Adventureland (2009)

Glad to say the weekend's picks weren't all bad (see Observe and Report, my previous post). I expected to like both but one is better than none. Writer/director Greg Mottola's Superbad (2007) was fun, a coming-of-age tale about a boy getting ready to go off to college. This one is a coming-of-age tale about a boy finished with college and getting ready to go off to grad school. In place of Superbad's adorable and awkward Michael Cera (TV's Arrested Development, Juno (2007), Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008)), we have adorable and awkward Jesse Eisenberg (you should see Rodger Dodger (2002) and The Squid and the Whale (2005)). My readers have guessed that I'm familiar with the cancelled TV series Freaks & Geeks (though I have yet to see the final 5 episodes); so when I saw trailers for Adventureland, I recognized Martin Starr in his bad haircut and unfortunate glasses, who played the tall geek in the series. Starr had small parts in Good Dick, Superbad, and Knocked Up (2007), but in Adventureland he got to shine--in fact some of the promo stills featured only him and Eisenberg. Great supporting cast, notably Bill Hader (NBC's Saturday Night Live (2005-09), Tropic Thunder (2008), Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008), Superbad, more), Kristin Wiig (SNL (2005-2008), Forgetting Sarah Marshall, more), Wendie Malick (so great in the 1990's HBO series Dream On, and many more), Ryan Reynolds (Waiting... (2005), Definitely, Maybe (2008), and I did not see him in the fat suit in Just Friends (2005)), and Kristen Stewart (I haven't seen Twilight, but I liked Panic Room (2002), Fierce People (2005), Into the Wild (2007), and What Just Happened (2008)) as the love interest. While researching this I came upon a trailer for Mottola's first feature, The Daytrippers (1996). It looks good, too. Trivia: the redhead who looks like Bryce Dallas Howard? It's her sister, Paige, also the daughter of Cheryl and Ron Howard.