Coming of age comedy/dramas are plentiful in movieland, but they are difficult to pull off with authenticity. Adventureland is one of the best of the genre that I've ever seen. Released earlier this year, it is now available on DVD. It sort of came and went under the radar, but it deserves more attention.
Adventureland was marketed all wrong, first of all. As you can see at the top of the movie poster above, it is "from the director of Superbad," and the previews all focus on comedic moments that lose much of their charm and humor out of the context of the film. Based on the preview, you might expect Porky's for the 2000's, but what you get is a sincere, touching (and often humorous) love story.
James (a wonderful Jesse Eisenburg, who was also great in Zombieland) has just graduated from college with a not very useful degree in comparative literature. Thinking that he is about to join his buddies on a summer trip through Europe before starting grad school at Columbia, his plans change when his family falls on hard financial times and he instead has to get a summer job to make some money for grad school. After some funny scenes featuring James being rejected by a host of employers ("I'm a college graduate but apparently I'm not qualified to drive a cement truck"), he settles for a job at the local amusement park. Predictably, he meets and befriends a host of oddball co-workers. He is soon smitten by co-worker Emily (a sly and seductive Kristen Stewart).
ABOVE: Emily (Kristin Stewart) and James (Jesse Eisenburg) spend their summer working at Adventureland, smoking pot and falling in love
The film works for several reasons. First, it captures youthful passion, confusion, love and lust like the best John Hughes films. The performances are all spot on, with many memorable supporting characters (among my favorites is Ryan Reynolds as park repairman/alleged part-time musician/male whore Mike, who claims to everyone who will listen that he once jammed with Lou Reed, but when pressed by James for details, can't even correctly name most of Lou's tunes). Secondly, it takes place in the summer of 1987, and captures the era wonderfully. (There is great use of Falco's "Rock Me Amadeus," for instance). The soundtrack is awesome throughout, The Raplacements's "Unsatisfied" is my new favorite song. But the film mostly works due to the chemistry between the awkward but smart James and the wild child Emily. You sincerely pull for these two to make it.
This is a wonderful coming of age film that sticks with you long after the credits roll.
**** out of *****
BELOW: "James? Am I pronouncing that right?"
8 comments:
I agree, Dez. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.
I really liked this movie, too. You're right about its charms, and also how the marketing was wrong. Very well done all around.
And yeah, welcome to "Unsatisfied." I've loved it for a long time for other reasons, but it was great in this. It's also a great jukebox song...one of those rare songs that's good for happy drinking and sad drinking.
I liked this movie ok, but not nearly as much as you seem to. I liked the acting, though apparently they needed John Cera to play the lead, but he was not available so they got the other guy who acts like John Cera. No biggie, because he was good too.
My big problem that Mrs. Pocky and I had with this film was with the chemistry between John Cera #2 and Emily. Both were well acted, I suppose, but outside some mild drug induced attractiveness, there was nothing in Emily's character that made you think that she and John Cera #2 should get together. SHe was just bitter, hated herself and showed no warmth toward others.
The film definitely captured the angst, but at the end it was a lot of "let's sit around and smoke pot or talk about smoking pot so we can talk about sex and the meaning of sex and how I can get this girl to like me. So I thought the love story was a little weak. I thought the characters themselves were great. Just a bit too much angst for angst sake.
I think you mean Michael Cera.
You are right. I was getting confused between Micaeal Cera and John Cena the wrestler. Very easy to understand my confusion.
Dez-
Weirdly, I just yesterday read the screenplay to this film (online). I haven't yet seen the movie, though. The script was pretty depressing--well written, but still. It did not make me want to see it.
You'll be interested to know that in the script I read, it was Neil Young, not Lou Reed, that the dude claimed to have jammed with. Neil also featured heavily in the soundtrack.
Interesting, ANCIANT. Well, the film was very entertaining, so they must have changed some things. James wears a Neil Young T-shirt in several scenes, but that is the only mention of Neil in the film.
Because of bad marketing, it didn't work in USA, so itis only having a DVD release in France and this film will even get less attention! I think that Miramax marketing guys should grow eyes and ears and trust that the film could have a much bigger audience! I do think that Jess Eisenberg was perfect for the part!
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