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Adventureland
2009 107 min United States of America R 18+
★7.1
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Director: Greg Mottola
Trailers
Description
It's the summer of 1987, and recent college grad James Brennan can't wait to begin his long-anticipated dream trip to Europe. Unfortunately, James' plans come to a screeching halt when his parents announce that they are unable to subsidize his trip. Forced to take a job at the local amusement park, James prepares for the worst summer ever, until he finds love with a captivating co-worker named Em.
Budget:
$9.8M
US Gross:
$16.04M
Worldwide:
$17.2M
Starring
Jesse Eisenberg
Actor
Kristen Stewart
Actor
Ryan Reynolds
Actor
Awards
1 win & 4 nominations total
Key opinion
Adventureland is a nostalgic, bittersweet coming-of-age drama that trades broad slapstick for a more contemplative, character-focused look at teenage maturation. While some viewers criticize its reliance on familiar genre tropes and archetypal characters, many find the 1980s atmosphere and authentic emotional stakes to be uniquely engaging.
| Production | The evocative 1980s production design and soundtrack successfully ground the film in a nostalgic, immersive amusement park atmosphere. | |
| Acting | Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart deliver nuanced, naturalistic performances that lend emotional credibility to the central romance. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay is a point of contention; some critics find the plot predictable and reliant on tired teen movie clichés, while others praise its honest exploration of adolescent complexity. | |
| Emotion | The film's tone fluctuates for the audience, with some appreciating the shift toward dramatic reflection, while others find the blend of comedy and angst tonally inconsistent or uneven. |