Director Sam Mendes (American Beauty) recruits two great comedians for his life journey film “Away We Go.” High quality production values, cast and crew set an intelligent tone full of discovery as an expecting couple face life’s tough questions as they search for a place to settle down as a family. John Krasinski (“The Office” television series) plays Burt and “Saturday Night Live” alum Maya Rudolph plays Verona. Their performances blend so well with the documentary style drama and comedy. They face marriage issues, personal dreams and opposing life views on a cross country quest for a more permanent home. The life journey/road trip sequences, well composed by cinematographer Ellen Kuras (“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”), have a natural charm and magnetic appeal.

'Away We Go'

This couple keeps an open mind as they visit family and friends in various areas. The stellar supporting cast includes Chris Messina (“Julie & Julia”), Catherine O’Hara, Jeff Daniels with two particularly memorable performances by Maggie Gyllenhaal as Burt’s distant family member “LN” and Allison Janney (“Jun”o) as Verona’s friend Lily. Alexi Murdoch, who also provided music for the film Garden State, provides outstanding original music while filmmakers add additional songs from Bob Dylan, George Harrison and The Velvet Undergound.

Substantial extras include the standard “making of” featurette and a “green” filmmaking segment. Watch the cast and crew participate in an unprecedented waste reduction program that included hybrid transportation, portable canteens and creative recycling methods without hurting production schedules and daily activities. Feature commentary includes Mendes with accomplished writers Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida. The Blu-ray version also features BD-Live™ options including My Scenes where viewers bookmark favorite scenes and share them with other people. Highly recommended (***1/2) and rated R for language and some sexual content.