Reviewed by Johnny McNair

 

Universal Studios Home Entertainment – 98 mins – 2009 – Rated R – 1080p Widescreen 2.39:1 – DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio

 

 

After watching a wave of movies with explosions, car chases, shoot-outs, transforming robots, and aliens, it’s refreshing to watch a film that is simply about regular people. Away We Go is a small independent film that knows exactly what it is, and focuses on characters rather than flash and pizzazz, but don’t let this scare you because it has something to say, even if it does it quietly. Away We Go comes to Blu-ray from Universal Home Video, so if you’re looking for something mellow this one is for you.

 

THE MOVIE

 

Former Saturday Night Live cast member Maya Rudolf plays Verona, a young woman who is in a relationship with her boyfriend Burt (John Krasinski from NBC’s The Office). They discover that they are having a baby and with no money, nor steady careers have to figure a way to handle the blessed event. Instead of doing the standard pre-baby checklist, Verona and Burt instead go on a road trip to visit family and friends on a quest to figure out where they want to call home to raise their child. Through this they learn more about each other and what are the important things of life, beyond the typical.

 

Directed by Sam Mendes, who also directed the Oscar winning American Beauty, Away We Go is a slice of life drama that avoids the basic cut and paste romantic comedy guidelines, and instead turns the nine-month journey before the birth of their child into a character based adventure. There are quirky cameos by Catherine O’Hara, Jeff Daniels, and Jim Gaffigan, as well as a various other characters they meet while traveling, which provide comedic elements.

 

The best thing about Away We Go is that the Chemistry between Rudolph and Krasinski makes the film work because you never get sidetracked on what their true intentions are. These are real people and it’s easy to relate to their struggles, especially anyone who has recently become a new parent. The film is not for everyone, and many may find it quite dull, but for those that find a connection to it, Away We Go is a nice simple movie that feels right. And every now and then that’s more satisfying than a transforming robot anytime.

 

VIDEO

 

For a small film, Away We Go looks great on Blu-ray with a full 1080p image set in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. Colors are strong and skin tones are smooth, allowing you to see every freckle on Maya Rudolph’s face. There are hints of grain, but nothing that takes away from the overall image quality. While not as sparkling as a big budget sci-fi film, Away We Go holds its own and should satisfy anyone looking for a nice picture.

 

AUDIO

 

Away We Go is a pure dialogue heavy film, so the Dolby DTS-HD 5.1 sound mix does the trick, offering a crystal clear track. Background noises are also nicely balanced, but don’t expect any other speaker but the forward one to get a workout. There’s nothing to complain about, because this is simple audio mix that does the job to draw you into the experience.

 

EXTRAS

 

Away We Go is a small indie film so don’t expect dual disc filled with bonus features and a hologram case. Instead, like the film the extras are simple offering an audio commentary and a short making of.

 

Director Sam Mendes sits down with the film’s writers Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida to provide an audio commentary track. These three get along very well offering on the set stories, as well as the origins of the script. If you enjoyed the film then the commentary compliments it.

 

‘The Making of Away We Go’ is presented in HD and is your basic quick behind the scenes package featuring interviews with the cast and crew. You’ll problem get more out of listening to the audio commentary track.

 

‘Green Filmmaking’ is exactly what it sounds like; a small piece that focuses on how the filmmakers used environmentally friendly efforts to make this movie.

 

BOTTOM LINE

 

Away We Go is a nice change of pace from the traditional Hollywood boom-bang fest, with real people like those you may actually know. The Blu-ray provides a nice picture and good sound, and makes the experience worth it. This may be a ‘chick-flick’ to most, but it’s worth a look and may pleasantly surprise you. Give it a try.

 

SCORES: (Out of 5):

 

The Movie: 3.5

Video: 4.0

Sound: 3.0

Extras: 3.0

Bottom Line: 3.0