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Adventureland

year 2009decade 00sdirector Greg Mottolagenre Comedygenre Dramagenre Romance

106 minutes

Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Jesse Eisenberg James Brennan
Kristen Stewart Em Lewin
Kristen Wiig Paulette
Bill Hader Bobby
Ryan Reynolds Mike Connell
Jack Gilpin Mr. Brennan
Josh Pais Mr. Lewin
Wendie Malick Mrs. Brennan
Mary Birdsong Francy
Matt Bush Tommy Frigo
Paige Howard Sue O’Malley
Dan Bittner Pete O’Malley

Adventureland | The Rewatchables

host Bill Simmonshost Juliet Litmanproducer Craig Horlbeck
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Roger Ebert's review

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:23:23Read transcript
  • Roger Ebert awarded three stars, particularly admiring Stewart and the cast’s ability to make the story real and touching; no rating scale is spoken.

Most Rewatchable Scene

Pot cookies through Hader’s baseball bat (two choices); park tour (one)

In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 00:26:32Read transcript
  • James’s first day is nominated, particularly learning that the giant-panda game is unwinnable and that some targets are glued in place.
  • The first-day tour exposes rigged games and absurd park rules, with Joel’s jaded guidance setting the tone and puncturing James’s innocence.
  • Em’s party is nominated for the recurring erection joke.
  • The remodeled house convincingly communicates the stepmother’s influence.
  • James and Em’s drink with the lounge singer performing Hot Blooded is nominated, especially the singer pointing out his nephew during a solo.
  • The Lisa P date is nominated because Frigo interrupts and tries to extract favors after discovering James was telling the truth.
  • The pot-cookie sequence through bumper cars, the Cure and Hader’s baseball-bat intervention is nominated for its escalating comic chaos.
  • James and Joel’s hillside conversation about Melville’s obscurity is nominated, showing that Joel can match James’s literary interests.
  • The final rain conversation is important for its observations about perception and facing people one has hurt, although it is explicitly not offered as most rewatchable.
  • The first Razzmatazz ensemble scene and Lisa P’s dancing are another scene candidate.
  • The pot-cookie-to-baseball-bat sequence receives two explicit final scene choices; the Adventureland tour receives one.

What’s Aged the Best?

Soundtrack; mustache; groin-punch gag; corn dogs; Lisa P; entrances; erection gag; mixtapes; stepmother; Joel’s line; liberal-arts satire; carnival

In the discussion (14)
Approx. transcript time · 00:36:30Read transcript
  • The soundtrack has aged well, with praise for the Replacements’ Bastards of Young, Bowie’s Modern Love, the Rolling Stones’ Tops, Hüsker Dü’s Don’t Want to Know If You Are Lonely, Crowded House’s Don’t Dream It’s Over, the Cure’s Just Like Heaven and INXS’s Don’t Change.
  • The amount of Lou Reed and Velvet Underground music divides opinion, with another listener enjoying the repeated Pale Blue Eyes.
  • Repeated Rock Me Amadeus is praised as a running joke that makes the characters hate the park’s music.
  • Hader’s period mustache has aged well.
  • Frigo’s repeated groin punches are praised as a recognizable period gag.
  • The corn dogs remain appetizing despite the less appealing bulk-delivery image.
  • Margarita Levieva’s Lisa P performance is praised, with The Deuce cited as her later prominent role.
  • Continuing to call her Lisa P after other Lisas have apparently disappeared is an appealingly familiar naming habit.
  • Lisa P’s unmediated local celebrity and slow-motion entrance remain appealing, as does the recurring erection joke.
  • Mixtapes have aged well because their handwritten selections and fixed sequencing required more thought and effort than an editable playlist.
  • The stepmother’s use as a partial villain and her period haircut are praised.
  • Joel’s resigned line that worse things have happened to Jewish people is praised as an effective throwaway joke.
  • The satire of liberal-arts graduates and Em questioning why travel writing requires journalism school have aged well.
  • The carnival is an unusually effective central setting, compared with Big’s partial use, the Knoxville park film and The Way Way Back’s water park.

The Butch’s Girlfriend Award for the Weakest Link in the Film

Catholic girl; Connell’s characterization

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:46:10Read transcript
  • The Catholic girl is nominated as weak link because her rejection of Joel adds little and the religious divide seems implausible for 1987.
  • Connell’s character is the other weak link: his apparent coolness conceals a loser, but more charm, better advice and a clearer reason for Em’s attraction are desired.

What’s Aged the Worst?

Lou Reed quantity; Scarlet V; religious rejection; music character; slur humor

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:48:04Read transcript
  • Too much Lou Reed is an aged-worst choice; the early script reportedly used Neil Young, which would not improve the music for the objector.
  • The Scarlet V expression has aged poorly as an unfamiliar relic rather than an offensive phrase.
  • Joel’s rejection for being Jewish and the unsuccessful Jack Black-like music character are other aged-worst selections.
  • Using homophobic and disability slurs for jokes is identified as conspicuous and dated.

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

More Mottola films; Reynolds should play losers

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:50:17Read transcript
  • One hot take wants more films from Mottola, whose strong work and actors’ admiration have not translated into enough directing opportunities.
  • The other hot take says Reynolds should specialize in attractive losers and unpleasant characters, with this role preferred over conventional heroes.

Casting What-Ifs

None found

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:52:52Read transcript
  • No documented casting what-ifs could be found; the film’s limited retrospective coverage is noted.

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

Hot Blooded singer; Hader/Wiig if eligible

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:54:46Read transcript
  • Hader and Wiig are proposed as Dion Waiters co-winners if eligible, with Wiig initially favored for her smaller screen time.
  • The Hot Blooded lounge singer is the preferred traditional small-role choice.
  • Michael Zegen’s college friend is proposed but does not displace the lounge singer.

Recasting Couch

Garry Shandling as James’s father (qualified)

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:55:36Read transcript
  • Garry Shandling is suggested as James’s father, qualified by concern that a recognizable performer would distract from the park’s ensemble.

Half-Assed Internet Research

Kennywood; winter filming; nut-allergy callback; Levieva gymnastics

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:57:06Read transcript
  • Kennywood near Pittsburgh reportedly stood in for the Farmingdale, New York park that inspired Mottola, with alterations to make it look run down.
  • Winter filming required snow removal and sometimes extras positioned to hide snow through windows.
  • Joel’s nut-allergy line is reported as a possible callback to Starr’s Freaks and Geeks character.
  • Levieva’s reported gymnastics career reached a high Russian classification and later a New York championship, but immigration eligibility obstructed further elite competition before she became an actress.

Apex Mountain

Maintenance men; pantsless push-ups phrase; SNL-era Hader; amusement-park films; Falco/Rock Me Amadeus; giant-ass pandas

In the discussion (12)
Approx. transcript time · 00:59:09Read transcript
  • Levieva is rejected for Apex here.
  • Eisenberg is rejected for Apex here.
  • Stewart is rejected for Apex here; her peak is located around later Twilight films, distinct from her later fashion and independent-film reputation.
  • Reynolds is rejected for Apex here.
  • Maintenance men in movies receive an affirmative Apex choice.
  • The phrase about doing push-ups without pants receives an affirmative Apex choice.
  • Hader’s Saturday Night Live period receives a qualified affirmative Apex choice for 2009, while his overall peak is assigned to Barry.
  • Mottola’s Apex is disputed between this two-film run and Superbad enabling him to make Adventureland.
  • Amusement-park movies receive an affirmative Apex choice.
  • Eisenberg being dumped in an opening scene is rejected in favor of The Social Network.
  • Falco and Rock Me Amadeus receive an affirmative retrospective Apex choice because of their enduring use here.
  • Giant-ass pandas are belatedly added as an affirmative Apex choice.

Picking Nits

Graduate-school aid; Europe funding; Pittsburgh sports; money disclosure; Em’s awareness

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:02:34Read transcript
  • James abandoning graduate school without pursuing aid is questioned, as is his friend’s willingness to finance New York but not the earlier Europe trip.
  • The lack of Pittsburgh sports clothing and references is criticized, with contemporary Penguins, Pirates and Steelers identities available to establish the setting.
  • James openly announcing his family’s money trouble to strangers feels inconsistent with his self-awareness.
  • Em should recognize that Connell has brought other women to his mother’s basement, given her otherwise perceptive characterization.

Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake

Seven-years-later sequel; prestige TV; all-Black cast

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:05:06Read transcript
  • A sequel could follow James and Em seven years later in New York with unequal career success, potentially directed by Noah Baumbach.
  • Prestige television could expand the park ensemble, while an all-Black version could explore a graduate’s similar financial disappointment.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bummer mixtape; Joel’s background; Connell’s age and history; wife’s discovery

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:06:31Read transcript
  • Visible mixtape songs include Pale Blue Eyes, Vienna, Milk and Honey, Graceland and Maggie May; Vienna is challenged as insufficiently sad, with the Smiths, Cure and Joy Division suggested instead.
  • Joel’s age, finances and family background remain unclear, prompting interest in a Joel-centered spinoff.
  • Connell’s age is debated from roughly thirty to thirty-five, with a proposed extra backstory detail to explain his disappointing circumstances.
  • How Connell’s wife learned about the affair is unanswered because she does not belong to the young coworkers’ circle.

The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson

Beware boastful older men and borrowed basements

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:10:30Read transcript
  • Life lessons warn about a boastful older coworker whose job reveals limited prospects and about dating someone who takes partners to another person’s basement.

Producer review

Good film, misleadingly sold as Superbad-style slapstick

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:11:33Read transcript
  • The invited producer review praises the film and script but argues that Superbad-like slapstick advertising created expectations that its moodier, more intellectual story did not meet.
  • A later rewatch illustrates the film’s gradual discovery by viewers who initially forgot or underestimated it.

More from the conversation

The 2009 film is introduced as an initially overlooked movie whose reputation and rewatchability have grown.
Approx. transcript time · 00:01:43Read transcript
Its appeal combines post-college uncertainty, a virgin’s romantic disappointment and Greg Mottola’s opportunity to make a personal project after Superbad.
Approx. transcript time · 00:03:25Read transcript
The finite summer supplies a natural beginning, middle and end for the coming-of-age story.
Approx. transcript time · 00:04:43Read transcript
An initially depressing final half hour becomes more appealing on rewatches, while the temporary friendships of uncertain young adults are a major attraction.
Approx. transcript time · 00:05:44Read transcript
The informal weed-smoking circle after Joel is attacked feels authentic because it gathers people who would otherwise rarely socialize together.
Approx. transcript time · 00:06:57Read transcript
James’s conspicuous reading distinguishes him from the group, while supplying weed gives him a shared social role.
Approx. transcript time · 00:07:32Read transcript
The late-1980s setting captures aimless communal time before the internet and the secrecy of finding and smoking marijuana, unlike modern phones and legal access.
Approx. transcript time · 00:07:49Read transcript
Eisenberg’s appearance and opening breakup anticipate The Social Network, while the role also extends The Squid and the Whale’s pretentiousness; James is kinder than Zuckerberg but poor at managing emotions.
Approx. transcript time · 00:09:14Read transcript
Michael Cera is considered but lacks the necessary aggression and pretentiousness; Jonah Hill’s contemporary slapstick persona also seems unsuitable.
Approx. transcript time · 00:10:06Read transcript
The early mockery of a liberal-arts graduate discovering how little he knows is effective, with Eisenberg balancing pretension and audience sympathy.
Approx. transcript time · 00:10:51Read transcript
A reported Dakota Johnson anecdote about being ignored on The Social Network prompts discussion of Eisenberg’s seriousness rather than an assumption that he is personally unpleasant.
Approx. transcript time · 00:11:40Read transcript
Eisenberg is placed high among Jewish male leads and compared with Woody Allen’s tradition of self-aware, intellectual characters; a younger successor remains unidentified.
Approx. transcript time · 00:12:03Read transcript
His precise physical comedy behind the game counter earns praise and an Annie Hall comparison; this role is considered especially characteristic of his screen persona.
Approx. transcript time · 00:13:02Read transcript
Stewart’s career is traced from Panic Room through Into the Wild and Twilight, with this film shot before Twilight’s release but opening during her rapid rise.
Approx. transcript time · 00:13:57Read transcript
The intense attention to Stewart and Pattinson’s relationship is contrasted with her later public and creative evolution.
Approx. transcript time · 00:15:42Read transcript
Her likability, natural appearance and freedom to be funny here are praised; an alternative career without Twilight might have given her roles later associated with Jennifer Lawrence or Brie Larson.
Approx. transcript time · 00:17:19Read transcript
Franchise contracts and scrutiny of co-star relationships are described as limiting young actresses’ creative risks despite financial security.
Approx. transcript time · 00:18:49Read transcript
Comparable roles allowing actresses to play ordinary people include Shailene Woodley in The Spectacular Now, Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook, Saoirse Ronan in Lady Bird and Larson in Trainwreck.
Approx. transcript time · 00:19:50Read transcript
The Proposal is praised particularly as a Sandra Bullock vehicle and an Alaska movie.
Approx. transcript time · 00:20:56Read transcript
Reynolds’s long path from repeated attempts at leading-man stardom to Deadpool success makes this smaller character part look like an especially good earlier choice.
Approx. transcript time · 00:21:23Read transcript
His character work here is preferred to his conventional movie-star image, with Welcome to Wrexham prompting a comparison and Amityville Horror recalled as an enjoyable bad remake.
Approx. transcript time · 00:22:30Read transcript
The earlier five-million-dollar budget estimate is corrected to $9.8 million, with a reported $17.2 million gross.
Approx. transcript time · 00:23:23Read transcript
Hader and Wiig reportedly filmed their scenes over four days away from Saturday Night Live; their comic performances and Hader’s mustache are especially effective.
Approx. transcript time · 00:23:50Read transcript
Their broader comic style breaks up the film and prevents monotony.
Approx. transcript time · 00:24:22Read transcript
The tidy act structure and fixed 1987 setting contribute to the film’s lasting appeal.
Approx. transcript time · 00:24:39Read transcript
Martin Starr’s reliable screen persona is praised through Freaks and Geeks, Party Down and Silicon Valley; Lizzy Caplan is suggested as someone who would fit this film.
Approx. transcript time · 00:28:32Read transcript
Connells’s character is the other weak link: his apparent coolness conceals a loser, but more charm, better advice and a clearer reason for Em’s attraction are desired.
Approx. transcript time · 00:46:38Read transcript
A prominent new prestige-TV role is desired for Levieva, with The Last of Us offered as an example.
Approx. transcript time · 00:58:47Read transcript
The closing explicitly credits producer Craig Horlebeck, the transcript spelling of the official producer’s surname.
Approx. transcript time · 01:13:32Read transcript
The Night Openings Instagram account is recommended for old premiere photographs; calling it top five is casual praise, not an enumerated list.
Approx. transcript time · 01:13:51Read transcript