Maggie Gyllenhaal Movie:

		List Price: $39.98		Label: Focus Features Salesrank: 1189 Released: September 29, 2009
		Our Price: $11.99
		Used Price: $16.23
		MPAA Rating: R (Restricted) Media: Blu-ray

Editorial Review:
John Krasinski (The Office) and Maya Rudolph (Saturday Night Live) star in the heartfelt film that explores the comedic twists and turns in one couple’s journey across contemporary America. Anticipating the birth of their first child, longtime couple Burt (Krasinski) and Verona (Rudolph) embark on an ambitious itinerary to visit friends and family in order to find their perfect home. Featuring a remarkable soundtrack and an incredible ensemble cast – including Jeff Daniels, Allison Janney, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Catherine O’Hara and Jim Gaffigan. It’s the hilarious, witty film that critics are hailing as “absolutely extraordinary!” (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone)

Description of Away We Go [Blu-ray]:
Away We Go has an incredible mix of ingredients: A script co-written by Dave Eggers (author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius), directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road), starring the not-hugely-famous-but-always-excellent Maya Rudolph (Saturday Night Live) and John Krasinski (The Office), and featuring an astounding supporting cast that includes Catherine O’Hara, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jeff Daniels, Allison Janney, Jim Gaffigan, and more. What’s even more incredible is that all these ingredients blend together into a truly marvelous but very non-traditional romantic comedy. For one thing, Burt (Krasinski) and Verona (Rudolph) are already a couple and expecting their first child. What they don’t know is where they’re going to live--so they set off on a tour of disparate locations (Tucson, Montreal, Miami) where they have friends or relatives, sampling not only different cities and climates but also different families. The social and emotional collisions that follow are sometimes very funny and sometimes heartwrenching. Away We Go starts quietly and, through subtle yet consistently delightful scenes, builds to a surprisingly potent end. This is a gem of a movie, not to be missed. --Bret Fetzer

Away We Go [Blu-ray] Reviews:
Away We G ... PLEASE GO AWAY!
2009-11-29 - A preposterous film that isn't funny at all. A very strange set of characters chasing, well, who knows what. It tries to hard to be quirky and to emulate the "Juno" soundtrack with its acoustic indie rock background score.

It didn't score with me.

I think I'd rather have my teeth drilled without Novocaine than to have to watch this boring flop of a movie again.

Hilarious Menagerie of Characters
2009-11-29 - An adorable film with a sweet soundtrack and romantic leads. The wacky array of characters that Jon Krasinski and Maya Rudolph encounter along their journey are the best part of this film, many leave you in stitches.

Good Stuff
2009-11-28 - John Krasinki (Burt) and Maya Rudolph (Verona) play an unmarried couple who are about to become parents in this well written script. It doesn't look like they will ever get married, even as their daughter is just 3 months from coming to term. Verona cannot bring herself to marrying after the death of her parents. Burt is a real nice guy, just like Jim in The Office, but his parents are self-absorbed idiots who decide to relocate to Belgium just one month before their grand daughter's birth. This sends Burt and Verona on an odsessy to seek out a "home" for themselves. They feel the absence of family and seek out old "friends" and Verona's sister. They are looking for something throughout this movie: a sense of belonging and of home. The various loonies and tragic figures they meet along the way make this movie a bit of a commentary on modern life and all the accommodations people make to get along. This extra dimension is something I would expect from Dave Eggers, the co-writer of this script. His energy and outlook are extraordinary. I am a great admirer of his now that I've read a number of his books and understand his phenomenal outlook on "the Word." If literature has a future in America, he's it.
But this movie is really about Verona coming home and Burt trusting in more than a written contract called marriage. It ends tenderly and wisely. Worth your time.

Quirky, Romantic, Film
2009-11-23 - Maya Rudolph (Saturday Night Live) and John Krasinski (Jim, The Office), finally step outside of their television roles and deliver wonderful performances in a mostly quirky odd movie about becoming an adult. The soundtrack is absolutely fabulous.

Burt (Krasinski) and Verona (Rudolph) have lived together for many years. Burt wants to get married, but Verona refuses. Within the first 10 minutes, Verona gets pregnant and spends the rest of the film 6 months pregnant. This is essentially a road movie, the couple try to figure out where they should live; Phoenix, Madison, Wisconsin, Montreal, Miami? Each act starts with a black screen and huge white letters, Away to Phoenix, Away to Madison, Away to Montreal, etc.

At first, Burt and Verona seem very odd, Burt in particular appears extra simple. The film opens with Burt under the covers between Verona's legs. He discusses her flavor and studies about those changes, much to her dislike she tells him to be quiet. They have what appear to be strange conversations. Then we meet his parents, and Burt and Verona appear down right normal. Jeff Daniels, Burt's father, is so funny. Catherine O'Hara, Burt's mother, plays a great straight person to those jokes. Allison Janney (West Wing) is the obnoxious loud mouthed former boss living in Phoenix. Maggie Gyllenhaal is priceless as the hippie cousin professor in Madison.

In the third act, Burt and Verona are called to Miami to help out Burt's brother. The film stalls horribly. There is a transition away from strange people and off the wall conversations, to normal every day mundane things. In some respects, the film would have been better leaving off the Miami act altogether. The ending makes up for the bad 15 minutes.

This film is rated R, mostly for some strong language. There isn't any nudity. The opening scene is very suggestive, and abundantly clear what Burt is doing to Vernona under the sheets between her legs. There is no violence. Aside from that opening scene and the language, this film could be viewed by a mature younger viewer.

I really loved the cast. It was fabulous to see John Krasinski finally not being Jim from Scranton. He was an unusual insurance salesman that was very in love with Verona. Maya Rudolph played a very serious role in this film. She has left behind all the Saturday Night Live imitations and characters she's done so many times. If you are expecting more of the same television performances from these two actors, you will be disappointed.

The film is an hour and thirty eight minutes long. The DVD includes a commentary track, bonus features of a 'Making of' featurette (16 minutes) and a 'green filmmaking' (6 minutes) piece. The making of, reveals what I had kind of guessed - another location substituted for Madison and Montreal (if you are familiar with either city, you will very quickly realize these are horrible fictional versions of these cities). The green film was a bit self serving. Making a film is probably one of the farthest from green businesses in the world. The big win they got on this film was eliminating plastic water bottles, recycling, and finding use for the leftover wood. Well, it's something.

This is a good film. It is romantic without being sappy. It is a subtle road movie. And it is about a couple growing up and finding their home.

Fun Little Romantic Comedy
2009-11-20 - This was a fun little movie with lots of things to think about in a couple starting out in the world together. I always love Maya Rudolph.