AWAY WE GO
QUEBEC 4
WISCONSIN 3 COLORADO 1
ARIZONA 2
FLORIDA 6 5
The 2009 movie Away We Go follows the journey of Verona and Burt, a typically unusual millennial couple, who having just found out they’re pregnant set out to find a real place to call home and raise their new family.
KEY:
V close-knit
Unhappy
Loving
B broken
divided
Adopted
The relation is through Verona
The relation is through Burt
1
0 miles traveled
COLORADO
BURT: “Well, where would we go?”
VERONA: “I don’t know. We could go anywhere we want.” BURT: “Anywhere, anywhere?”
VERONA: “Yeah.”
COLORADO WHO: Burt Farlander 33 & Verona De Tessant 34
RELATION: Insurance Adviser & Artist, boyfriend & girlfriend FAMILY DYNAMIC who felt uneasy about the future CHILDREN: Verona None
Burt
HOW THEY TRAVELED THERE: car HOME: COUPLE’S STATE OF MIND A trailer with a cardboard window REALIZATION: Found Home Convinced they No clue and Good idea of home home no home going to have a baby, andfound Their they are on their own. They don’t have a home like they thought they did. ENVIROMENT
1
2
560 mi
AWAY TO PHOENIX ARIZONA
BURT: “That thing they said earlier, about how you can’t make a good family. Everything’s destined for failure.”
VERONA: “No, I don’t. You know that I don’t agree, Burt. I just...” “ I really hate that attitude, you know? ‘Everything’s already broken, so why don’t we just keep on breaking it again and again?”
PHOENIX WHO: Lily Burtand Farlander Lowell,33 their & Verona two kids De Tessant 34 RELATION: Verona’s Insurance old Adviser boss & Artist, boyfriend & girlfriend FAMILY DYNAMIC who felt uneasy about the future CHILDREN: 2, CHILDREN: Taylor (boy) Ashley (girl) Lowell None Lily HOW THEY TRAVELED THERE: Plane HOW THEY TRAVELED THERE: car Ashley Taylor HOME: Not HOME: Shown COUPLE’S STATE OF MIND A trailer with a cardboard window REALIZATION: A REALIZATION: family requires work and is never worth giving up on. Found Home Convinced they No clue and Good idea of home found homeare on their own. no home going to have a baby, and Their they They don’t have a home like they thought they did. ENVIROMENT
3
2
1,939 mi
AWAY TO MADISON WISCONSIN
LN: “Burt, I love my babies. Why would I want to push them away from me? And you wonder why this country is so dysfunctional.” VERONA: “Because of strollers?”
MADISON WHO: LN &Farlander Burt Roderick 33 & Verona De Tessant 34 RELATION: Burt’s Insurance Adviserfamily-friend & Artist, boyfriend & girlfriend FAMILYchildhood DYNAMIC who felt uneasy about the future CHILDREN: 3, Oldest son Wolfey, 2 unnamed CHILDREN: LN Rodrick None HOW THEY TRAVELED THERE: Train THEY TRAVELED THERE: HOW car Wolfey unnamed unnamed HOME: A “continuum home” One giant family bed, HOME: COUPLE’S STATE OF MIND lit trailer A candles with everywhere a cardboard window REALIZATION: Found Home Convinced they No clue and Good idea of home home no home going There Their is no right to have waya of baby, parenting, andfound they and arethey on their own. don’t don’t They have to have follow a home the rules like they anyone thought else they has set. did. ENVIROMENT
4 3
798 mi
AWAY TO MONTREAL CANADA
TIM: “And you have to be willing to make the family out of whatever you have.” MUNCH: “You have to be so much better than you ever thought.”
MONTREAL WHO: Tim &Farlander Burt Munch Garnett 33 & Verona De Tessant 34
RELATION:
Their college Insurance Adviser friends & Artist, boyfriend & girlfriend FAMILY DYNAMIC who felt uneasy about the future CHILDREN: 4, (2 boys, 2 girls) Camille, Ibrahim, CHILDREN: Tom KatyaMunch None and 1 unnamed HOW THEY TRAVELED THERE: Plane car Katya Ibrahim unnamed Camille HOME: COUPLE’S STATE OF MIND Victorian A trailer with Montreal a cardboard row home, window modern contemporary interior, bright colors and patterns REALIZATION: Found Home Convinced they No clue and Good idea of home home no home going to have a baby, andfound REALIZATION: Their they are on their own. Their don’t They friends have which a home seemlike to have they thought the perfect theyfamily did. have problems to, they realize nothing is ever going to be perfect ENVIROMENT
4
5
1,414 mi
AWAY TO MIAMI FLORIDA
COURTNEY: “It’s just the beginning, though. I’m going to be spending every waking moment trying to reconstruct a normal life. But that little girl in there will always be the girl without a mom.”
VERONA: “Look, all we can do is be good for this one baby.We don’t have control over much else.”
MIAMI WHO: Courtney Burt Farlander 33 & Verona De Tessant 34
RELATION: Burt’s Insurance Adviser & Artist, boyfriend & girlfriend FAMILY Brother DYNAMIC who felt uneasy about the future CHILDREN: 1 daughter CHILDREN: Courtney None HOME: Girls bedroom HOW THEY TRAVELED filled with stuffed THERE:animals car Annabelle REALIZATION: Seeing a father and daughter grapple with being abandoned HOME: COUPLE’S STATE OF MIND bytrailer A the mother with a the cardboard couple window realize the most important thing they can do is just give their child a loving home REALIZATION: Found Home Convinced they No clue and Good idea of home found home no home going to have a baby, and Their they are on their own. They don’t have a home like they thought they did. ENVIROMENT
REALIZATION
6
5
235 mi
AWAY TO LEESBURG FLORIDA
BURT: “This place is perfect for us. Don’t you think?” VERONA: “I hope so. I really fucking hope so.”
LEESBURG WHO:
Just Burt Burt Farlander & Verona 33 & Verona De Tessant 34 RELATION:
FAMILY DYNAMIC A Couple Insurance Ready Adviser to&be Artist, parents boyfriend & girlfriend
who felt uneasy about the future HOW THEY TRAVELED THERE: Car CHILDREN: Burt Verona None HOME: Verona’s HOW THEY childhood TRAVELED light blue THERE: home, on a lake, empty car REALIZATION: They have found a place to make their home and feel they HOME: COUPLE’S STATE OF MIND have A trailer made with the a cardboard right decision window for their family REALIZATION: Found Home Convinced they No clue and Good idea of home home no home going to have a baby, andfound Their they are on their own. They don’t have a home like they thought they did. ENVIROMENT