Writer: Diablo Cody (Screenplay)
Starring: Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt, Patrick Wilson, Elizabeth Reaser, Collette Wolfe, Jill Eikenberry, Richard Bekins
Plot: Soon after her divorce, a fiction writer returns to her home in small-town Minnesota, looking to rekindle a romance with her ex-boyfriend, who is now happily married and has a newborn daughter.
Tagline – Everyone gets old. Not everyone grows up.
Runtime: 1 Hour 34 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict: Good Life Comedy
Story: Young Adult starts when divorced author Mavis Gray (Theron) learns about her old boyfriend Buddy (Wilson) has just had his first child and wants to return home to try and steal him from his wife Beth (Reaser). When she returns to town, she befriends Matt (Oswalt) a man that was bullied in high school and left permanently injured, he offers her friendship and advice about her decision.
As Mavis’s plan unfolds, she must face the life she once had and decide whether she is making the right decision in trying to seduce Buddy.
Thoughts on Young Adult
Characters – Mavis has been gone through a divorce, her books are struggling and alcohol is her only friend. She returns home in an attempt to win back her ex-boyfriend doing everything that seems wrong from life, she needs to face the reality that she isn’t living the best life she could. Matt was a victim of a hate crime in school, he is now disabled and has been hiding from his potential and strangely makes a friend in Mavis the popular girl from school. Buddy is the ex that has gotten married and started a family, he tries to be supportive of Mavis’s return unaware of her plan to try and win him back. Beth is the wife that is welcoming to Mavis, having the same type of stories.
Performances – Charlize Theron is great in the leading role, we get to see her show us what a woman who has lost everything can be going through. Patton Oswalt is great too giving us a realistic look at the problems caused by one moment in life. Patrick Wilson and Elizabeth Reaser are goo din the supporting role in the film too.
Story – The story here follows a woman whose life isn’t going well, she makes a decision to return to her home town to try and win back her ex-boyfriend who has just started a family. This does show us how life can move very fast, it shows us how depression can build up and make you do irrational decisions. We also get the message that high-school isn’t going to make the rest of your life in friendship or relationship because people will always go in different directions. When we see one of the final moments in the film, we learn how people will always be there for you no matter what their opinion of you might be.
Comedy – The comedy comes from just how the actions of Mavis unfold, it makes light heart of the big moments in the film, while being able to balance the serious moments in the film too.
Settings – The film takes Mavis back to a smaller town where she grew up, it shows how where you are from will always be part of you.
Scene of the Movie – The baby party.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – We could have seen what caused her divorce.
Final Thoughts – This is a good comedy that we are used to seeing from Jason Reitman, it does have an important message, while also showing how difficult life can become when it doesn’t go the way you planned.
Overall: Smart comedy with real issues involved.
Rating