Adventureland

Adventureland is the latest coming of age tale from director Greg Mottola, who was also at the helm of "Superbad". It's a (not entirely surprising) treat, set unfashionably in the late 80's, the decade that most of the teen film masterpieces were made.

The film contains elements common to both the "High School" and "College" subgenres, but focuses on the development of characters between academic years. Most of us will never forget the worst summer job we've ever had, and see how the dramatization of that summer is full of dramatic, comedic and romantic potential. This effort focuses on James Brennan, and his version of those days.

Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg) misses out on a post-graduation trip to Europe because of his parents' financial problems. The same difficulties mean that finding a job is essential to making his dreams of Columbia Graduate School possible, and he is soon working at the ramshackle, game-fixing amusement park, Adventureland.

Brennan is naive about matters of the heart, still a virgin after graduation, and finds his romantic ideals impossible to suppress. He is almost a caricature of the "street-dumb" sensitive intellectual, but the setting of the film in a slightly less cynical time makes him believable.

In a fine film, female lead Kristen Stewart is probably the single greatest thing. Her portrayal of Em has a subtle vulnerability (as well as showing inherent goodness) that elevates what might have been merely a competently written "troubled girl" character into a breath of fresh air. No one could blame Brennan for falling in love this time and it would appear that there's much more than Bella Swan to the former child star.

Without giving much away, there is the excitement of new romance, setbacks, life lessons learned, and crotch punching aplenty. James Brennan will never be the same person (and might not remain a virgin) after his summer in Adventureland.