Review - Young Adult

Young Adult is Grown Up

Thirty seven year old Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron) is stuck. She’s an author of young adult fiction, only it’s not under her name that the books are published. When her high school boyfriend Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson) and his wife send an announcement for their new child, Mavis becomes stuck on rekindling the old flame and heads to her hometown.

Upon arriving in the small Minnesota town, she finds the happily married Buddy a challenge that she wants to take on. As she’s ingesting liquid courage at the local watering hole, another of the guys that went to high school with Mavis says hi. Matt Freehauf (Patton Oswalt) is one of those guys that people like Mavis ignored in high school. Mavis as a popular girl would not have given Matt the time of day, but this is 20 years after high school and times have changed.

Mavis wanders through her “return to glory” and even though Matt can see she might not be able to swing things the way she once did, it is hard for Mavis to come to the same realization. But it is Matt, the man who she once wouldn’t give the time of day to, that shows her a friendship that a girl could only imagine.

Sometimes, coming to grips with who you really are is harder than the situation you are in. Mavis is broken, but believes she is meant to be with Buddy Slade. But can she regain his affections despite his marriage and the new baby. Or will reality give her the wakeup call that is long overdue?

Written by Diablo Cody, Young Adult is fresh, witty and snappy all while smacking the viewer with a dose of reality. Charlize Theron gets a chance to show her chops in this tale that will be relatable to anyone who has ever tried to hold on to their youth. She is wonderfully quick with her lines and is able to turn it on at a moment’s notice, all while struggling with life and where it has taken her.

Starring with Theron, Patton Oswalt delivers another solid performance. He makes you feel the pain that he experiencing both inside and out. Oswalt shows you how much emotion exists inside the other kids as they grew up.

Couple two actors at the top of their game with a witty script and solid direction from the amazing Jason Reitman and you are bound for success. Young Adult will teach you that everyone needs to grow up sometimes, no matter how painful it may be.

A-

 
Young Adult
Paramount Pictures
 
Director: Jason Reitman
Cast: Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt, Patrick Wilson

Rating: R for language and some sexual content.

Runtime: 1 hour 34 minutes