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Duncan (Liam James), is your typical 14 year old product of a difficult divorce, a bit awkward, wanting to fit in, and a desiring to be loved; meanwhile, Pam (Toni Collette), Duncan’s mom is trying her best to fill those needs all the while fill her own needs for love with her new boyfriend Trent (Steve Carell). In an attempt to have some quality “family time,” the group heads up to Trent’s beach cabin for the summer. Tensions rise quickly though as beach regulars Betty, Kip, and Joan (Allison Janney, Rob Corddry, and Amanda Peet) add their own stresses to the household. Escaping to the local water park seems Duncan’s only refuge from the madness, it’s at the park where Duncan meets Owen and Caitlin (Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph), two equally flawed but kindred souls on a similar journey. Coming of age, overthrowing the tyranny of mom and dad, and stewarding his own ship, Duncan may still be a boy but he’s becoming quite the man, can he hold it all together?Off beat and quirky this gem manages to pack the comedic punches in fast and furious, perfectly capturing the magic and uncomfortable nature of the early teen years. And, more than comedy, heavy topics such as finding yourself, cutting your own path, accepting mistakes, and acknowledging failures weigh in to make for a dramedy with more heart than most. Performances all round have nicely polished edges. And, nice twist, where many may be expecting comedy gold from Carell, we actually see another side to the usual funny man, refreshing! Writer/Director’s Nat Faxon and Jim Rash strike gold again in their storytelling abilities, rich, compelling, and layered. This one deserves your attention. The Way, Way Back is rated PG-13.

Many years since his days in the Wild West as a Native American warrior, Tonto (Johnny Depp), the infamous man of western mystery, is now an act in a touring circus. Prompted by a young attendant to the circus he recounts the story of how the lawyer John Reid (Armie Hammer) became the enforcer of justice known as the Lone Ranger. Specifically, how the greedy and dishonest men of the railroad industry came to power, how Tonto and Reid’s paths crossed, and ultimately how the two came to join forces. But let’s be fair, this isn’t really a movie about the Lone Ranger, rather the Lone Ranger happens to be the canvas for Johnny Depp to apply his quirky self in another one dimensional display. That being said, if you enjoy Depp’s off beat delivery and sensibilities, well, here’s two more hours and ten minutes of Johnny doing his thing, at a certain point though, even the most stout fans will probably grow a bit weary. Armie Hammer on the other hand doesn’t really seem to get as much time in the limelight questioning why the film’s title isn’t just “Tonto!” Younger attention spans may be tested as getting to the real action is more of a slow burn. Scoring from Hans Zimmer feels like left overs from Sherlock Holmes, bringing to question when will Zimmer challenge himself again? But, when we finally get about two thirds into the film a rousing arrangement and beautiful recording of the William Tell Overture (quite possibly the longest re-arrangement ever)blows the audience out of their seats almost guaranteeing smiles on the faces of all aware of the Lone Ranger lore. A handful of pokes at the Ranger’s source material bring a few extra laughs, still the end product somehow feels empty, fun but empty. Maybe a matinee, you could do worse. The Lone Ranger is rated PG-13.