Arcade Fire once sang about how children don’t grow old, they simply get bigger and their hearts get torn up.  They might as well be singing about the various adults found in “The Way, Way Back”, a gaggle of men and women whose escapades are both selfish and crude. The only positive to come out of their actions is that it allows the main protagonist Duncan, to go on a journey that’s both poignant and fascinating, and a major reason why “The Way, Way Back” is one of the year’s best films.

Duncan (Liam James) is a quiet 14-year old, a guy who finds solace in REO Speedwagon and any time he can get away from his mom’s new boyfriend Trent (Steve Carell).  Then a chance encounter with Owen (Sam Rockwell) leads him to being employed at a water park, where Duncan finds not just some laughs and a new nickname (Pop N’ Lock) but also memories and friends that become some of the best he’s ever experienced in his life.

It’s rare to find a cinematic character that one can connect with fully, but that’s just what I did with Duncan, whose plights and struggles mirrored several that not only I’ve dealt with, but I bet the majority of people have felt. Similar to last years (also wonderful) “The Perks of Being A Wallflower”, the age of being a teenager isn’t depicted in a Disney Channel-esque sense of idyllic wonder and joy, but rather one of being a constant struggle mixed in with some perfect friends and moments of true emotional clarity. It’s depiction is not only true, but rendered beautifully, with moments of both humor and emotion conveyed perfectly.

Liam James is a superb actor to play the protagonist, and he’s certainly an actor I look forward to seeing in more roles in the future. Steve Carell is an abhorable human being in the role of Owen, a part we don’t see the actor typically play, but one he aces. Allison Janney is delightful and hilarious in her role as a nearby neighbor, while AnnaSophia Robb does great as her daughter. Sam Rockwell, an actor who I’ve always loved seeing, is stupendous in his role as Owen, being both a lovable father figure and able to deliver some of the film’s funniest lines (I especially loved his monologue about a fellow who did an amazing trick on a water slide). His talent and his acting ability in this film is phenomenal, and it’s probably the first role this year that made me immediately think it could be Oscar material.

Remarkably calling to mind such great filmmakers like John Hughes, “The Way, Way Back” never ceases to amaze with it’s superb script and arsenal of wonderful actors at the top of their game. Best of all, the movie is able to come up with fantastic and accurate ways to depict the teenage experiences of despair and euphoria and “The Way, Way Back” reminds us all how important and fantastic such formative years truly are.