Away We Go

This one is my wife's film. In fact, that may be an understatement given how much she loved this film when she saw it in theaters. From the moment she came home I knew this film would need to be her birthday present. It was in a sorta round about way. I made the mistake of involving my kids in the decision making process for their moms birthday and asked them to choose either this film or Marley and Me. They choose the one with a dog on the cover. Heidi would have been happy with Marley and Me but she wanted Away We Go. We exchanged it and ended up getting Marley and Me for like 5 bucks the day after Thanksgiving so I think it all worked out the way it was supposed to. At least, I believe that until the day comes when I finally have to watch Marley and Me.
Regarding Away We Go, it is a delightful little film that I would argue improves with a second viewing. It stars Jim from The Office (do I even need to type out John Krasinski?) and Maya Rudolph who discover that they are pregnant. They are in their early 30's and are still trying to get things figured out. They aren't married because Verona (Rudolph) doesn't "believe in it" (her real reason is much more moving) and they still aren't fully settled regarding their home and careers. They find out that Burt's (Jim from The Office) parents are moving to Europe 3 months before the baby is due, leaving them no reason to stay in the town they are in.
They travel to Arizona to meet Verona's old boss and her later her sister. They take a train to WI where Burt has a job interview and a childhood friend to catch up with. They head to Montreal where some friends from college live and then to Miami to help out Burt's brother who is in a crisis.
Some of the characters we meet of this trip are boorish and the attempts at humor feel more awkward and uncomfortable than they are worth. But the times when the film is trying to be serious are right on and feel very genuine. That's no small trick for director Sam Mendes to pull off considering we are only with these characters for a few moments and yet they are able to elicit real emotion from us. The first time you watch the film the comical characters are so over the top at times that it distracts from the moments of heartbreaking brilliance the film has to offer. But on repeat viewing the films brilliance and care for the characters shines through and we are privy to some great things in this film.
On a personal note, there is part in the film that left me wanting to cry my eyes out while watching it a second time. It's regarding their college friends who have several adopted children at home. They meet up, they have laughs, they have drinks (responsibly, of course) and then the husband lets Burt know that only days before his wife had her fifth miscarriage. The scene itself only lasts a few minutes and yet he says the same things you think of as a husband when your wife has a miscarriage. You don't know if your supposed to name the baby. You don't know if your supposed to bury the baby. Whenever you can though you try to carry on and still share laughs with your friends but inside their is always a part of you that feels broken and you know you can't fix it. You sometimes wonder if it's somehow your fault and if there are things you could have done differently to change things. And worst of all you want to do everything you can for you wife and yet it is the one time you feel the most helpless. The best you can do is listen, hold each other and continue to love what you have along with the memory of the one who is waiting for you.