Maya Rudolph, the often-hilarious 36-year-old Saturday Night Live vet, might not be many directors’ first choice to star in a heartfelt dramedy, but director Sam Mendes’ decision to cast her in Away We Go ultimately proves to be a brave and inspired one. In the same scene, the surprisingly versatile performer swaps between subtle comic relief and surprising sobriety with ease. “I really wanted to be a part of this movie so much,” says Rudolph, who in person, is wry but much more low-key than her various SNL personae. “Every aspect of this movie makes me laugh–it’s sweet, sad, and weird all at once.” Rudolph refers to the screenplay, which features a surprisingly prestigious literary heritage: author Dave Eggers (A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius) and his wife, Vendela Vida. Here, Rudolph plays Verona, one half of a couple on a road trip around the U.S. and Montreal, trying to figure out the right place to settle and raise the baby they’re expecting. As first-time parents, she and her husband Bert (John Krasinski), are clueless about how to approach parenting and where they should set up their home. (Thus, the lengthy soul-search of a road trip.) Their adventures result in rendezvous with relatives and old friends–Allison Janney and Maggie Gyllenhaal, included–who, in the process, help them learn about themselves, explore the concept what it takes to raise a family as well as what constitutes a happy childhood. “I think it's partly a testament to the fact that this was written by two people who know each other really well and love each other,” Rudolph reflects. “Dave was saying they wrote a lot of it on the couch trying to make each other laugh, and I feel that's really clear in the screenplay–the chemistry is readily apparent on each page in that way. Ultimately, there really is no apology for how unabashedly simple its message is. It’s kind of a little glimpse into people's lives. And it's definitely precious in the sense that things end with a nice little neat bow. It's realistic in the sense that things just happen, but they don’t happen perfectly–and it's OK.” As production started on the film, Rudolph and Mendes realized that the movie, in some ways, was more about Verona than Bert. Though the film obviously focuses on the couple’s introspective journey, it’s Verona who oftentimes takes the reigns and must also deal with various issues along the way. “She's the one who staples the itinerary to the inside of his jacket and says, 'Come on, buddy. Let's get out of here.' On a more basic level, she's a bit older, and she's a girl, so she's a little more mature. Her husband ends up supporting her very gently and really doesn't pry when he asks about her childhood. She refuses to talk about it and puts up a wall. But, I think he has the confidence in her to know that she'll get there. And I think having the baby is what gets her to face a couple of important issues, which she just doesn't really know how to do otherwise.” In some ways, Verona reminds Rudolph of her own experiences. She has a three-year-old daughter with filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson (“she's in the terrible three's!”) and has another baby on the way. She didn’t have to look far for those common feelings of insecurity and inadequacy that constantly plague first-time parents. “I feel like I always have those moments where I'm like, 'Is this the right thing to do?' Even now, I'm really asking myself because it's not just me that has to take the brunt of my decisions. I'm in charge of somebody else who thinks I know what I'm doing. I think about it all the time. I remember coming home from the hospital with our daughter and thinking, 'There are no other adults in charge? It's just us? What are we going to do? I am fucked!' I was terrified. I think coming un-tethered was an understatement for some of the emotions I feel at times because I worry a lot. But I figure it out. I manage. I think we all do. I think its just part of growing up.”