James graduates from college like anyone, full of head-knowledge and with little grasp on the real world; Mom & Dad have always provided everything for him so he assumes that this won’t change as he plans to enter grad school at Columbia in the fall and spend the summer touring Europe. However, his plans come crashing down around him when his parents announce they’ve hit a roadblock and James will have to give up Europe, and get a job to pay for his apartment and school if he still wants to go. Depressed, James gets a job at Adventureland the local amusement park where he is subjected to the worst summer job he could imagine, but like any bad job he meets the people that begin to redefine who he is and for the first time James must make real decisions about his life.
This movie was marketed horribly; when I watched the trailers all that was brought to the forefront was the comedy and the fact that Greg Mottola directed Superbad - a movie that I thought was super bad. Instead, this movie is a poignant, dramedy about a boy that for the first time in his life has to deal with his choices and the choices the people around him make. James has to take responsibility for his life for the first time and become an adult.
I have to say that I hated Twilight with a fiery passion and thought most of the cast gave horrific performances, but in Adventureland Kristin Stewart actually does an amazing job playing a subtle, nuanced, flawed young woman. I am not yet sure she has the prowess or charisma needed to maintain her star status.
Though there were no bad characters in this movie, and Jesse Eisenberg was great as the lead I have to say my single favorite character is Bobby the manager of Adventureland. Bobby is such an awkward, quirky character that exists so much in his own world you can’t help but to love him. Kristen Wiig was perfect to play his wife Paulette.
Adventureland is a highly underrated movie and shouldn’t get ignored as we roll into summer movie season.
Director & Writer: Greg Mottola
James Brennan: Jesse Eisenberg
Mrs. Brennan: Wendie Malick
Frigo: Matt Bush
Paulette: Kristen Wiig
Bobby: Bill Hader
Joel: Martin Starr
Em: Kristen Stewart
Mike Connell: Ryan Reynolds
1 comment:
I was really surprised when you told me what the movie is really about. Hello, marketers? You missed the mark! Maybe I'll see this one day.
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