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Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready....
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Since 1996 |
Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready....
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Adventureland
Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Martin Starr, Ryan Reynolds, Matt Bush, Margarita Leviega, Jack Gilpin, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig and Wendy Malik Director/Scriptwriter: Greg Mottola Sidney Kimmel Entertainment/Miramax Rating: R for language, drug use and sexual references Running Length: 110 minutes As if you didn't know by now that it is tough growing up, especially those pesky adolescent years, here comes another film to remind you. What sets Greg Mottola's Adventureland above the rest (reference: Superbad) are the performances of stars Kristen Stewart (Twilight and Adventureland was done before the vampire flick), Jesse Eisenberg (The Squid and the Whale) and Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig as the owners of the amusement park, Adventureland. The story is set in the mid-1980's and because of a father's demotion at work, there isn't enough money to send the son to a tony New York college. The kid now has to find a summer job. The script is based on Mottola's experiences working at an amusement park. Adventureland opens with James (Jesse Eisenberg), a serious, highly organized student suddenly finding his world toppled when he has to find a job before going to college. Humor is derived from his job applications where he tries to put "experience driving on an Interstate during a family vacation" as experience for driving a truck. Eventually, he is at the bottom of the list and working as a Games person at Adventureland, run by Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig. Hader is a no-nonsense kind of guy and handy with a baseball bat for crowd control, while Kristen hangs on his every word. Eventually, James becomes friends with other park personnel and meets Em (Kristen Stewart) who works there to get away from her father's new wife, Lisa P. (Margarita Levieva) who is every guy's dream but says she will stay a virgin. Mike (Ryan Reynolds) has his own band, but works as the park's maintenance man, while eyeing the girls behind his wife's back, and Joel (Martin Starr) a Jewish boy who thinks he is insulted every day. As the summer months pass, James gets to go out with Lisa P., Em has romance problems of her own, and the personnel learn how to cope with the somewhat shady management policies there. Summer is ending and then some truths come out that affect everyone. Usually, in a coming-of-age film, the lead actress is bouncy and feminine. Here, it is the opposite, Em is friendly but sad, knows how to take care of herself, has sex and doesn't have anyone to confide in. Lisa P. on the other hand, steals her scenes by being curvaceous, flirty, doesn't have sex and talkative. The two actresses do their roles well and this helps make the film interesting. It not what you expect. Eisenberg's "James" is awkward, easily embarrassed (which happens often) and won't stand up for himself. On the other hand, his friend, Frigo (Matt Bush) is the kind of friend who really hits you and thinks this is friendship. Who needs that? Humor is provided by park personnel mingling with customers, who are suspicious of the games of chance. There are the prerequisite vomit scenes, though not full camera, but in a corner of the screen or hinted at. Whenever there is an embarrassing moment, Jesse is sure to be unwittingly involved. You learn how these kids cope with their problems with the tools available to them, usually booze, pot, sex or talking to each other. Parents are clueless and have their own problems. The transition from the comfort zone of high school to the big, outside world is an adventure, and "Adventureland" can have two meanings. You can learn how to climb down from your tower and mingle with ordinary people and that friends are available if you only give them a chance. This is the theme park of life. Copyright 2009 Marie Asner
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