Away We Go: ** 3/4 (out of 4)

I clearly need to see more art movies. The evidence for this lies in with the trailers. When I saw The Hangover, I actively disliked all of the trailers; in fact, I didn't understand why they were showing me most of the trailers, which seemed very much focused on horror and romantic comedies. But for this movie, they showed a half dozen trailers, and I was interested in seeing five of them. And yet, I go to the big-budget movies most of the time... I really need to find me an art movie partner.

That said, Away We go really only whetted my appetite for art. It was a good enough movie, as it was, but it was fairly light fare. This was what I expected from the early trailers; but the movie posters had promised surprising twists, and the movie really didn't deliver. Instead, we got a nice character movie, taking place almost entirely between a quirky couple - Burt (Jim from The Office), an insurance salesman, and Verona (apparently a girl from SNL), a very pregnant graphic designer - trying to find their place in the world where they can have their first child.

The movie is a standard "wacky series of misadventures" indie movie, where the couple meets a variety of old friends and family as they try to find a place to settle down. These adventures are bittersweet, but not dangerous; and what's most interesting about them is the actors that play the roles. Jeff Daniels, Catherine O'"Hara, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and others play the various odd characters that the pair run into each other on their quest for a new home.

If there was one part that I liked about the movie, it was that the characters grew and got through their issues, but did not fundamentally change. There are so many movies nowadays where quirks are something to be overcome; this is a movie where the quirks are, if not actively encouraged, at least allowed to thrive.

It was a light movie, but worth seeing. I don't know that there's much more to it than that. But oh, the other movies that I know I should see!

** 1/2