I really should write my first blog. So 'Away We Go'..

Do you see what I did there?

I went to see ‘Away We Go’ without any high expectations; however, in the end I was successfully entertained. It involves a young couple, Burt and Verona, who are expecting their first child and are unclear of their future together and how their life will unfold. After discovering Burts parents are moving, the couple decide to take a road trip around Canada and America where they visit friends and family. By doing so they discover a variation of family life, from the hippy, eccentric mother played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, to the family of adopted children who, at first appear happy and settled but are deeply unhappy as they don’t have a child of their own.

The film deals with the different characters which Burt and Verona meet on their trip and how they will effect bringing up their own child. However, despite Gyllenhaal’s hilarious portrayal of a parent who thinks she knows best, even if that means not taking your child out in a pram as it means you are ‘pushing them away’, her eccentricity and ability to captivate the audience was not the case for every character in the film. One which comes to mind is Allison Janney, an old co-worker of Veronas, who basically just sits and insults her own children, making it hard to watch. I can’t understand why the audience were supposed to warm to this character, perhaps due to her in-your-face confidence and infective laugh, but quite frankly I just found her annoying.

One aspect of ‘Away We Go’ which I did find that worked was the music, which added to the warmth of the film. Most of the soundtrack was by unknown indie singer-songwriters, which was better suited to the film than say, more popular music. I also appreciated the illustrations as, a lot like Juno, it added to the films earthy feel.

The conclusion Burt and Verona eventually come to is that their real inspiration for bringing up a child lies within their own family. There is a touching moment where Verona is sitting in her old back garden telling stories of her childhood. It is here where the couple realise that they have discovered their ideal lifestyle, which I found very moving. The fact that the answer lay within their own family all along made the whole road trip thing seem a little pointless, but a good story nonetheless.I remember seeing the trailer and have it inform me that this was 'the best film i'll see this year'. I somehow don't think it will be, but I still thought it was very enjoyable in a just like Juno, but not as funny as this time they are actually old enough to be raising a child kind of way.