Growing up, there’s something about summertime where changes always seem to happen. Without school there to take up the day, there’s time that needs filling. This often leads to different experiences or adventures that stretch personalities and take people out of their regular comfort zones. Perhaps that’s why a lot of coming-of-age movies take place during this time of year. Greg Mottola’s Adventureland is no exception.
In his follow-up to Superbad, Mottola hops on the nostalgia train setting Adventureland in 1987. The film centers around recent college grad James Brennan (the always awkward Jesse Eisenberg) who’s plans to travel abroad before heading off to law school are thwarted by a crappy economy. Without his parents cash, James gets a job manning the carnie games at Adventureland, a local amusement park. Initially nervous and none too pleased about taking such a lowly job, James soon finds the benefits of being surrounded by other equally cynical folks at similar crossroads in their lives. Through days at work and nights with his Adventureland brethren, James has some of the coming-of-age experiences required for growing up in the personality sense rather than the traditional measure of years.
Adventureland finds much of its comedy in its often brutal honesty. Like Superbad, Mottola sticks more with the outsiders who dwell on the fringes rather than the cool cliques or those on the opposite end of the spectrum. Adventureland focuses on those who are often lost in the shuffle, meaning the majority of us. This brings a believability to the film’s themes that are easy to connect with.
The film’s tone is somewhat somber as nobody has any real direction for their lives. Marriage, the tradition symbol of being grownup, is largely portrayed with disconnect. The married couples shown are either delusional about the world around them or they’re off cheating with someone else. It’s hardly the place in life to be eager to join.
Another big plus of the film is the cast. Although Eisenberg hasn’t drifted much from the character he played several years ago in the excellent and overlooked Roger Dodger, he brings an excellent level of awkward normalness that is impossible not to connect to. Twilight’s Kristen Stewart is a pleasant mystery in her role as Emily, the object of James’ desire. Emily is down-to-earth and beautiful, the essence of the perfect girl – at least on the surface. But as the film dwells in everyone’s imperfections, there’s complications that make it less predictable and more real-feeling.
I did find there’s some excessive dwelling in the film’s story, which causes Adventureland to drag on at times. But even in those cases there’s solid comedy or a good line to keep it from becoming annoying. Adventureland uses nostalgia as a hook to tell a touching and timeless coming-of-age tale that takes familiar material and spins it just enough to make it feel fresh again.
Adventureland Blu-ray Review
Adventureland arrives on Blu-ray with a delightful package of features. Although it’s not a madcap track, the feature commentary with director/writer Greg Mottola and star Jesse Eisenberg is intelligent and insightful. Mottola in particular stands out because he’s very honest about his work, pointing out things that he wasn’t 100 percent happy with but not to the point where he’s bashing himself. He comes across as a student of his own work, reflecting on ways to improve. Additional bonus features include a making-of featurette, three deleted scenes and a scene jumping tool centered around the music of the film. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are a series of Adventureland commercials and employee training videos, a how-to tutorial on mastering the art of the crotch shot and a satirical look at 80s fashions in “Lisa P’s Guide to Style.”
The film is shown in widescreen 1080p with English 5.1 DTS-HD audio. There’s also a 5.1 Dolby Digital French track. The film looks and sounds great. I didn’t notice anything that stood out to deter from the technical qualities. The Blu-ray also includes a second disc with a Digital Copy of the film.
Adventureland Gallery
Trailer
