<Tr> <Th> Box office </Th> <Td> $23.2 million </Td> </Tr> <P> The Way, Way Back is a 2013 American comedy - drama film written and directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash in their directorial debut . The film stars Liam James, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, AnnaSophia Robb, Sam Rockwell and Maya Rudolph, with Rob Corddry, Amanda Peet, Faxon and Rash in supporting roles . It premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival . </P> <P> Fourteen - year - old Duncan from Albany, New York reluctantly goes on summer vacation to a beach house in a small seaside town near Cape Cod, Massachusetts with his mother, Pam; her wealthy boyfriend, Trent; and Trent's stuck up daughter, Steph . Trent emotionally belittles Duncan, frequently making comments and gestures that are condescending and rude to him, Steph sequentially, follows suite in attitude towards him and is spoiled by Trent . On the way to the beach house, Trent asks Duncan to rate himself on a scale of one to ten; Duncan rates himself a six while Trent tells him he thinks Duncan is a three . They arrive at the beach house and are greeted by the neighbors: the gregarious, hard - drinking Betty; her children Susanna and Peter; and married couple Kip and Joan . Later that evening, Duncan and Susanna have an awkward conversation from their adjacent porches . </P> <P> Duncan discovers a small girl's bicycle in the garage of the beach house and uses it to begin exploring the town . At a pizza restaurant, he runs into the staff of Water Wizz, the local water park . He meets Owen, who is playing Pac - Man, and eventually Owen takes Duncan under his wing and shows him around the park . Duncan meets the park's colorful, rag - tag group of employees: Caitlin, Lewis, and Roddy . Several kids at the water park speak reverently of a legendary pass in the tube slide, wondering how it could have been done . Owen hires Duncan for odd jobs at Water Wizz . </P>

Where does the way way back take place