April 7, 2009: Adventureland
Why do people lie to each other for dramatic purposes in movies?
This is how I wanted to open my review, but I don’t think it’s entirely fair to Adventureland to lump it in with the cookie-cutter teen angst movies which rely on this device in order to generate early-third-act conflict between teenagers before they realize they are perfect for each other and live happily ever after. Adventureland brings us realistic portrayals of teenagers in love and in lust, and I’d certainly recommend it as a low-key entry in the genre, but it hung me way out on a ledge for too long far too many times to really ring true when it finally did come through with the right resolutions.
Adventureland is a semi-autobiographical film from writer/director Greg Mottola, set in 1987 and chronicling the lives of the teens working at a summer carnival in Pittsburgh. Mottola is more than loosely tied to the Judd Apatow universe, having directed the Apatow-produced Superbad a couple of years ago. The usual crowd is mostly absent here, aside from Martin Starr being more heavily featured than usual, and Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig in typically off-the-wall supporting roles. The main character, James, is played by the relatively unknown Jesse Eisenberg. His love interest Em played by the considerably better known Kristin Stewart who hit it big with Twilight last year, and Ryan Reynolds steals the show as the wildcatting park maintenance handyman. James is working at the carnival due to recent financial troubles in his family but is still hoping to make it to school in New York City. Em’s mother is dead and she has a severely dysfunctional relationship with her father and stepmother. James and Em like each other, but do they have the same destiny? Read other reviews for spoilers if you like.
Period details seemed impressive, from what I could see of it, since the theatre I was in was apparently running the only remaining carbon-arc projector still in commercial use in the world (it was dark!). We’re seeing more and more movies set in that late-1980s period, and it’s surreal for me to see, since it’s the first period I’ve actually lived through enough to recognize and reminisce when I see it recreated on screen. Kristin Stewart looks a bit sickly but oddly appealing. I think that’s just the way she looks, although it does speak well for her future in vampire movies. Despite being a pseudo-comedy, this is a more serious than usual role for Ryan Reynolds, and it’s good to see him get the chance to stretch himself a bit. His indelibly smarmy turn in Waiting… is burned into my psyche, but I definitely see the potential in him as long as he doesn’t get mired too often in crap like The Proposal with Sandra Bullock, except to pay the bills, which I understand every star needs to do.
Period teen dramedy, a cut above.
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