Adventureland
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Martin Starr, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, and Ryan Reynolds
Written and Directed by: Greg Mottola
It’s the first week of April, and I believe I’ve just seen one of the best movies I will see all year. This never happens. I’m shocked. But here I am, positively aglow after spending 107 minutes with the new film Adventureland. And I want you all to share this feeling with me. It’s sort of like the first time I saw Say Anything, not that I’m comparing the films, they are very different, but it’s the same sort of vibe I felt when I saw that movie for the first time.
Director Greg Mottola scored a major hit a couple of years ago with a little film called Superbad, and is in somewhat similar territory here, though in starkly different moods. Whereas Superbad was an all-out raucus sex comedy with a good heart, Adventureland is a deeply felt, semi-comedic story about figuring out what it is you really want. When we first meet James(Jesse Eisenberg), he has just graduated college, and is about to embark on a European vacation his friends before heading to Columbia for grad school. Life has other plans it seems as his father has just been demoted at work, and can no longer afford to send James to Europe, or Columbia. With no other options, James moves home for the summer and tries to find a job to pay for school. It seems his degree in comparative literature doesn’t qualify him for much, so he takes the only job he can get at the “funtastic” Adventureland amusement park.
It’s a bold new world for young James with mind-numbing work in the games department…ring toss, horse races, baseball toss, etc., but he soon finds himself making friends with the rag-tag group of fellow employees, and making a connection with Em(Kristen Stewart), the beautiful-but-confused young woman who saves him from the wrath of an angry ring-tosser. The connection is immediate, and the chemistry is right from the get go. We spend the rest of the movie watching these crazy kids try and get together, and it is quite a ride. Good times are had, and some bad times too, and amongst the ferris-wheels and roller coasters and games, everyone must grow up a bit and take their places in the ride that is real life.
One of the big stars of the movie is sure to be the soundtrack, which kicks some serious ass. Songs by New York Dolls, The Velvet Underground, Big Star, The Replacements, Husker Du, and many, many other great bands help hammer home the mood of the film, and Mottola does a wonderful job of fitting the song to the scene and not the scene to the song. The only time a song seems to be too much, is when it is actually too much…Rock Me Amadeus. You will understand that later. I love a good soundtrack, and I will be tracking this one down as soon as possible. Did I mention Yo La Tengo does all the original music?
The real stars, however, are the actors here. All are in top form with memorable turns from the always funny, scene-stealing Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig. Are there any actors out there who make more out of their screen time than these two? Then there is Ryan Reynolds, who I don’t usually care much for, but in a small role here is quite good. He plays an aging musician who may or may not have actually jammed with Lou Reed at one time. I must say, I am a sucker for a movie with several characters who worship Lou Reed…as I sort of do. Jesse Eisenberg, who was so good in Rodger Dodger and The Squid and The Whale, turns in another fine performance here. He has an easy charm, and an awkward way with a line that make his character here seem like a real person, and not a caricature created by a writer. What can I say about Kristen Stewart? She is fast becoming one of the finest actors of her generation. She’s tough, and vulnerable, and confused, and together, and smart, and beautiful, and slyly sexy. She’s a natural screen talent, and does a great job here of not letting her Em become a cliche. We get a good chunk of story from her point of view here, and that is a very good thing. I’m just hoping that the Twilight series doesn’t spoil her talent. If she can keep her wits about her, she will be a big, big star.
Greg Mottola, acting as writer and director here, does a bang-up job of mixing up the humor and drama here. It’s a delicate line to walk, but he does great work finding just the right balance. He got his start directing episodes of Arrested Development, and you can feel that sort of spontaneity throughout this film. He knows just how a line should be delivered, just the reaction it should get, and just the right length of time to let it stew. Not to mention having a great eye. He and DP Terry Stacey put together a really nice looking film, catching all the flashing lights and neon signs in just the right tones, and finding the faces amongst them to give them life.
Adventureland is not going to change your life. It’s not a groundbreaking piece of art either, but it is a fantastic little slice-of-life that will more than satisfy your need for humor and human drama. It’s not horribly original, though I feel the overall vibe is quite original, but it’s a film that will connect with you on a very personal level. Things are very strange in the world right now, and much of the future is wholly uncertain, and that’s why this is such a timely little movie. Sure, it’s set in 1987(it’s not an 80′s movie, that’s just when it is set), but it somehow finds a lot in common with our current times. Any of you out there unfulfilled by your work and not sure where the next day, week, or month will take you will be right at home on this little adventure.
This film was just released Friday, up against Fast and Furious. Adventureland made only 6 million dollars this weekend while Fast and Furious took in 72 million. Seriously…72 million. Please people, go and see Adventureland. Show Hollowood that there are those of us out there who need some soul in their movies. Now more than ever.
