Adventureland (2009)

Directed and written by: Greg Mottola

James Brennan's dream of travelling in Europe and getting into an ivy league school are shattered, and he has to take a job at the amusement park Adventureland to save at least a little money. The job is horrible but the experiences - good and bad - make up for it.

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There is one aspect that makes Adventureland stand out from other movies about teenagers. Adventureland isn't overly dramatic. I don't think there is a one scene in this film that made me roll my eyes and think "well that would never happen". Adventureland is simple, which makes it realistic. The problems these characters are having, their feelings and situations, are very familiar to many teenagers, which means Adventureland doesn't alienate teenage viewers - apart from most of the actors clearly not being teenagers.

While the story is simple, it's also intriguing. You want to see what happens, how the main character is going to fuck up this time. You also want to see if something crucial is going to be revealed from the characters. There are a lot of characters who make the audience wonder what's up with them, why they are the way they are. Well, we don't get much insight on that, just hints, clues. That isn't disappointing however, it feels okay. After all, you never know everything about everyone.

The fact that Adventureland took place in the 80's didn't seem to hold much meaning. It affected the soundtrack and technology available, that's it. It wouldn't have much effect if the movie didn't mention that it happened in the 80's. The problems and the events of the movie are more or less ageless. They could happen in the 80's, in the 90's, 2010's, in the future... Crushes, love, bad jobs and money issues are always there. 

Of course the 80's music goes very well with the movie. The songs used are amazing. The music alone could've been enough to make the movie feel like 80's. 

I'm not sure if I'm a fan of Jesse Eisenberg's acting. He seems like Michael Cera: they both seem to have that one character over and over again.Sure, Eisenberg is really good at that one character, but what does it tell us about his skills?

Adventureland is an interesting movie. I don't like all the plot points, but it makes me just the tiniest bit inspired. I'm just not sure what it's inspiring me to do. Write a YA-novel? Have more teenager experiences like this one? I just don't know. But I enjoyed this movie.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

8 / 10