Allison Janney

‘Away We Go’ From Sam Mendes a Slightly Bumpy Trip Worth Taking

Ebeth — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:41:17 -0600

Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Has life always been this difficult? Doesn’t anybody ever stay together anymore? Have the pressures of modern times turned the majority of us into screw-ups?

“Away We Go” is a chronicle of couple – Burt and Verona (John Krasinski of NBC’s “The Office” and Maya Rudolph of “Saturday Night Live”) – attempting to resolve just that.

Maya Rudolph (left) stars as Verona and John Krasinski (right) stars as Burt in Sam Mendes’ “Away We Go”.
Image credit: François Duhamel

A narrative map of stops along the road to self-discovery, the film is an exploration of the complications and confusions in modern relationships.

Thirty-somethings Burt and Verona – a pair stunted in their college days (living with borrowed furniture and a cardboard window) – are expecting. What they’re not expecting is to be left completely alone in the venture as Burt’s parents (played by Catherine O’Hara and Jeff Daniels) announce their planned move to Belgium one month before the baby’s due date.

Unsettled by this lack of support with no family or friends left in the area, the couple sets off on a city-by-city tour with the goal of finding their niche: a new job, new community and new home all their own.

John Krasinski stars in Sam Mendes’ “Away We Go”.
Image credit: François Duhamel

Each stop on their itinerary is an intended visit to a mosaic of colorful “characters”. A credit to writers Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida, the film excels in finding humor in the quirky: those crazed to the point of awkwardness but sane just enough to function in society.

From the appearance of Burt’s egocentric and insensitive parents to the couple’s brief encounter with a sociopath-in-the-making youth, the oddities sprinkled into several of the characters make for some great “it’s funny ‘cause it’s true” moments.

Among the drop-ins we find Allison Janney as Lily (from the acclaimed “Juno”). In a complete 180 from her conservative “West Wing” role, she plays a loud and social bubble-invading blast from Verona’s professional past. Though a few notes of overacting, Janney hits the mark more often than not.

Allison Janney stars as Lily in Sam Mendes’ “Away We Go”.
Image credit: François Duhamel

Playing opposite Janney as Lowell (Lily’s husband), stand-up comedian Jim Gaffigan stumbles through a half-enthused performance. Be it the writing or Gaffigan’s interpretation of the character, the humor in his scenes feels forced within a film that’s clearly trying to not.

A couple with much the same dynamic, Maggie Gyllenhaal (of “The Dark Knight” and “Stranger Than Fiction”) energizes as pop-spiritual, in-a-realm-of-her-own LN (formerly known as Ellen) whereas Josh Hamilton’s flat appearance as LN’s husband Roderick can’t be deemed yang to her yin.

Remarkable are Chris Messina and Melanie Lynsky’s performances as Tom and Munch as longtime college friends of Burt and Verona. Both of these actors – as adoptive parents experiencing the agony of multiple miscarriages – create two heartbreaking personas and leave an empathic physical ache within the audience.

Perfectly attuned to the subtleties of “Away We Go,” the soundtrack by new artist Alexi Murdoch is the movie. It would be a challenge to find music that’s a better addition to this script.

John Krasinski (left) stars as Burt and Maya Rudolph (right) stars as Verona in Sam Mendes’ “Away We Go”.
Image credit: François Duhamel

Despite the multiple take-offs, the number of descents within “Away We Go” do leave it slightly south of its destination. Some of its character quirks (such as LN and Roderick’s “spirituality”) are too emphasized and leave the moviegoer wishing the writers had hit the breaks just a bit sooner.

Attempts to capture a natural, chit-chat flow within the characters (something Maya Rudolph does excel in) succeed at times, but leaves a few scenes between the couple feeling dull and contrived.

Often quite endearing and dead on as sentimental, goofy-nerd Burt, John Krasinski has a few moments of wide-eyed and aimless line sputtering that seem out of place. Equally out of place is the final line of the movie, which – spoken by Verona – seems out of character. It’s a clunk at the end of a pretty piano piece.

In creating Verona, the writers and director Sam Mendes (who directed “American Beauty,” “Jarhead,” “Revolutionary Road” and “Road to Perdition”) are graced by Maya Rudolph’s touching portrayal. A role seemingly destined for Rudolph, she floats through a performance that’s memorable and complete.

Director Sam Mendes on the set of his new film “Away We Go”.
Image credit: François Duhamel

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Read more film reviews from critic Elizabeth Oppriecht.

All in all, “Away We Go” proves a satisfying, rare look at the intricate dynamics between people – all types of people – as they struggle for balance in this “crazy world”. Driving straight into the difficult themes of separation, divorce, childbirth, death and infertility, this is a film with a little something for everyone who has lived.

It’s especially for those currently experiencing these trials of life. Though not without its valleys, “Away We Go” delivers just enough to be a worthy trip to the theatre.

“Away We Go” from director Sam Mendes stars John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Allison Janney, Jeff Daniels, Jim Gaffigan, Catherine O’Hara and Chris Messina. “Away We Go,” which opened in Chicago on June 12, 2009 and opens in other limited cities on June 5, 2009, is rated “R” for language and some sexual content.

By ELIZABETH OPPRIECHT
HollywoodChicago.com
elizabeth@hollywoodchicago.com

‘Juno’ the First LiveJournal, Blogger Film; Writer Diablo Cody a Standout Star

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 21:30:03 -0600

AUSTIN, Texas – No one says anything plainly in “Juno”. Hyper clever, hyper literate and hyper pop savvy, it tells a light story of teenage pregnancy in a package of verbose middle classiness.

Ellen Page (left) and Olivia Thirlby in “Juno”.
Photo courtesy of IMDb
Furthering the influence of the Internet on filmmaking in the 21st century, “Juno” has hyper-thought cleverness and the distinct personality of voice that comes from the personal blogging set. It’s the first LiveJournal or Blogger film.

That’s not entirely odd, though, since 2007’s unjustly maligned “Hot Rod” could’ve been the first feature-length YouTube movie. The dialogue in “Juno” doesn’t just call out to be read. It’s like hypertext that calls to be clicked on.

Under the razor-thin direction of Jason Reitman, “Juno” – unlike “Hot Rod” or “Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters” – is a pure movie. It dispenses any obtuseness and has the instincts of an audience pleaser.

Where an average movie about pregnancy turns its water-breaking scene into a dramatic, third-act starter (which even “Knocked Up” did), this film’s screenplay (scribed by hilarious blogger and memoirist Diablo Cody) has its eponymous character signal a pop-culture reference double threat: “Thundercats are go!” (This is a combination of Thundercats and Thunderbirds.)

Ellen Page and Michael Cera in “Juno”.
Photo courtesy of IMDb
The movie has two standout stars – Ellen Page as Juno and Cody as the screenwriter – while Reitman (himself the distinct and clever voice behind “Thank You for Smoking”) wisely steps aside for a one-off and applies a perfect, hands-off directorial approach.

He sprinkles certain moments of gravity here and there.

As for Page, I’m not even sure she’s a talented comedienne. She just has the range to act that funny. While there’s none of the same intensity she brought to “Hard Candy” here, there’s still some of the (barely used) tenderness she brought to Kitty Pryde in “X-Men: The Last Stand”.

In “Juno,” she never falls into smugness despite spending most of her screen time being a wise girl. That’s probably because – in this film’s rich screenplay – she’s never necessarily the smartest person in the room. Each adeptly cast role gives a character a speech or moment to shine.

Director Jason Reitman in “Juno”.
Photo courtesy of IMDb
Allison Janney’s nail-obsessed stepmother has the hilarious dressing down of an ultrasound technician while J.K. Simmons has the funny reaction to learning who knocked up his daughter: “Next time I see him, I’m punching him in the wiener.”

That would be Michael Cera, who is still earning his own career-launching lauds from “Superbad”. Despite having the least amount of quotable lines, he milks awkward stutters and sweetness better than anyone his age.

The couple played by Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman – in what at first seems like a superfluous subplot – lends the movie most of its gravity. Garner’s baby-lacking matriarch has her best moments when Juno tells her she’s lucky not to be pregnant.

The gem is the turn by Bateman, who tweaks the sarcastic authority of his “Arrested Development” persona into a surprisingly bottom-line, to-be father who never got over the night his band opened for the Melvins. When Bateman, Garner, Simmons and Page first meet on screen, it’s the film’s centerpiece scene.

Jennifer Garner (left), Jason Bateman and Ellen Page in “Juno”.
Photo courtesy of IMDb
Again, this movie belongs to Cody from her blogging. She’s originally from Chicago, by the way, but moved to Minnesota to live with her Internet boyfriend – Jonny – who’s now her husband. Seriously. They now live in Los Angeles.

Cody is used to clever wordplay to pad earnest moments of connection and soul bearing. Formerly a brief stripper, Cody’s long-running blog (formerly here) gained national exposure with her memoir “Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper”.

While the book and blog are almost equally as entertaining (if a little overwritten), Cody’s style – when applied to dialogue – has a leaner, tongue-jumping humanism to it.

Reitman gives generously selfless direction. He finds the widely sought comedy light touch that’s essential here. How many times have you seen a clever movie where the mumble mouths and lazy eyes of actors are passed off as dry wit?

From right to left, Olivia Thirlby, Allison Janney and Ellen Page in “Juno”.
Photo courtesy of IMDb
I recently screened “Juno” at the Austin Film Festival where both Reitman and Cody introduced the film.

Reitman said he remembered the day he first read “Juno”. As he introduced her, he told the audience: “You’ll remember this as the day you met Diablo Cody.” Cody promptly replied: “That is the stupidest intro I’ve ever heard.”

Cody could go either way from here. Delivered by inferior actors or directors, her dialogue could quickly grow annoying and go the way of Zach Braff’s blog. Then again, she could be next Kevin Smith.

Reitman himself is too good a writer to only direct.

Page’s range is once in a generation. She’ll be a draw for anything she stars in from here on out. For all these diverse talents, I ultimately came away from “Juno” just wanting these three to get together and make many, many more movies.

Juno is slated to open in limited U.S. theaters (including Chicago) on Dec. 14, 2007. We selected this film as one to watch for on Sept. 14 Our Oscarman rating for this movie currently ties with our highest films.

By Shane Hazen
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com