K: Adventureland is a coming of age story set in 1987 as James graduates from undergrad, then faces the harsh realization that his parents can't afford to finance his summer trip to Europe or his graduate school even though he was accepted to Columbia. As a journalism major he's unqualified to do anything except work in a dumpy amusement park. Here he learns more life lessons than he ever learned in college, and he falls in love.This is more of a 'dramedy' (sorry to use this word - I'm not a big fan of it) than a comedy. Much of the humor is in the horrible clothes, hair, make up, and music throughout the movie. The main 'soundtrack' is comprised of bands like The Cure, Husker Du, The Replacements, and, for some gawdawful reason, Lou Reed. But the film also gives a nod to the other genres of 80s music. For example, Rock Me Amadeus plays incessantly at the amusement park driving everyone crazy. (Feel free to admit to yourself that you owned the '45 back in the day - you know you did). And one of my favorite scenes was James running for his life from a dumb thug who wanted to beat him up while Breaking The Law by Judas Priest played in the background.
It was a good film that had more of an indy feel to it. It's worth seeing, especially if you grew up in the 80s, but it's not necessary to catch it in the theaters.
J: Ok! Enough already! I have had it up to there with adolescent male coming of age BS humor!
I have successfully managed to avoid cinematic dreck like “Superbad” and “Knocked Up” in much the same way as I avoid reality television, by treating it like an especially virulent version of bird flu! But this one kind of snuck up on me. My PIC suggested it as a comedy & it sounded like a great idea at the time. But even she was forced to use the dreaded sobriquet of “dramedy” & I agree with her assessment of that word.
This movie is the perfect reflection of what is arguably the most shameful & dimwitted decade to date. Everyone is screwed up in some way or another – exactly like the 80’s. Self-absorption is the byword & shooting down dreams is the favorite spectator sport. The adolescent coming of age guy in this movie, James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg), has his dreams of going to Europe for the summer & then entering graduate school at Columbia upon his return crushed by the sad upper-middle class suburban hell of his parent’s circumstances; that being his alcoholic father’s demotion at work. With nothing as far as concrete experience & a REALLY useless degree in comparative literature (yet another hallmark of the 80’s) James is forced to work at the local amusement park, Adventureland – where great dreams go to die! Here he meets the requisite misfits & regularly gets the crap kicked out of him by someone who is allegedly a friend (you guessed it – the 80’s personified). Also, as required in this genre, he falls in love with an equally misfit female, Em played by a very surprising Kristen Stewart, who proves in this movie that she can do more than oogle handsome vampires.
At this point, I must give my props to the only thing that propels this movie beyond the horror of the sad comedies mentioned above. The characters in this movie really do have something to say & they say very well. The pathetic attachment that Em has to a married man, Connell (Ryan Reynolds – is he ever going to try his chops out on a really good movie? I bet he could do it if he tried!) gets in the way of a possible real relationship with someone who might be a sensitive good guy. Again, pure 80’s, Man! Been there, done that & threw away the T shirt! Sadly, Connell strikes me as the most accurate representation of the 80’s – not a sensitive rat on the sinking ship! Do I sound a little bitter? Well, how did you come through the 80’s? Yeah, that’s what I thought!
I do agree with my PIC about the indy feel of the movie. I wouldn’t have enjoyed it at all if it looked even remotely as slick & stupid as the other movies in this pseudo-genre. It does try very hard to have a heart & make a point. However, I have to disagree with her take on Lou Reed – one on my favorite artists. The misunderstanding of his music by Connell as he tries to impress the young girls with his claim that, as a part-time musician he has jammed with Lou is the ultimate nod to the 80’s – it doesn’t matter what you did, just lie about it. Just to prove the point, he misspeaks the name of one of Lou Reed’s best songs “Satellite of Love”. Here I must make a confession. I have (don’t we all?) a guilty pleasure – the music of the 80’s in all its trashy glamour. I would have loved to put together the sound track for this movie & so there is my shot down dream! Oh yeah – I LOVE “Rock Me Amadeus” – just ask my PIC how embarrassed she was as I sang along – out loud & proud!
I wonder when the female coming of age genre will start producing a new crop of movies. Oh, I forgot – women come out of the womb having already come of age – no assembly required!
