Films You Have To See 1: 'Adventureland'

A lot of people ignored Adventureland on release, myself included. This wasn't Superbad 2, as the horribly misleading trailers suggested - though director Greg Mottola applies the same hazily nostalgic tone as he did to his 2007 hit - and some, nay many, were disappointed.

Superbad was one of 2007's best comedies, if not one of the best of the decade. A frank depiction of a day in the life of two best friends trying to lose their virginity before their schooldays are over, Superbad's beauty is in its execution. Like a feature-length, American equivalent of The Inbetweeners, Mottola's break-out hit is full of wonderfully foul-mouthed one-liners and such simple teen staples as trying to obtain alcohol underage or turning to jelly when talking to the opposite sex. It's a film full of truths, not least in its depiction of male relationships and the social dynamics of high school. It's also hilarious, and features Jonah Hill's immortal line as the crude Seth: "'I was so drunk last night, I shouldn't have slept with that guy...' - we can be that mistake!" Consider expectations raised.

Mottola's 2009 follow-up is different. Adventureland is not a regular laughathon - though there are some great comedic elements - and going into the film with the expectation will only leave you unfazed. If you were to watch Adventureland without such towering pre-conceptions, you'll instead find a warm, witty, reflective, sad, honest and, yes, funny movie.

Though Adventureland was made on a budget, the setting of Summer 1987 is never in doubt and the feeling of capturing an era is palpable. It's up there with coming-of-age greats such as American Graffiti and Dazed And Confused for being entirely of its time and place. Not many people in Adventureland wear mullets or day-glo tracksuits, and our protagonist favours old-school Lou Reed and David Bowie over '80s pop (one running joke is how 'Rock Me Amadeus' by Falco plays repeatedly over the park's speakers, slowly driving Eisenberg's James insane), but Summer '87 is in the flick's DNA. It's just that, like the rest of the movie, it has a very subtle presence.

The performances are likewise. Jesse Eisenberg, currently wowing critics with his Oscar-worthy portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, is excellent. Once dismissed as a Michael Cera-type employed when Cera wasn't available - perhaps less so now, considering Eisenberg has shown far more range than Cera in the last two years alone - the Squid and the Whale actor is perfect as James Brennan. Shy, awkward, a little geeky, yet utterly hilarious and even heart-breaking in certain scenes, Eisenberg plays a character you'll know from your youth - perhaps it was even you - and he is never anything less than 100% believable.

Alongside Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart breaks free of her unwanted Twilight shackles and does some proper acting as love interest Em, a similarly awkward, yet preposterously troubled teen. Em is James' main complicating factor in his life, uncertain of his feelings or even her own, and is a crush legions of men will identify from their school days. Those who've only seen her in the Twilight movies might be surprised, but anyone who's seen any of Stewart's other acting roles will know she's always been this talented anyway. As Mottola says on his decision to cast Stewart, she's an actress that's incapable of being dishonest.

The supporting cast are as magnificent as the colourful Adventureland staff. The always-brilliant Bill Hader shares his scenes with Kristen Wiig as the park owners, her truly clueless about the job and he taking it way, way too seriously. Martin Starr, as "pragmatic nihilist" Joel, is the typical 'loveable stoner' character with a notable difference: he's a three-dimensional human being rather than the usual weirdo. Matt Bush's Frigo, whom Joel accurately describes as "a demented person", ensures his surprising and increasingly inventive "sack-whacks" on James' private parts are another constant source of hilarity.

Strangely enough, Ryan Reynolds, once the movies' go-to guy for a smarmy wisecracker, possibly pulls off the most tragic and layered performance of the movie. Maintenance man Connell may be a manipulator, a womaniser and a pathological liar, but we gradually realise, over the course of the film, it's all just a way to escape the crushing mundaneity of what his life has become. Cool cockiness gives way to vulnerability as we see, the last time Connell is in shot, there's sadness behind those eyes. This (not to mention this year's compelling Buried) marks Reynolds out, truly, as an actor to watch.

Aside from the acting talent, what is undoubtedly a key to Adventureland's success is the obvious affection Greg Mottola has for his material. The film, written by Mottola and based directly on his Summer spent working at the real Adventureland in his younger days, is like a bittersweet memory captured on the screen. Like Superbad, recognisable moments mirroring our own adolescence abound: the lousy job, Em's epic fallout with her parents and the park-wide crush on the mythical Lisa P, we've all been there before in some form or another.

Of course, the melancholy soundtrack aids the overall tone, with tunes like The Velvet Underground's Pale Blue Eyes and Don't Change by INXS echoing in your head long after the film's over. But Mottola's unflashy directing style, choosing to rest his camera, instead focusing on his actors and finding the humanity in their characters, is the primary reason for Adventureland's depth, realism and warmth.

After re-discovering the movie only recently, I write this review in the hope that word might be spread on just how good Adventureland is. This is without a doubt one of the most beautiful and sincere depictions of youth I've ever seen and deserves a more prominent place in popular culture. Just don't expect another Superbad.