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John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Jeff Daniels, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Allison Janney ... see more see more... , Catherine O'Hara , Josh Hamilton , Kevin J. O'Connor , Carmen Ejogo , Melanie Lynskey , Jim Gaffigan , Chris Messina , Paul Schneider , Samantha Pryor

When slacker thirtysomething couple Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph) discover that his parents are moving overseas, the duo -- who expect their first child in a few months -- set off on... read more read more... a cross-country tour to figure out where they should lay down some roots in Sam Mendes' poignant comedy Away We Go. They visit a number of different cities, and meet with a different friend or family member's family at each stop. Their hosts include a set of emotionally detached parents (Allison Janney and Jim Gaffigan), a pair of overprotective new-age parents (Maggie Gyllenhaal and Josh Hamilton), and old college pals (Chris Messina and Melanie Lynskey), who have adopted a number of kids. Novelist Dave Eggers wrote the script with Vendela Vida. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

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73% liked it

56,677 ratings

Critics

67% liked it

171 critics

R, 1 hr. 38 min.

Directed by: Sam Mendes

Release Date: June 5, 2009

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DVD Release Date: September 29, 2009

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Stats: 4,427 reviews

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Away We Go Poster Away we go - John Krasinski Away we go - John Krasinski Away we go - John Krasinski Away we go - John Krasinski Maggie Gyllenhaal official film still behind-the-scenes official film still official film still Maya Rudolph Catherine O'Hara Maya Rudolph Maya Rudolph Away we go - John Krasinski Jeff Daniels Away We Go - Logo official film still
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Flixster Reviews (4,427)

  • danperry17
    January 18, 2012
    danperry17
    Not your usual slice-of-life fare, Away We Go is an honest, genuinely-felt and genuinely funny film about a moment in which the world opens up, and any decision can be made, with the catch being that the decision regards where to raise one's child. There are parts that will make ... read moreyou laugh out loud and others that may just break your heart as you follow the young lovers around America (and briefly, into Canada!) on their search for the perfect home. Ably acted - almost underplayed - by both Rudolph, whose character stands firm in her rejection of marriage, and Krasinski, well-cast as the latent romantic, the movie's a little squishy around its edges, but it's very easy to feel these characters, and to enjoy the varied characters - bit parts for great actors - they visit along the way. Well worth seeing once.
  • aliceinpunderland
    July 2, 2011
    aliceinpunderland
    Very darling. Some sweet-as-fuck moments like the fruit tree story and the stroller chase. I also really dig the awkward juxtaposition of sad and erotic in Melanie Lynskey's dead-eyed pole dance after her character suffers her fifth miscarriage.
  • kenstachnik
    June 24, 2011
    kenstachnik
    Mendes proves he's capable of something other than high drama with this adorably "dramedy." Krasinski and Rudolph are both solid, but it's the supporting cast that make the movie worth your time.
  • MrMarakai
    June 20, 2011
    MrMarakai
    Director Sam Mendes may never reach the abundant award winning heights of "American Beauty" again, but he's proved along the road (Revolutionary and Perdition included) that he can still deliver the goods. This is a change of direction for him altogether but it's still a fine add... read moreition to his growing catalogue of family dramas.
    Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph) are expecting their first baby. When Burt's parents, the couple's sole reason for moving to their current non-descript town, decide to leave the US, the couple go on a trip cross-country to find somewhere to raise their child.
    When the film opens we are given a introduction to the solid relationship that the two main characters share, as while performing oral sex on his partner, Burt candidly talks about the theory of different vaginal flavours due to menopause or pregnancy. This duly recieves a slap in the face mid-performance, and thankfully for us he was talking about the latter. So then begins the journey of Burt & Verona as they mould the future of their family. John Krasinski and especially Maya Rudolph are a delight as the two endearing parents-to-be. In fact all the performances are appealing and subtly real and the whole cast pitches in. The real highlights though are the eccentric characters on our protaganists travels, mainly Alison Janney as the witty and offensive ex-colleague and Maggie Gyllenhaal as the free spirited sister. They are particular standouts in an exceptional cast. Despite mainly being a humorous road-trip, it's peppered with some wise and wonderful scenes and has some moments of heartbreaking realism. The soundtrack is also filled with wonderful gems of music and despite it's style, it's missing only one thing...a Nick Drake song.
    Mendes has equipt himself well once more and delivered an unusually heartwarming and quite lovely little film.
  • cosmo313
    June 8, 2011
    cosmo313
    Mendes does Alexander Payne (lite)...and the result is actually not too bad. It's really kind of refreshing and necessary given the content and tone of his previous films. I liked all of those, but one is allowed to stray from their norm once in a while. In fact, I think it might... read more be kind of necessary at times.

    This is a nice little indie dramedy that, even though it might come off as a bit smug or possibly to sappy at times, and has an ending I didn't completely buy, is a nice little piece of entertainment that features some great moments, boasts terrific performances from the two leads and the notable array of supporting players, and made me feel a little less cynical, but not oblivious to reality.

    It might be a tad meandering at times, but I never actually got bored or anything. And it is weird to think that Mendes helmed this, but I don't think this will be a black spot on his career. If you want to see a 21 st century film about pregnancy that isn't overflowing with gross out humor and profanity, or chock full of wittiness and teen speak, then this might be a film for you.

    Also, even though I hate to use the word hipster, it is a look that fits Krasinski well, what with his beard, glasses, and shaggy hair.
  • deano
    October 26, 2010
    deano
    "Are we fuck-ups?" asks Maya Rudolph's Verona of her boyfriend, John Krasinski's Burt. It is, despite the raw language, a poignant moment in a film full of them, as these 30-something soon-to-be-parents consider their lives and how they're going to cope with the impending arrival... read more of a baby. They have a cardboard window, she reasons: they must be fuck-ups.
    It's odd that a film about two people wanting so desperately to do the right thing can be so alienating.
    When they are on the cross-country trip around North America, as the visits start mounting up, it's hard not to feel like a guest at a dinner party where everyone regales you with advice until you want to tell them to shut up. Eventually this undoes the solid work by Krasinski and Rudolph, who convince as the loving couple searching for a home - although so self-contained and insular is their relationship that, at times, watching them can be a distant experience. It's a shame, for this is a story with its heart most definitely in the right place.
  • itsjustme2004
    October 14, 2010
    itsjustme2004
    This was such a nice movie. I just finished watching this and I feel like I am in chick flick heaven. I am a big fan of John Krasinski (yes, I love the Office), so I am sure that helped alot. I think his humor is just adorable, and I thought that this movie was just adorable. Kud... read moreos to the music in this movie, also. Just an all round funny, touching movie.
  • fb619846742
    September 29, 2010
    fb619846742
    A disappointingly boring, too quirky dramedy which centers on a young couple (John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph), who are preparing to have their first child, and their desire to find the perfect home for where to start their young family. This film, almost inexplicably, just didn't d... read moreo it for me. I love most of the cast (big fan of Krasinski, Daniels, Gyllenhaal, O'Hara, Janney, and Gaffigan), but a lot of the characters in the story feel forced into place, with somewhat annoying two lead characters the movie expects us to care about. Certainly not a horrible movie, as it does have some nice touches and the ending (although obviously predictable) feels genuine enough, but it doesn't bring this movie to "slightly above-average territory". The performances from the most part are good, but the Maggie Gyllenhaal family belongs in some other movie.
  • FrizzDrop
    September 8, 2010
    FrizzDrop
    Amazingly good! The casting was superb, the relevance to youth tactful, and the message of family both beautiful and comically perfect.
  • blacksheepboy
    August 29, 2010
    blacksheepboy
    A sweet, sensitive and funny road movie with great performances and a wonderful soundtrack. A film that is both heartwarming and as sharp as Mendes' previous works - and the whole scene with Maggie Gyllenhaal in Madison is just priceless!

View All Away We Go Reviews

Critic Reviews

Michael Rechtshaffen
June 26, 2009
Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter

Terrific performances make this tender if slight little film worth the trip.

Roger Moore
June 24, 2009
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

Away We Go makes a nice metaphor for a rootless, self-involved culture of parents trying to get it right and getting all the wrong advice as they do. Full Review

Rafer Guzman
June 18, 2009
Rafer Guzman, Newsday

Rudolph lends depth and complexity to this otherwise facile story. Full Review

Christopher Orr
June 16, 2009
Christopher Orr, New Republic

You may very well enjoy Away We Go more than I did. But rest assured that you will never love this movie as much as it loves itself. Full Review

Colin Covert
June 12, 2009
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

By my count, two episodes succeed and half a dozen fall flat. Your mileage may vary. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
June 12, 2009
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Away We Go comes with a pedigree that's undeniable, but this time the filmmakers benefit from the experience, and the audience barely breaks even. Full Review

Liam Lacey
June 12, 2009
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

Krasinski and Rudolph make a convincing, uncertain young couple, a bit smarter than the usual slacker set. Full Review

Tom Long
June 12, 2009
Tom Long, Detroit News

It's hardly painful, but it's not exactly thrilling, either. Full Review

Peter Howell
June 12, 2009
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

Away We Go is dead-end Quirkville, penned by real-life couple Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida, successful authors taking an unfortunate wrong turn into movie writing. Full Review

Chris Vognar
June 12, 2009
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News

Away We Go pleads so earnestly for emotional resonance that it forgets to earn any.

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    • Burt: Do you promise to let our daughter be fat or skinny or any weight at all? Because we want her to be happy, no matter what. Being obsessed with weight is just too cliché for our daughter.
    • Verona: Yes, I do. Do you promise, when she talks, you'll listen? Like, really listen, especially when she's scared? And that her fights will be your fights?
    • Burt: I do. And do you promise that if I die some embarrassing and boring death that you're gonna tell our daughter that her father was killed by Russian soldiers in this intense hand-to-hand combat in an attempt to save the lives of 850 Chechnyan orphans?
    • Burt: What's wrong with a stroller?
    • LN: I LOVE my babies. Why would I want to PUSH them away from me?
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Away We Go : Watch Free on TV

Away We Go Trivia

  • What song did the cast of "Grease" sing as they were flying away in the car?  Answer »
  • Where do LN's kids sleep in 'Away We Go.'?  Answer »
  • Burt:What's wrong with a stroller? LN:I LOVE my babies. Why would I want to PUSH them away from me? What film?  Answer »
  • "Babies like to breathe, and they're good at hiding it. I put a pillow over a baby. I thought she wasn't breathing, but she was. She was sneaky, but I'll try again." What film?  Answer »
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