The themes that were at the center of the movie were very good and the young actor who plays the lead was wonderful, embodying that awkward time in life when you just have reached through puberty and aren't quite a man. My main problem with the movie was trying to get over the fact that Steve Carell was the bad guys- I just constantly see him as a comedy actor and found myself saying, coom'on Steve stop being such a ****. I would give the movie 34stars

I had the pleasure of seeing this film at its Premiere at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and it was by far the best film I saw there. Its funny, meaningful, heartfelt, and filled with great acting. I recommend this film 100%- its a MUST-SEE!

Delightfully weird flick, more weird and less easy to watch than Juno, but some fine performances. Allison Janey's brilliantly delivered first lines prepares you for something a bit different than you get in the end, but the buzz about Steve Carrell playing a real ******* character is spot on. Sam Rockwell, like Janey, performs in ways the story only seems to support toward the end, but the dynamic among the kids is bravely real--and not always a real laugh to watch. Toni Collette does well, as Carrell does, not playing the principal character, while Amanda Peete (wow what a cast!) does what she's so good at as the shallow floozy. Overall, the comedy of this drama is incidental. Everything about the film may be all too real for most movie-goers: REAL stupid drunk dialogue, REAL teen awkward moments, REAL weak infidelity, and real human weakness.

I saw this movie yesterday!..really funny movie! but also sad and serious at times certain parts of which I completely related to! but overall great movie I loved it!

This is an amazing movie about a dysfunctional family spending the summer at a beach house. We get the story through the eyes of a 14-year old boy who mother is in a relationship with a character played by Steve Carrell. The mother settles for this boyfriend after separating from her husband who is apparently shacked up with a much younger woman. It's a no-win situation for Duncan because he can see what a jerk his mother's boyfriend is, but she can't. He finds solace at a water park owned by a great guy played very well by Sam Rockwell. He secretly begins to work at this water park and finds it to be, as he says, "the only place where I can be happy." As the movie progresses, his secret life at work becomes better and better and his life at home worse and worse. He even tries to sneak in and out of the house to avoid all contact. It's easy at first because his mom and boyfriend are doing everything to be wild, including drugs. However, eventually they must leave. Great film!