Seen on: April 4, 2009

The players: Director: Greg Mottola, Writer: Greg Mottola, Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Martin Starr, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig

Facts of interest: Mottola also directed "Superbad."

The plot: A recent college grad realizes he doesn't have enough money for his Europe trip and decides to take a job at a local amusement park.

Our quick thoughts: Greg Mottola’s “Adventureland” is a wonderful ride, and I loved every minute of it. A sincere, intriguing look at teenage love and all the hurdles that can come with it, the film boasts a bunch of passionate characters, a solid dose of subtle humor and a classic soundtrack that all together make for a wildly entertaining viewing experience you’ll want to revisit again and again.

At least that’s how I felt about the film, which introduces us to James Brennan (Jesse Eiseberg in a remarkable role), a recent college grad who decides to take a crappy job at a local amusement park after he realizes he doesn’t have the necessary funds for his planned summer Europe trip. Oh, and before I forget, the time is 1987.

Much to his surprise though, James’ boring life takes on a whole new significance when he meets Em (Kristen Stewart), an alluring coworker who seems somewhat intrigued by his personality. Still, despite a mutual attraction, both James and Em are soon plagued by feelings of uncertainty, a serious issue that makes their time at Adventureland a little tougher than they originally thought.

On the surface, there’s a lot of happiness floating around in this amusement park, as visiting youngsters enjoy the rides and games and their parents at least pretend to share the excitement. But when it comes to most of the characters working behind the stands, feelings of sadness dominate, and things aren’t as joyful as you would think.

“Adventureland” is certainly not a depressing film, but its somewhat dramatic aspect is what eventually turns it into such a profoundly authentic dramedy. That, and the incredible depth of the characters, of course. I particularly enjoyed watching James discover that the love he feels for Em is indeed something worth fighting for. His transformation from scared teen to responsible young adult is astonishing.

At this stage, I would also like to point out that “Adventureland” is not exactly the kind of film its trailers made it out to be. Sure, the film boasts a bunch of really, really funny scenes, but you’ll probably won’t find it as hilarious and raunchy as “Superbad.” And that’s perfectly okay, because the film doesn’t try to be another “Superbad.” Mottola chose quite a different approach this time, and his efforts are greatly appreciated.

Besides the strong writing and the vivid humor, the film is also backed by incredibly honest and attention-grabbing performances. I really enjoyed Jesse Eisenberg in “Roger Dodger” and “The Squid and the Whale,” but his role as James is undoubtedly his best yet. He knows exactly where to go with the material, and I highly enjoyed watching him interact with his co-stars.

Speaking of co-stars, I really have to praise Kristen Stewart for her strong performance as Em. She didn’t exactly convince me as vampire lover in “Twilight,” but I had no trouble buying her chemistry with Eisenberg in “Adventureland.” Also doing a fine job are Bill Hader, Margarita Levieva and Martin Starr.

Freaky quote: “Wh-What am I supposed to do, I'm not even qualified for manual labor." – Jesse Eisenberg

The final word: I can only recommend “Adventureland,” and I am convinced you’re going to enjoy it as long as you don’t expect another “Superbad.” Kudos to Mottola for delivering another great film that made me laugh, think and really appreciate the art of clever, entertaining filmmaking. A wonderful ride indeed…

Article by Franck Tabouring