Sam Mendes’ “Away We Go,” is pretty much everything you could want in an indie film. This little movie is full of humor, depth, a great cast, beautiful cinematography, a perfectly indie soundtrack, and enough poignant moments to give it the substance of an Oscar contender but in a much lighter dose. The story follows Burt and Verona (John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph), a couple in their early thirties, as they travel the country aimlessly looking for a place to call home and raise their family. Watching this movie, you really feel like you’re on this journey with them: trying out each new city- from Phoenix, to Tucson, to Montreal. Along the way, you witness the underlying dysfunction of its inhabitants- whatever relative or acquaintances drew Burt and Verona there in the first place. The staggering landscapes of mountains and deserts are breathtaking, and the mellow soundtrack matches the mood of the story at every beat, but the real triumph of this movie comes from the amazing characters and the actors that play them.

Krasinski and Rudolph have both romantic and comic chemistry, which are lovely to watch. Anyone who has ever seen an episode of “The Office” knows that John Krasinski can play adorable and devoted to a tee, but he takes it one step further with Burt, adding a layer of childlike innocence and vulnerability. Maya Rudolph delivers a very understated performance as Verona, Burt’s pregnant girlfriend. Rudolph’s calm demeanor is a stark contrast to the utter chaos of most of the supporting cast. She is the sun of the film, and her gravitational pull holds all the other characters in place as they revolve around her, spinning in their own insanity. Catherine O’Hara, Allison Janney, and Maggie Gyllenhaal seem to be competing to see who can play the most outrageously funny crazy person of the movie. O’Hara plays the barely-bearable mother-in-law, Gyllenhaal the extreme New Age hippie, and Janney is Verona’s lovably mortifying former boss. Each of these distinguished actresses plays her role with just the right amount of absurdity.

The humor in this film is countered by moments so emotionally intimate that you as a viewer almost feel like you’re intruding on the characters’ privacy. “Away We Go” makes a good effort at balancing its humor and profundity. The film is essentially a series of touching moments sandwiched in between scenes of laugh-out-loud hilarity, but the only slightly-off aspect of this little movie might be the occasionally abrupt transitions from humor to drama, as if it can’t quite decide which genre it wants to be. This is also part of the film’s charm, however. “Away We Go” explores the themes of relationships, family, and home with intensity and optimism that offers a sense of hope for our oft-dysfunctional society.