Thoughts on "Adventureland"

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Adventureland was a major flashback experience for someone from that era (like me). Eisenberg really draws the viewers sympathy as the recent college grad forced to "slum" for a summer at an amusement park while his friend backpacks through Europe. I thought Stewart would have more fun playing against the "good girl" type she has earned from Twilight, but she was a bit of a mope. Granted, her character was dealing with multiple issues, but there wasn't much life to her. Martin Starr stole the show for me with his existential angst. Ryan Reynolds channels his inner Ben Affleck as the older, married guy trolling for younger girls.

The soundtrack mixes the ubiquitous pop nuggets of the time ("Rock Me Amadeus") of the era, with great alternative stuff ("Pale Blue Eyes"). Any movie which features a Velvet Underground song rates with me. However, I seriously doubt a townie bar in Pittsburgh in 1986 had a jukebox with "Pale Blue Eyes" on it. I don't even think it was ever released as a single.

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While the plot was somewhat predictable, most Rom-Coms are. The attraction for me was how the film nailed the time period. It was an excellent film to finish off the summer.