Adventureland

***1/2 Stars

The plot revolves around James Brennan (The Squid and the Whale’s Jesse Eisenberg) an intelligent high school graduate who is forced to take a summer job at Adventureland, a painfully awful theme park that internally pleads for uniqueness, but externally slaps you in the face with its proudly displayed lameness. Seriously, this place truly is one of those jobs you look back at and wonder how you weren’t on suicide watch during your employment.

Alright fine, I’m being dramatic. But I’ve done jobs like this. And if you were one of the lucky few who avoided it, we survivors aren’t joking. Jobs like this can really bring out the Christopher McCandless in all of us.

Eisenberg is a caricature of the adolescent years (in this case, he represents the 1980’s). He is saving money at his lame job for an education that allows him to call his job temporary, or part-time. Note to colleges, universities, and higher-education facilities alike, this is what happens (and still to this day) to many, if not all teenagers. And I’m sure that you will respond with a “we’ve all done it” like response, but I’m sure most you haven’t. After four years of college (and I’m not alone here) I will be paying off a tuition that equals Adventureland’s opening weekend per-screen average fifty times over. Before I even declare my career and begin my “adult” life (am I an adult yet? Or do I have to wait until I’m ALLOWED to get into nightclubs and bars?) I’ll be in the same debt as an unfortunate homeowner on the brink of foreclosure. Guess what the tuition at the University of Massachusetts Lowell back in the late 1970’s was?

$100.

Want to know what its increase in tuition was the year after?

$150.

Today, that’s how much the average used Social Psychology book is.

Like I said, I know I’m being dramatic. But a funny thing happened to me when I was experiencing Adventureland. I didn’t see it as another one-line extravaganza like I was expecting, but rather an imprint in the genre of adolescent moments in time. American Graffiti defined the ‘60’s, Dazed and Confused the ‘70’s, Adventureland the 80’s, American Pie the 90’s, and Superbad the 2000’s. I thank Adventureland for filling the gap.

At this very moment in time, I don’t think I sympathize for any up-and-coming Hollywood actress more than Kristen Stewart. The beautiful and talented young woman has been labeled as the “it” actress of the moment where her Twilight fame has clouded her rather distinguished resume, especially for a nineteen year old. Here in Adventureland (which was filmed before Twilight) she steals an already impressive show (including Ryan Reynolds, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig) in a story of adolescence and the highlights of its unavoidable blandness.

Director Greg Mottola (Superbad) is a natural at recreating nostalgic occurrences. There is so much realism in this coming of age comedy that we tend to forget that it is in fact, a comedy. It reminds us that people make mistakes. Sorry for all those company’s who search Facebook to see if anyone has “incriminating information” on their profile, but it’s true. The only difference nowadays is that my generation can be arrested for walking home under the influence (for the official definition, click here). Your punishment was to leave your car on the side of the road and walk home.

Talk about a land of adventure. It just depends on when you were born.