back ''. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved October 29, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The Way, Way Back Offers a Sugar High, but Not Much More '', The Village Voice, July 3, 2013. Retrieved on July 12, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Mark Kermode reviews The Way Way Back '', Kermode And Mayo 's Film Review. Retrieved on August 31, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The Way, Way Back, review '', The Telegraph. Retrieved on August 31, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The Way, Way Back -- review '', The Guardian. Retrieved on August 31, 2013. Jump up ^ Betsy Sharkey ( July 4, 2013 ). `` Movie review : The Way, Way Back has a sweet side and a sting -- review ''. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 2, 2013. Jump up ^ Seibert, Perry. `` The Way Way Back Review ''. Retrieved 13 August 2015. Jump up ^ `` The Way Way Back - Movie Review ''. Retrieved 13 August 2015. Jump up ^ Johanson, MaryAnn. `` The Way, Way Back review : how to escape from your family ''. Retrieved 13 August 2015. Jump up ^ Dowd, A.A., The Way, Way Back, A.V. Club, July 4, 2013, Retrieved December 23, 2013 ^ Jump up to : Heather Phares ( July 3, 2013 ). `` TheWay Way Back - Original Soundtrack ''. Allmusic. Retrieved September 4, 2016. Jump up ^ `` The Way, Way Back ''. Cinema de Merde. July 12, 2013. Retrieved September 17, 2016. Jump up ^ `` AARP Names ' 12 Years a Slave ' Best Movie for Grownups ''. AFI. January 6, 2014. Retrieved January 6, 2014. Jump up ^ `` 19TH ANNUAL CRITICS ' CHOICE MOVIE AWARDS NOMINATIONS ''. Retrieved December 31, 2013. Jump up ^ `` MTV announces 2014 Movie Award nominees ''. USA Today. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` Online Film Critics Announce Nominees ; Miyazaki and To Surprise with Multiple Nominations ''. Indiewire. December 9, 2013. Retrieved March 9, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Phoenix Film Critics Society 2013 Award Nominations ''. Phoenix Film Critics Society. Retrieved March 9, 2014. Jump up ^ `` 2013 San Diego Film Critics Society nominations ''. Hitfix. December 10, 2013. Retrieved March 9, 2014. Jump up ^ `` 2013 St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association nominations ''. Hitfix. December 9, 2013. Retrieved March 9, 2014. Jump up ^ `` 2013 Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association winners ''. Hitfix. December 8, 2013. Retrieved March 9, 2014. Jump up ^ `` 35th Annual Young Artist Awards ''. Young Artist Awards. Retrieved April 14, 2014. External links Wikiquote has quotations related to : The Way, Way Back The Way, Way Back on IMDb The Way, Way Back at Rotten Tomatoes The Way, Way Back at Metacritic The Way, Way Back at Box Office Mojo Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Way,_Way_Back&oldid=814964628 '' Categories : 2013 films English - language films 2010s comedy - drama films 2010s coming - of - age films 2010s independent films 2010s teen comedy films 2010s teen drama films Albany, New York American comedy - drama films American coming - of - age films American independent films American teen comedy films American teen drama films Coming - of - age comedy films Coming - of - age drama films Directorial debut films Films about dysfunctional families Films about vacationing Films set in Massachusetts Films set in New York ( state ) Films shot in Massachusetts Odd Lot Entertainment films Hidden categories : Articles to be expanded from September 2016 All articles to be expanded Articles needing translation from Portuguese Wikipedia Use mdy dates from April 2014 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Deutsch Español فارسی Français 한국어 Bahasa Indonesia Italiano Magyar Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Русский Suomi Svenska 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 11 December 2017, at 22 : 53. 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Question: where does the way way back take place
Answer: a small seaside town near Cape Cod, Massachusetts