Adventureland (2009)

Directed by: Greg Mottola

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg

****1/2

My second viewing of Adventureland was much needed and long overdue. Since seeing it in the theater I've maintained that it is my favorite movie of the year but base that only on a distant memory of everything that was good about it. Adventureland isn't without problems but now I'm sure that those problems are easily dismissed and ultimately forgettable. The great characters, the touching relationships formed and the dark twist of comedy are the elements that make Adventureland great and ultimately memorable.

The problems I have with this movie are not those same critiques I've heard from other advocates of Adventureland. Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig are condemned for being too over the top for the pacing of this film and while I don't disagree with that assessment, I see their characters as a good contrast to the college-aged carnies who hate their jobs and mostly their lives. Hader and Wiig represent the people that can find happiness in a small town and don't need to live in New York to have what they want. Their relationship isn't compared in anyway to the primary relationships in the movie, but its the in your face, Superbad-style comedy they bring to the movie that suggests they are different than all the other characters who define their comedic part of the film with subtlety.

Another major critique I hear is less about the movie and more directed towards the acting abilities of Kristen Stewart. The only thing I can say here is that if people's biggest problem with her is that she plays with her hair too much, then I see multiple Oscars coming her way. Now, I'll back up slightly. I don't see multiple Oscar's going her way but in the case of Adventureland, I think what people consider her inability or lack of confidence as an actress works in favor of her character. Emily is damaged goods. She presents a cool exterior but as we learn throughout the film, she's not happy with who she is. Its only natural that she'd have nervous ticks and hide her face. I'm not arguing that she does any of this intentionally but it works anyway.

The one criticism I've heard that I agree with is Ryan Renyolds presense in this film. I've always been somewhat of a fan of him and his dry sense of humor. His abilities as an actor however are about all that's appropriate in this movie. Let's be completely honest... he's too handsome to be working as a mechanic at an amusement park in a dead end town. Despite the relationships he has with Kristen Stewart and especially Jesse Eisenberg's James Brennan, which really work, he consistently looks out of place. The everyman type of characters in this movie are not condusive to the celebrity that Reynolds employees.

The real problems that exist in this movie are actually very second hand. We learn a lot about what Emily deals with, especially dealing with her family life. Her mother died of cancer and her dad remarries a bald, status obsessed woman who makes life at home a bit of a living hell for the non-conformist type that Emily is or tries to be. Not only do we hear about how this effects Emily, but we see it first hand. What we don't see, and what I thought was more important is James' home life with his once, well-to-do parents, suddenly stricken with considerably less income and subsequently canceling many of the grand plans James had for himself. James' father's drinking habit is subtlely eluded to but never comes to fruition. Additionally, we see the constant bickering between his parents. This gives James reason to not want to come home but we don't get nearly the background for our main protagonist you'd think fitting considering how we learn so much about the love interest.

There are three reasons that the problems with this movie don't ruin it. Firstly, the problems are not many. There are too many good things about this movie to go over them all which is why I focus on the little effect that the few problems had. Additionally, the performance of Jesse Eisenberg sets this movie apart from the traditional coming of age tale. Unlike Stewart, I think Eisenberg possesses immense confidence as an actor. He's confident enough to perfectly play a character who consistently embaresses himself without knowing it. Its not 40-Year Old Virgin embaressment though. Its 21-Year old embaressment that comes across as very genuine. Eisenberg has the comedic timing of Michael Cera but is a far better actor. Never do I wonder if Eisenberg is just being himself despite how naturally he performs.

Lastly and most importantly is the structure of this story. From beginning to end, we don't just see James and the people around him changing but we see the way friendships are formed. We see the real way, the hard way, people learn what's important and what isn't. The closing scene of this movie doesn't answer the big picture question. It very intentionally leaves its audience wondering where these characters will end up, who'll they'll end up with and whether or not the person they're with is right for him or her.

Adventureland is full of greatness. Martin Starr's heartbreaking performance as Joel can not be left unmentioned. Matt Bush (of AT&T rollover minutes commercials fame) as James' friend Frigo is very good even though he could be the most annoying person alive. As I write this review I wonder how I don't grace the top of it with five stars and its simple. As great as I remember this movie being and as great as I praise it now, while watching it, it didn't feel like a five-star movie to me. Perhaps its the combination of the few minor problems or maybe I felt more nostalgic the first time I saw it than I do now, some six months later. As much as I want this to be a five star movie, today it isn't. Today its a great movie, that'll I'll buy, that'll make my top ten list of the year and that could very well someday have a half star added onto it but like for the characters of Adventureland, the future is the unknown.