Adventureland

[Watashi]

Trailer (http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.indi vidual&VideoID=46774915)

I've heard great things, but the trailer sucks.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Kristin Wiig means I'll definitely see it.

[Pop Trash]

So I went to an early free screening of this but the conditions were so bad that I left halfway through. The projection was wrong with the aspect ratio at 1:33:1 instead of (I'm guessing) 1:85:1 and also the top needed to be cropped since the boom mike kept showing up in every other shot. More people were laughing at the boom than at the movie itself. The sound kept going in and out and it was totally out of focus for the first five minutes. Plus the guys that were sitting next to me were total douches that kept yelling at the main love interest girl (forget the actress's name) to take her shirt off (as if a movie can actually hear people and oblige to their requests) Gawd, what a nightmare. Anyone else attend these free pre-screenings with such crappy results? Seriously, I'd rather just pay the five bucks for a matinee show than deal with that shit.

From what I could asess from the movie...it seemed pretty good. Very "Freaks and Geeky" to the point that it seems like an offshoot of that show. Awesome soundtrack too with Husker Du and The Replacements featured prominantly. Although Jesse Eisenberg, like Michael Cera, seems to only be able to be one guy, but he plays that guy rather well.

I might attempt to see it again with more optimum theater conditions, or I might just wait for the DVD.

[Spinal]

I hated Superbad but I'm cautiously optimistic about this. You give me Kristen Wiig while taking away Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen and McLovin'. That's a good swap.

[Watashi]

This film is getting terrific reviews (currently at 90% on RT) so far.

Even Armond loved it.

[MadMan]

I think it looks rather funny, and the cast is certainly rock solid. I'm not sure if it will be the best comedy of the year, but it will be worthy of a theater viewing.

[monolith94]

The setting actually has promise, but yeah, bad trailer.

[ledfloyd]

it... doesn't look very good. but i'll be checking it out just cause it was shot here, and i visit that amusement park every summer.

[number8]

Wow, this was... pretty great.

I was surprised. Not much of a comedy, though, which might disappoint Superbad fans. Has a very Freaks and Geeks vibe, with a heavy focus on the romance.

[Grouchy]

A friend of mine saw this and agreed with you guys in that it was surprisingly good.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Awesome. I'm excited. Bill Hader and Kristin Wiig deserve to be in something worth watching.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Managed to sneak a free ticket for a screening I wasn't technically allowed to watch, but whatever. It was okay, I guess. For people who aren't into this kind of flick (read: old fogeys, and people who don't really dig the Apatow aesthetic), this won't change anything.

[eternity]

I'll find a way to go today, I haven't gone to the 'plex in a while.

[balmakboor]

I just got home from seeing this. I'm an old fogey and don't much care for the Apatow aesthetic -- which this hardly resembles at all -- but it is one of the best movies I've seen in a long while. In a number of ways, it was as if the movie was tailor made for me. I'll be reviewing it soon.

[Henry Gale]

Quite a great little movie and something that I can see becoming a favourite over time. Everything just rings so true and the whole cast just absolutely nails it (even Stewart who I've never thought much of in anything before this). Fantastic soundtrack that's cool without feeling like its trying to cater to anything but the story and yeah... not enough good things I can say about it.

A lot of people have said it's not as funny as expected but I think it plays for comedy in all the right places without going too broad and when I wasn't laughing I probably had a huge smile on my face anyway. It'll probably get even better on repeat viewings and Mottola is definitely someone I'll be excited to see stuff from for a long time.

[number8]

Cool. I'm not the only one. Yeah, and to think I almost passed on this.

[NickGlass]

In a number of ways, it was as if the movie was tailor made for me.

This is what I find so frustrating about the result of its mixture of elements. As a film that aspires to depict post-collegiate ennui and uncertainty, everything is extremely too optimistic and stuck in lame romantic comedy tropes. James claims to be stuck in Pittsburgh, yet the cast of characters resemble the inhabitants of a universe he would like to be part of. Within the first five minutes of the film (just after the intro, scored to the first of two Replacements songs to be featured, natch), James opines "People don't like people like me where I'm from," which is a legitimate concern of a literary, narcissistic liberal arts graduate, yet most of the fellow carnival workers are quick-witted, Lou Reed-loving types --but, of course, the ensemble also includes typical youths who don't "get it."

These ignorant, hopelessly mainstream bimbos are the losers, though, contributing to this blithe fantasy of life after college. James is only the hero--the guy with it all--in Greg Mottola's dream of a summer, just as Kristen Stewart's character is more a wet dream than a reality. She has flaws and a (woefully oppressive) backstory, though, because the film has the misunderstanding that every good film needs a rigid plot and structure (oh, it's silly how wrong that actually is). The brief glimpse into a quarter life crisis, plagued by angst and loneliness, is seen within Martin Starr's character. James just never seems unsatisfied--which is, coincidentally, the name of a song that is played as an anthem when it's essentially an anti-anthem. It could have worked as ironic if the superficially satisfying ending didn't validate the lack of delusion within James.

To sum it up by contradicting my criticisms, I sort of liked the movie.

[NickGlass]

By the way, I'm so glad that Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig were used more in the marketing of this film than the actual production. No offense to their acting abilities, they just don't really belong here.

[number8]

By the way, I'm so glad that Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig were used more in the marketing of this film than the actual production. No offense to their acting abilities, they just don't really belong here.

Same with Ryan Reynolds, really. It's almost like a deliberate prank.

"Hey, you think these peeps are hilarious? Wait til you see the movie, where they barely appear and get the least funny scenes! Kristen Wiig? We'll make her a glorified extra!"

[NickGlass]

Same with Ryan Reynolds, really. It's almost like a deliberate prank.

No. His character appears much too frequently.

[Milky Joe]

Kristen Wiig? We'll make her a glorified extra!

There's absolutely nothing cool or good about this. I'll still see the movie, I just wanted to point that out.

[balmakboor]

This is what I find so frustrating about the result of its mixture of elements. As a film that aspires to depict post-collegiate ennui and uncertainty, everything is extremely too optimistic and stuck in lame romantic comedy tropes. James claims to be stuck in Pittsburgh, yet the cast of characters resemble the inhabitants of a universe he would like to be part of. Within the first five minutes of the film (just after the intro, scored to the first of two Replacements songs to be featured, natch), James opines "People don't like people like me where I'm from," which is a legitimate concern of a literary, narcissistic liberal arts graduate, yet most of the fellow carnival workers are quick-witted, Lou Reed-loving types --but, of course, the ensemble also includes typical youths who don't "get it."

These ignorant, hopelessly mainstream bimbos are the losers, though, contributing to this blithe fantasy of life after college. James is only the hero--the guy with it all--in Greg Mottola's dream of a summer, just as Kristen Stewart's character is more a wet dream than a reality. She has flaws and a (woefully oppressive) backstory, though, because the film has the misunderstanding that every good film needs a rigid plot and structure (oh, it's silly how wrong that actually is). The brief glimpse into a quarter life crisis, plagued by angst and loneliness, is seen within Martin Starr's character. James just never seems unsatisfied--which is, coincidentally, the name of a song that is played as an anthem when it's essentially an anti-anthem. It could have worked as ironic if the superficially satisfying ending didn't validate the lack of delusion within James.

To sum it up by contradicting my criticisms, I sort of liked the movie.

Valid criticisms all, I suppose, although I can't say I agree with most of them. I do agree that Kristen Stewart is a wet dream and I agree that the plot is the weakest element.

What I don't see though is how the quote you pulled from my post prompted these comments. What I had mostly in mind was my long-running love affair with the music and persona of Lou Reed.

[NickGlass]

What I don't see though is how the quote you pulled from my post prompted these comments. What I had mostly in mind was my long-running love affair with the music and persona of Lou Reed.

So your enjoyment of the film had nothing to do with the execution of the film beyond its nostalgic soundtrack? Ok.

[balmakboor]

So your enjoyment of the film had nothing to do with the execution of the film beyond its nostalgic soundtrack? Ok.

No. But my statement that it felt like the movie was made for me had a lot to do with its nostalgic soundtrack. My enjoyment also involved the period details, the light-handed writing, the way Lou Reed was woven into the film, what it had to say about the decaying American dream, and, more than anything, sheer enjoyment of every single character/performance. While I won't get carried away -- it isn't quite as good -- I do compare it favorably in many ways to Dazed and Confused.

By the way, your use of the word "Ok" in that manner is very cheap and condescending.

[transmogrifier]

Is Wiig the new Deschanel, who was the new Gyllenhaal? I find it hard to keep up with geek crushes.

[balmakboor]

Is Wiig the new Deschanel, who was the new Gyllenhaal? I find it hard to keep up with geek crushes.

I've been trying to figure out who Wiig and Hader are. I vaguely recognized them from Knocked Up. It seems they must've been on SNL at one point. (I learned by checking imdb.) I haven't watched that show since John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd were on.

[Winston*]

I don't think Wiig is a geek crush in the same sense as those two. People like her because she's funny.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Is Wiig the new Deschanel, who was the new Gyllenhaal? I find it hard to keep up with geek crushes.

My crush on Wiig is almost exclusively because of her comic genius. She's an attractive lady, don't get me wrong, but she's as funny as anyone on the planet.

[transmogrifier]

I don't think Wiig is a geek crush in the same sense as those two. People like her because she's funny.

She was funny in Ghost Town.

Heh, the only two films I have seen in the last month are Role Models and Ghost Town. Both of them are moderately amusing, amiable comedies that totally collapse into cliched uplift in the third act enlivened by a couple of fine female supporting turns (Lynch and Wiig, but the latter is a stretch, as she's in, like, two scenes)

[Milky Joe]

I don't think Wiig is a geek crush in the same sense as those two. People like her because she's funny.

Yeah. Comparing her to Deschanel is a fucking joke. She's the best thing to happen to SNL since, like, ever.

[transmogrifier]

Yeah. Comparing her to Deschanel is a fucking joke.

Yep, that was kind of the point. Glad you caught that.

[Milky Joe]

Glad to have done so!

[Pop Trash]

Yeah. Comparing her to Deschanel is a fucking joke. She's the best thing to happen to SNL since, like, ever.
Yeah, she might be second to Gilda Radner for me as the best female SNL cast member ever.

[Amnesiac]

the Apatow aesthetic

How would you characterize the Apatow aesthetic? And how is the aesthetic particularly different in this film?

[Watashi]

This is nothing like Apatow.

Anyway, I loved this film. It felt like a contemporary classic Woody Allen film. I absolutely loved Martin Starr's performance.

[eternity]

I wasn't much of a fan of Superbad at all on repeat viewings, just as an icebreaker.

Adventureland was fucking terrific.

[Acapelli]

How would you characterize the Apatow aesthetic? And how is the aesthetic particularly different in this film?
i'd always thought of the apatow aesthetic as him leaving a camera on a tripod without regard to any environmental factors and filming his friends telling dick and fart jokes while they play videogames

adventureland is nothing like that

[NickGlass]

It felt like a contemporary classic Woody Allen film.

This doesn't make sense to me.


I absolutely loved Martin Starr's performance.

This does.

[balmakboor]

Some house cleaning:

What spilled out of my head last night when I finally sat down to review this is here: http://blogcritics.org/archives/2009/04/06/112607.php

Oh, and sorry NickGlass about my comments about your use of "Ok." I was having a bad day.

[Sycophant]

This movie did a lot of things well. One thing I particularly liked was how well it captured a low-wage, post-high school or -college, tedious job. Boring, lame, kind of a necessary evil, but enlivened by flesh-and-blood people you interact with as humans and can actually get on well with. There's a real dearth of that in film.

[ledfloyd]

going to see this in an hour. can't wait.

[ledfloyd]

the woody allen comparison doesn't quite hold water with me. i can see where you're coming from, but no. the most apt comparison i can think of is dazed and confused but even that's not quite right. i loved how low key it was, so many of the jokes are so downplayed almost nobody in the audience i saw it with laughed.

the plot took a few cliche turns at the end, but aside from that i liked it alot.

[Kurosawa Fan]

My wife and I are going to see this tonight.

[Spaceman Spiff]

My wife and I are going to see this tonight.

Prediction: Ad-meh-ntureland

[Ivan Drago]

Prediction: Ad-meh-ntureland

I'm surprised he doesn't have "Watchmehn" in his signature.

[trotchky]

Part of me wants to see this, but another part of me thinks both parts of me should just wait for Observe and Report. See, I hated Superbad, but Role Models was one of the best movies I saw in the year 2008. The latter sounds like the latter, and the former sounds like the former, etc.

[Kurosawa Fan]

This isn't even a comedy. Very few truly "comedic" moments. But it was far from meh. I agree with those who say it absolutely nailed the feeling of first young love, as well as perfectly capturing menial jobs filled with colorful people, most of whom are striving for something grand. I've had three jobs that nearly mirrored the feeling of the people working at Adventureland. Oh, and I strongly disagree with whoever said it was anything like an Apatow film or a Woody Allen film. I found no similarities to either.

It had it's flaws, but it was, all in all, a very enjoyable movie that touched all the right points on my personal nostalgia map.

[Sycophant]

This film has been sitting very well with me.

I can see how the connections to Apatow and Allen are made. Apatow, seemingly, from its focus on young men in post-adolescence, with a number of actors from Apatow Stables, and embracing its own vulgarity. The Allen thing occurred to me when I was watching it, though I'm not sure exactly how I would support it.

Both connections are ultimately fairly flimsy, as far as I see it, though I'd be interested in further explanations form anyone who believes the comparisons are valid or worth exploring.

So should I be checking out The Daytrippers any time soon?

[Spaceman Spiff]

Maybe my Acme Lame-meh-Insertion Predictor 2000 needs new double A's.

[NickGlass]

I don't understand the Woody Allen comparison beyond the allusions to Russian literature, but I feel the Apatow influence is in full effect because it takes a realistic setting and turns it into a fantasy for the immature.

[Watashi]

I don't understand the Woody Allen comparison beyond the allusions to Russian literature, but I feel the Apatow influence is in full effect because it takes a realistic setting and turns it into a fantasy for the immature.
Kirsten Stewart is a way more down to earth attainable girl for a high-brow college grad than a Katherine Heigl, Elizabeth Banks, or Mila Kunis.

Unless you were talking about Lisa P.

[NickGlass]

Kirsten Stewart is a way more down to earth attainable girl for a high-brow college grad than a Katherine Heigl, Elizabeth Banks, or Mila Kunis.

Unless you were talking about Lisa P.

Both, since each are the complementary paragons of a male's "fantasy." I don't think Jesse Eisenberg's character is, errr, Apatovian, but creating two women who show clear, direct interest in him--one who is cute, artsy, intelligent and thoughtful and another who is sort of a bimbo, but extremely sweet and attractive.

The Lisa P. strand just annoyed the shit out of me, though. Not her presence, but her bizarre lust for the main character.

[Philosophe_rouge]

Both, since each are the complementary paragons of a male's "fantasy." I don't think Jesse Eisenberg's character is, errr, Apatovian, but creating two women who show clear, direct interest in him--one who is cute, artsy, intelligent and thoughtful and another who is sort of a bimbo, but extremely sweet and attractive.

The Lisa P. strand just annoyed the shit out of me, though. Not her presence, but her bizarre lust for the main character.
I don't think it was that bizarre honestly, James is awkward, but is still a pretty good looking guy. Besides that, she says she wants to go out with a nice guy, and I think this is actually in reference to what I had assumed was a previous relationship with Connell who was anything but... I think the film quite deliberately parallels the two men in many ways, though, with some obvious key differences, especially in how they make decisions. I almost see James as a younger version of Connell, and he has a choice to take the same path, or make a new one for himself.

[NickGlass]

I don't think it was that bizarre honestly, James is awkward, but is still a pretty good looking guy. Besides that, she says she wants to go out with a nice guy.

I'm aware. I still think it's a rather lame fantasy, however much the filmmakers try to justify it. It worked so much better in Freaks and Geeks.

[Watashi]

I think Nick's problems about the "fantasy" angle says more about Nick's personal life than the film itself. It's not like James is an overweight college dropout who has no motivation with his goals (ala Knocked Up). I can see perfectly clear why Em or Lisa P. would be attracted to him.

[Philosophe_rouge]

I'm aware. I still think it's a rather lame fantasy, however much the filmmakers try to justify it. It worked so much better in Freaks and Geeks.
Fair enough :p I still disagree. I don't really see it as a fantasy, I agree with Wats in that there is a lot that is appealing about James. I'm just a year or two younger than the characters in the film, and I can see exactly why he is such an appealing guy. He isn't some soulless slob, he's an educated, good looking, nice guy. It's hardly inconceivable that two women would find him attractive.

[balmakboor]

I think Nick's problems about the "fantasy" angle says more about Nick's personal life than the film itself. It's not like James is an overweight college dropout who has no motivation with his goals (ala Knocked Up). I can see perfectly clear why Em or Lisa P. would be attracted to him.

Same with my wife. She HATED Knocked Up and a big part of that was due to her complete inability to accept those two getting together. She loved Adventureland. She saw immediately what would attract those two women and many others to James.

[number8]

Yeah, I don't see what about him would make him so unattractive, either.

Especially when he's, like, providing them with pot.

[NickGlass]

I think Nick's problems about the "fantasy" angle says more about Nick's personal life than the film itself.

What can I say? I like my post-grad movies to be filled with more angst.

[Duncan]

I liked this. It's a very nice film, nothing mind blowing. It reminded me very much of my post-high school days though, not really post-college. Like that scene on the hill, drinking beer, firing off roman candles. I swear I did exactly that at the very end of high school, and my friend and I talked about the meaning of beauty and stuff. It couldn't have been more dead on. It even looked like the same hill. I don't really see the problem with Lisa P being attracted to James. I agree with Nick that Em was a bit of a fantasy type, but whose first love doesn't get romanticized away from reality? It also really made me want to go smoke pot with friends and just laugh, which I haven't done in maybe 8 months. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Definitely a bad thing, but what can you do? Sometimes life gets in the way.

[Milky Joe]

While I agree with most of you that this doesn't really feel like a Woody Allen film, it's Jesse Eisenberger who totally feels like a character Woody Allen would play. Seriously, Allen should cast him the next time he wants to make a movie about a young, intelligent, somewhat neurotic yet still entirely capable guy.

[Amnesiac]

Pretty good. There's an unaffected quality to a lot of the performances. The whole film, actually. Although, I can't help but feel that Wiig and Hader would be more at home in another movie. They were kind of a dissonant addition, in terms of tone.

Eisenberg and Stewart were great. However, I get the feeling that these roles were really tailor-made for them. Particularly Stewart, who does the whole diffident, pensive, angst-ridden female interest role really well. And Eisenberg doesn't really hit a false note in the whole film. However, I kept thinking he was the guy who played Viggo Mortesen's son from A History Violence. So, I actually haven't seen him in anything else and who knows... he may have some range beyond this type of role. I'm not sure.

A lot of affecting, even beautiful, moments in the film that channel a type of emotion that is kind of hard to articulate. That sounds precious, but it's true. There's ennui, restlessness, intermittent melancholy, strained ambition, precipitate attractions, and some naivety and immaturity. Sounds appropriate given the age and the social standing of the characters. There were no moments in the film that I could pick out as directly corresponding with a memory from my own life, but the general ambience really rang true. The characters may have been naive, impetuous, fickle, etc. but those are things that are absolutely concomitant with young love.

Also, Stewart and Eisenberg did really well in the final scene where he tosses the shirt away. Thinking back on it, I could see how someone might call it contrived but thanks to the acting... it rang pretty true. They had some pretty good chemistry.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Pretty good. There's an unaffected quality to a lot of the performances. The whole film, actually. Although, I can't help but feel that Wiig and Hader would be more at home in another movie. They were kind of a dissonant addition, in terms of tone.


Unfortunately, I agree with you. They felt really out of place.

[eternity]

I think Nick's problems about the "fantasy" angle says more about Nick's personal life than the film itself. It's not like James is an overweight college dropout who has no motivation with his goals (ala Knocked Up). I can see perfectly clear why Em or Lisa P. would be attracted to him.
Yeah, I saw no problem with either of them having any attraction to him. There wasn't much if any stretching of the imagination that had to be done with it.

His reaction towards the end to a certain thing was the only thing that seemed a little "WTF" to me.

[balmakboor]

His reaction towards the end to a certain thing was the only thing that seemed a little "WTF" to me.

No need to be wishy-washy. That's what spoiler tags are for.

[Raiders]

Pretty wonderful. I in particular loved the way the film gave us a lot of great characters without resorting to using them as a means to an end. As an example, the film gives us Em's parents, a situation which is never resolved, and clearly uses them as a reasoning for her clinging to the, however false, attention from Connell but never feels the need to have this spelled out.

As a whole, it felt very "honest," however cliche that may sound.

[Fezzik]

This was a pleasant surprise. Some smart writing and great performances (Stewart in particular) really helped raise this one to a level I wasn't expecting.

I appreciated that there were times where Mottola let expressions or exchanged glances tell us all we needed to know without feeling the need to have the characters explain it to us, like when...

James realizes that Connell was BSing him about playing with Lou Reed. He didn't come out and say it, he just shot Connell a disappointed, almost tired look, and Connell shot back a meek, embarrassed look. Neither said anything about it, but you knew exactly what each was thinking.

I have to reiterate how good Kristen Stewart was. She really surprised me in this. I hope to see her in much more varied roles and not stuck as "that girl from Twilight" for very long.

[B-side]

All this praise surprises me. The trailer did nothing for me at all. It just looked like another teen comedy featuring an awkward central male. I guess I'll have to give it a look.

[Duncan]

I'm actually finding that I want to watch Twilight just because Kristen Stewart is in it. I hope it never actually comes to that.

[Sycophant]

I'm actually finding that I want to watch Twilight just because Kristen Stewart is in it. I hope it never actually comes to that.

I had that same thing when I saw Adventureland, but then remembered all I'd heard about it, that Catherine Hardwicke directed it, and those clips I saw on late night talk shows. Yeah. No go.

[balmakboor]

I saw Twilight. Stewart is really the only thing pretty good about the picture. I actually remember thinking. Who's that actress? And why is she in such a crappy movie?

[Amnesiac]

Stewart's good. However, like I mentioned in my previous post, I'm not entirely sure that she can really tackle a diverse set of roles. There's even some overlap in terms of the role she played in Twilight and the one in Adventureland — although the latter is certainly the better performance simply because it's placed in a better film, a better narrative context, and she's simply given more to work with. Adventureland seems like a better fit for Stewart and really showcases her strong suit. But there's definitely some intersection between the two performances, in terms of the kind of deportment and idiosyncrasies that she tends to gravitate towards.

I look forward to seeing her in more because it's certain that she has talent, but I'm not sure about the extent of that talent.

[Milky Joe]

All this praise surprises me. The trailer did nothing for me at all. It just looked like another teen comedy featuring an awkward central male. I guess I'll have to give it a look.

One thing I really liked about the film is that he's really not all that awkward. He's not Michael Cera is what I'm saying. I love Michael Cera, but it's nice to have a character in a movie like this that isn't a bumbling idiot the whole time.

[number8]

I saw Twilight. Stewart is really the only thing pretty good about the picture. I actually remember thinking. Who's that actress? And why is she in such a crappy movie?

Funny how Twilights fans hate her, then.

[balmakboor]

Stewart's good. However, like I mentioned in my previous post, I'm not entirely sure that she can really tackle a diverse set of roles. There's even some overlap in terms of the role she played in Twilight and the one in Adventureland — although the latter is certainly the better performance simply because it's placed in a better film, a better narrative context, and she's simply given more to work with. Adventureland seems like a better fit for Stewart and really showcases her strong suit. But there's definitely some intersection between the two performances, in terms of the kind of deportment and idiosyncrasies that she tends to gravitate towards.

I look forward to seeing her in more because it's certain that she has talent, but I'm not sure about the extent of that talent.

There is quite a bit of overlap between the characters Eisenberg plays here and in The Squid and the Whale. James is like an alternate Walt responding to a whole different set of father issues.

My wife actually didn't like Stewart in either Twilight of Adventureland. She said she has some tics and mannerisms that annoy her. I didn't find anything annoying, but I agree that Stewart isn't without her mannerisms.

[balmakboor]

Funny how Twilights fans hate her, then.

Most fans, I think, were reacting to her being different from how they envisioned the character while reading the book. I haven't read the book. I didn't have a problem.

My daughters both hated the movie, but they've never really said much about not like Stewart. They reserve their unkind words for Pattinson.

[Sycophant]

And why is she in such a crappy movie?

Based on the press she was doing around Twilight, I got the feeling she was asking herself the same questions.

[number8]

Most fans, I think, were reacting to her being different from how they envisioned the character while reading the book. I haven't read the book. I didn't have a problem.

My daughters both hated the movie, but they've never really said much about not like Stewart. They reserve their unkind words for Pattinson.

It gets really scary with the hardcore fans (I call 'em Twitards) who are obsessed with Pattinson and can't stand Stewart. I've read comments online calling her stuck-up, a bitch, etc. Some of them are downright confusing, saying "She always sounds like she thinks she's too good for Twilight on interviews!" What?

They got REALLY mad when Stewart didn't show up at the Oscars with Pattinson and her dad said, "She'll be there when it's a movie that's actually good instead of one that just makes a lot of money."

[Sycophant]

I have not read or seen Twilight, but I've been party to hours upon hours of conversation about them with people who have partaken. It sounds like the most vindicating, wish-fulfillment, I'm-not-the-problem-it's-everyone-else-who's-the-problem story a slightly misanthropic teenager looking to insinuate herself into a romantic fantasy world could hope for. So it's not surprising that there's a negative reaction to the actress who plays Bella when the fanbase so desperately wants to be Bella. Especially since she's got an amount of contempt for the material.

[Amnesiac]

It gets really scary with the hardcore fans (I call 'em Twitards) who are obsessed with Pattinson and can't stand Stewart. I've read comments online calling her stuck-up, a bitch, etc. Some of them are downright confusing, saying "She always sounds like she thinks she's too good for Twilight on interviews!" What?

They got REALLY mad when Stewart didn't show up at the Oscars with Pattinson and her dad said, "She'll be there when it's a movie that's actually good instead of one that just makes a lot of money."

http://i34.tinypic.com/2zi1wl0.gif

[number8]

Speaking of which, there's an anti-Twilight board I've been reading that catalogs incidents where high school students get into violent fights--sometimes murder attempts--involving an argument about Twilight. That would really be a terrible way to die.

St. Peter: Why are you here my son?
Victim: Um, well, I said Edward Cullen is a bitch out loud during lunch, and then at Chem this crazy chick who heard me threw acid into my mouth.
St. Peter: *points* Ha-Ha!

[chrisnu]

Speaking of which, there's an anti-Twilight board I've been reading that catalogs incidents where high school students get into violent fights--sometimes murder attempts--involving an argument about Twilight. That would really be a terrible way to die.
I blame the parents. Kids who are that obsessed need to get knocked straight on their ass, in order to gain some perspective.

[jesse]

Liked it a lot, though for some reason I was a bit disappointed because it never did anything or went any place that really surprised me. But it's aging well in the memory, for sure.

For me, the fantasy element was less the romantic interests than the fact that at this job James found, almost instantly, this group of artsy, intellectual individuals in a similar situation as him. While a number of things rang true for me (I also followed up graduation with an unglamorous job where my degree was useless), that certainly didn't. And speaking of this job, are there really jobs out there so poorly monitored and managed that employees can get away with half the things this group does? It made for some beautiful movie moments, but...

Now it seems people understand why I gave Stewart one of my best actress noms last year for Twilight.

[Kurosawa Fan]

And speaking of this job, are there really jobs out there so poorly monitored and managed that employees can get away with half the things this group does? It made for some beautiful movie moments, but...

Yes. Yes there are. Suncoast was exactly like that when I worked there. Even the occasional drinking on the job.

[balmakboor]

And speaking of this job, are there really jobs out there so poorly monitored and managed that employees can get away with half the things this group does? It made for some beautiful movie moments, but...

I worked as a web developer for a company that had a fridge stocked with beer (not to be opened until after 3:30), with a boss who bought every damn CD that was released (and burned copied for everyone), and that turned out the lights and became a videogaming parlor after 6:00 every night.

I can only imagine what happens at places where nobody cares about their job.

[NickGlass]

For me, the fantasy element was less the romantic interests than the fact that at this job James found, almost instantly, this group of artsy, intellectual individuals in a similar situation as him. While a number of things rang true for me (I also followed up graduation with an unglamorous job where my degree was useless), that certainly didn't.

I most certainly addressed this as one of the main reasons I consider this a fantasy, as well.

As a sidenote, there were two critics having a conversation at a press screening I attended last night, and made a comment about "Adventureland" being the only good film she's seen so far this year. The male critic replied, "I can't stand Jesse Eisenberg. He looks like a hamburger--you know, like an old hamburger patty. I just can't watch him on screen. Why couldn't they get someone more attractive? It's the same reason I can't watch Seth Rogan movies." Ugh, his awful comment was almost enough to make me annoyed that he was validating some of my criticisms of the film.

[Fezzik]

Yes. Yes there are. Suncoast was exactly like that when I worked there. Even the occasional drinking on the job.

This is correct. When I saw Adventureland I had flashbacks to my years at Suncoast.

This is a good thing.

[Kurosawa Fan]

This is correct. When I saw Adventureland I had flashbacks to my years at Suncoast.

This is a good thing.

Best job I ever had. I was 3rd key manager. No one enjoyed their job more than we did as a group.

[Sycophant]

And speaking of this job, are there really jobs out there so poorly monitored and managed that employees can get away with half the things this group does? It made for some beautiful movie moments, but...

Oh, hell yes. Even though I was a good associate and then supervisor at JCPenney, we got up to all kinds of shenanigans. We invented a game called shirt golf, which involved throwing a dress shirt across the men's sportswear department to a specific point, in the fewest number of throws.

[eternity]

Stewart's good. However, like I mentioned in my previous post, I'm not entirely sure that she can really tackle a diverse set of roles. There's even some overlap in terms of the role she played in Twilight and the one in Adventureland — although the latter is certainly the better performance simply because it's placed in a better film, a better narrative context, and she's simply given more to work with. Adventureland seems like a better fit for Stewart and really showcases her strong suit. But there's definitely some intersection between the two performances, in terms of the kind of deportment and idiosyncrasies that she tends to gravitate towards.

I look forward to seeing her in more because it's certain that she has talent, but I'm not sure about the extent of that talent.She plays the exact opposite character in Adventureland as opposed to Twilight, I thought. Bella Swan is the ideal and celebrated archetype of the naive and vapid fundamentalist Christian teenager by their mothers, while Em is the one that those same moms would try to keep their sons as far away as possible.

However, Stewart's characters in Adventureland and In the Land of Women are nearly indistinguishable.

[Amnesiac]

She plays the exact opposite character in Adventureland as opposed to Twilight, I thought.

Just to clarify, I never said the characters were identical and I didn't indicate that there weren't marked differences between the two. I indicated that there was a similarity, however slight, between the two films and that this similarity exists due to the idiosyncrasies and mannerisms of Stewart's acting. Of course, this is an observation that could more or less be gleaned in the case of many an actor as not many actors/actresses can ever entirely divorce themselves from a consistent repertoire of body
language, tics, mannerisms, tendencies, etc.

The characters that Stewart plays in Twilight and Adventureland are of pretty different dispositions. They deal with different problems, exhibit different traits, come from different circumstances, and exist in entirely different worlds. What I was referring to was the style of Stewart's acting. The intricacies of her performance, primarily in regards to her body language. There's a certain diffident, furtive, pensive, introverted quality that her expressions and line delivery tends to channel. You can even see this in a lot of her interviews. This is the overlap that I think exists in the two films. However, this consistency in performance mannerisms does not necessarily indicate significant similarities in characterization. I wasn't trying to indicate that the two characters derive from the same archetype, or (in the face of the different circumstances of each film) share similar dispositions, or that there weren't marked differences between the two... I was more just locating the consistencies in Stewart's acting.

[jesse]

I most certainly addressed this as one of the main reasons I consider this a fantasy, as well. Yeah, I just got a chance to go back and read this entire thread, and we're definitely on the same page it seems. And that screening anecdote is unfortunate--but then, what do critics know anyway? ;)

And reading the responses regarding jobs... I wonder now if that's part of the nostalgic element of the film, because I can't imagine there are many jobs like that anymore. As everything turns increasingly customer-service oriented, I can't imagine a business so loosely managed could last anymore, especially in the current financial climate...

[jesse]

Bella Swan is the ideal and celebrated archetype of the naive and vapid fundamentalist Christian teenager by their mothers What an odd characterization. In what way? Certainly the series is one of the most chaste "romances" imaginable, but even if it's not particularly emphasized in the film, Bella has a healthy sex drive and is constantly demanding sex (it's Edward who consistently demures), sees marriage as unnecessary, etc. I never thought her character was naive at all, and actually quite the opposite--she's actually a very independent, very cynical. The problem is that despite herself she's fallen into this romance of "Wuthering Heights" proportions, the ridiculousness that even she realizes.

[eternity]

What an odd characterization. In what way? Certainly the series is one of the most chaste "romances" imaginable, but even if it's not particularly emphasized in the film, Bella has a healthy sex drive and is constantly demanding sex (it's Edward who consistently demures), sees marriage as unnecessary, etc. I never thought her character was naive at all, and actually quite the opposite--she's actually a very independent, very cynical. The problem is that despite herself she's fallen into this romance of "Wuthering Heights" proportions, the ridiculousness that even she realizes.Bella Swan is a Mary Sue character for Meyer, and the book is even self admitted by her to be based entirely on her dreams and fantasies. It's basically just her masturbation fodder put into words to share with the rest of the hilariously sad people like her.

[jesse]

and the book is even self admitted by her to be based entirely on her dreams and fantasies. It's basically just her masturbation fodder put into words to share with the rest of the hilariously sad people like her. :crazy:

I... don't even know how to respond to that. I'd say a really high percentage of all literature, of all art, is based on and/or inspired by their creator's dreams and fantasies.

Thanks for responding though.

Sincerely,

-an apparently "hilariously sad" person

[Raiders]

And reading the responses regarding jobs... I wonder now if that's part of the nostalgic element of the film, because I can't imagine there are many jobs like that anymore. As everything turns increasingly customer-service oriented, I can't imagine a business so loosely managed could last anymore, especially in the current financial climate...

Not really. Big companies yes. Local shops and parks, heck no.

[Bosco B Thug]

Yay, I win. Mottola is a total visualist. And an unabashedly romantic one at that. Sometimes it crosses into sappiness, but most of the time, Mottola has a solid visual eloquence, wit, and sense of dynamic editing. The foil that was the Lisa P character's conservatism was well utilized, one of my favorite moments being the amusing cut to her suddenly dancing sexily frivolously, mere fraction of a second after having presumably argued seriously moralism with the Eisenberg character.

Wasn't blown away, though. I felt the film was a bit too meandering and that it spent lots and lots of that meander making predictable jokes about the college age mentality. The first half is especially slow-going, despite Mottola's capable handling. Could've done with more irreverence in lieu of his attachment to overwrought drama and the wistful romance. Otherwise, yay, he's a talent to watch.

[Pop Trash]

Despite a few small flaws here and there, this was mostly very good. Mottola's eye and feel for a certain middle tone between overt "haha" comedy and :sad: drama certainly elevates it.

Certain scenes already stick out in my mind, like playing bumper cars to the tune of The Cure's "Just Like Heaven" until the camera does a whip pan and all the little lights around the bumper cars become abstracted and that dissolves into another scene. Beautiful moment that. Speaking of which, Mottola and his cinematographer really captured the beauty of amusement park lights in the early evening.

I liked how nearly all of the characters were well balanced. Even Ryan Reynolds, who could have easily come off as an over-the-top douchebag type of guy, comes off as simultaneously pathetic and sympathetic. The only misgiving I have is that Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig do seem to exist in an entirely different movie. It's like Mottola couldn't trust himself to make a movie entirely devoid of overt comedic relief so he had to insert the two SNL peeps to bring the funnies, but it doesn't really work with the tone of the rest of the movie.

But I did even like the ending, which on paper probably comes off as way too pat. Mottola treated it with an understanding that what is unsaid says much more often that what is said.

[ledfloyd]

the more i think about this film, the more i think it's one of my favorites of the year. i read a piece on glenn kenny's blog where he quoted another reviewer as calling it "john hughes by way of truffaut" which i think is about as apt a description one is going to find.

[Ezee E]

Didn't care for this too much. I'm going to go with Nick's reason as one of the things that I didn't like the most. Sure, he supplied them with pot, but Lisa P. just was an awful character. Good-looking is it, but I don't see how she would be the dreamgirl at the jobsite.

I wish Martin Starr's character got a bit more time, because his story was the best thing about this movie. And Kristen Wiig needs bigger roles, now.

[eternity]

Didn't care for this too much. I'm going to go with Nick's reason as one of the things that I didn't like the most. Sure, he supplied them with pot, but Lisa P. just was an awful character. Good-looking is it, but I don't see how she would be the dreamgirl at the jobsite.

I wish Martin Starr's character got a bit more time, because his story was the best thing about this movie. And Kristen Wiig needs bigger roles, now.Did you see those dance moves?

[Pop Trash]

Did you see those dance moves?

Yeah seriously E, she was the dreamgirl simply because boys will be boys and they really wanted to put their P in her V. That's all.

[eternity]

Yeah seriously E, she was the dreamgirl simply because boys will be boys and they really wanted to put their P in her V. That's all.
That's exactly what I was saying.

[Pop Trash]

That's exactly what I was saying.
Yeah I meant E as in Ezee E from muhdafuckin' Compton. Word.

[eternity]

Yeah I meant E as in Ezee E from muhdafuckin' Compton. Word.
My mistake. Rep for the inconvenience set upon you.

[Ezee E]

Yeah seriously E, she was the dreamgirl simply because boys will be boys and they really wanted to put their P in her V. That's all.
Guess Pittsburgh doesn't have too many dreamgirls.

[BuffaloWilder]

You know what I haven't had in a while?


Big league chew.

[ledfloyd]

Guess Pittsburgh doesn't have too many dreamgirls.
low blow.

[Yxklyx]

This was meh. Didn't really cover any new ground. No compelling new performances. I kept on wishing I was watching Some Kind of Wonderful instead (PIttsburgh 1987 as well) or All The Real Girls.

[trotchky]

This was pretty fantastic.

[trotchky]

Guess Pittsburgh doesn't have too many dreamgirls.

guess not. but then, "dreamgirls" are an inherently unreal concept and if their fixation on her seemed silly, that's because it fucking was.

[Boner M]

the more i think about this film, the more i think it's one of my favorites of the year.
Me too. At first, I wasn't fond of the ending, but the rest of the film is so acutely observed and emotionally involving that it can be easily forgiven.

FYC: Best Supporting Actor, Martin Starr

[Ivan Drago]

Yeah I meant E as in Ezee E from muhdafuckin' Compton. Word.

Boy, you should've known by now, Ezee does it.

[ledfloyd]

Me too. At first, I wasn't fond of the ending, but the rest of the film is so acutely observed and emotionally involving that it can be easily forgiven.
yeah, i like to pretend it ends after the roman candle scene.