IMDb >
Adventureland (2009)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at Blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsAdventureland (2009) More at IMDbPro »
| Photos (see all 49 | slideshow) | Videos (see all 29 NEW) |
Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
3 April 2009 (USA) moreTagline:
It was the worst job they ever imagined... and the best time of their lives. morePlot:
A comedy set in the summer of 1987 and centered around a recent college grad (Eisenberg) who takes a nowhere job at his local amusement park, only to find it's the perfect course to get him prepared for the real world. full summary | full synopsisAwards:
1 nomination moreNewsDesk:
(871 articles)
New Moon Pics Bella and Edwards Evil Eyes (From toxicshock. 7 November 2009, 12:12 AM, PST)
New Teaser Poster from Eclipse
(From toxicshock. 6 November 2009, 3:30 AM, PST)
User Comments:
Complex and Moving more (130 total)Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Jesse Eisenberg | ... | James Brennan | |
| Kelsey Ford | ... | Arlene | |
| Michael Zegen | ... | Eric | |
| Ryan McFarland | ... | Brad | |
| Jack Gilpin | ... | Mr. Brennan | |
| Wendie Malick | ... | Mrs. Brennan | |
| Matt Bush | ... | Tommy Frigo | |
| Todd Cioppa | ... | Velvet Touch Manager | |
| Stephen Mast | ... | Rich | |
| Kristen Wiig | ... | Paulette | |
| Bill Hader | ... | Bobby | |
| Martin Starr | ... | Joel | |
| Adam Kroloff | ... | Adult Contestant | |
| Kristen Stewart | ... | Em Lewin | |
| Kevin Breznahan | ... | Molly Hatchet T-Shirt Guy |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for language, drug use and sexual references.Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
Argentina:107 min | USA:107 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreCertification:
USA:R (certificate #39360) | Argentina:16 | UK:15 | Ireland:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A | New Zealand:M | Iceland:12 | Philippines:R-18 | Singapore:M18 (cut) | Australia:M | South Korea:15Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The movie was originally set to debut the same day the real Adventureland park reopens for business every year: 27 March. moreGoofs:
Anachronisms: (At 77:45) When James and Frigo are driving to Connell's mothers house, you can see brand new Ford trucks and cars in a car lot. moreSoundtrack:
Don't Dream It's Over moreFAQ
Is "Adventureland" based on a book?A Note Regarding Spoilers
Was this movie filmed at Adventureland in New York?
more
more (130 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Adventureland (2009) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Hollywoodland | The Wackness | Somersault | Across the Universe | Lymelife |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Comedy section | IMDb USA section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |
















'Adventureland' is a melancholy voyage into the grey zone between adolescence and adulthood, school and career, lust and relationships, frivolity and responsibility. That is to say it is not 'Superbad' and that's supergood.
Upon graduating, comparative literature major James Brennan is informed that due to his father's recent demotion (alcoholism is an implied cause), the parents will not be funding his planned and hopefully transformative European vacation. James returns to his parents' Pittsburgh home with virginity and intellectual pretensions intact.
Still planning on attending Columbia Journalism School and needing funds, James seeks summer employment and settles for a job as a game both operator at Adventureland, a local amusement park that has seen better days. He is after all a comp lit major and not even qualified for manual labor.
Of course Adventureland is more than meets the eye. We're introduced to the interior lives of park employees. Extremely powerful performances are provided by Jesse Eisenberg, Martin Starr, Margarita Levieva, Ryan McFarland, and especially Kristen Stewart as James's sort of girlfriend Em.
These are not stock characters (with the exception of the ballbusting Frigo character, put here for childish laughs). The characters are emotionally and behaviorally complex. They wrestle with what it means to be young (or not so young) what it is to be in a relationship, the meaning of sex, employment, violence, drug use, fidelity, intellectualism, relationships with parents and their new spouses, the value of education. In short, what it means to be a person.
To enhance its verisimilitude, the film is mostly set to mid eighties tunes (Expose, The Mary Jane Girls, etc.). These songs are of the mid-eighties, but the film is set in 1987. It's a slight jab at the less than cutting edge nature of Pittsburghian society circa 1987. No matter, the film does not ridicule the zeitgeist. Rather, it takes seriously the emotional resonance of the sex, the music, the clothes, the hair, the ganja, the drinking, and the want to all involved (it was serious) and in so doing achieves poignancy.
The film touched me and not just because I was almost James's age living not too far from Pittsburgh in 1987, but because it addresses what it means to be on the shaky cusp of adulthood in such an honest way. A must see.