Movie Trailer Review: "Away We Go"

John Krasinski busts outs of his Jim Halpert persona playing 100% against type as a marauding, tattooed, ex-con thief hell bent on avenging the brutal murder of… no wait… he’s playing Halpert again, but this time with an indie-guy beard and glasses. Way to go, Strecth.

He’s paired with the cute but droopy Maya Rudolph as a slacker couple traveling across this great land of ours looking for a place to lay down roots and raise their hipster-to-be child.  (“Honey, where’s the Ramones onesie I just bought him? We’re going to the swap meet.”)

The film was directed by Sam Mendes (“American Beauty”) — the healthy dose of beautifully-lit, wordless, wide-angle epic shots of the couple in ordinary situations might have tipped you off  — and it’s based on an original screenplay by Dave Eggers and his wife, Vendela Vida (maybe just a tad autobiographical).

This is not my cup of herbal tea, but it looks cute enough if they can keep the quirk factor in check and it will be a nice diversion from all the noise and nonsense exploding at your cineplex this summer. I suspect the soundtrack will be pushed hard (“Make is sound like “Juno” dammit!) and filled with some old gentle hippie gems, the requisite Brooklyn-type beardo bands, a Bonnie “Price” Billy or two and a Feist-like figure for that empowered feminine edge. I can’t wait to not hear it.

Bonus: Jim Gaffigan is in it. That will push to the tippy top of my Netflix queue.

Release Date: June 5, 2009

TAGS: Away We Go • Comedy • Jim Gaffigan • John Krasinski • Maya Rudolph • Movie