"No one wins a giant-ass panda"

Movie Review: "Adventureland"
(Lawrentian, published Apr. 24)


"Adventureland" is akin to every college senior's nightmare: to graduate with a liberal arts education, specializing in medieval Russian literature or obscure languages, and be overly qualified for flipping burgers or running rides at a carnival. As a graduating senior fumbling to envision life after June 14, this plotline seems vaguely familiar.

The premise: After graduation, James is in desperate need of a summer job to garner funds for graduate school. Returning home, he discovers the only job available is working game booths at the local carnival. And, of course, some of the central conflict revolves around a mysterious love interest, Em.

Unlike most comedies, "Adventureland" is attuned to the college demographic. It features college-aged characters actually played by college-aged actors. Perhaps you had not yet realized, but this is a novelty. Usually we have 20-somethings portraying angsty teenagers in bubblegum romances that are aimed at preteens.

In comparison, this movie actually addresses what college kids think about: sex, money, the future, relationships, spirituality, etc. Even the jokes reflect the different demographic. True, there are those apparently quintessential lowbrow jokes, such as guys getting punched in the groin. However, the movie also includes inspired gems that reference Platonic forms. Some humor actually appeals to higher-educated young adults. What a concept.

Jesse Eisenberg leads the cast as James. This casting works well, given that Eisenberg looks like the everyman of college students. Unlike other over-stylized young male stars such as Zac Efron, Eisenberg actually looks like a typical college student. And besides being too-good-to-be-true charming, he acts like a typical college male. This too is something of a novelty in film.

Playing opposite Eisenberg is Kristen Stewart, who is most recognizable for her cheesy portrayal of Bella Swan, swoony love interest of a vampire in "Twilight." In "Adventureland," Stewart again plays the love interest, but the new role is a vast improvement -- it actually shows that she has talent. Her character relies on subtle, nonverbal signals, which she handles deftly, and it also requires periodically appearing rattled and vulnerable -- another trait for which she evidently has great talent. Hopefully Stewart can spend more time on insightful projects such as this and less time on teen melodramas.

Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig join the cast as married co-owners of the amusement park. We have seen Hader in past roles such as slacker cop Officer Slater in "Superbad" and in Saturday Night Live sketches. As Bobby, Hader is more subdued than in past performances, though he and Wiig do provide much of the comic relief. The two have an amusingly quirky relationship and provide several memorable scenes, including one involving stuffed bananas, googlie eyes and eye patches. Need I say more?

Audiences will also recognize Ryan Reynolds, who has performed in his fair share of comedies, including "Van Wilder," "Waiting," and "Just Friends." Initially this role looks to be yet another in which he plays the suave, cool guy -- not much of a stretch from past roles. The sleaziness of this role, however, does put a slightly different spin on an otherwise old character.

I hesitate to label "Adventureland" as a romantic comedy. It does have elements of boy-meets-girl and young adults fumbling through self-discovery. However, it also has subtle intellectual jokes and a completely satisfying ending that manages to avoid clichés. If it is part of the romantic comedy genre, it at least avoids the cloying, stereotypical formulae that leave me rolling my eyes.

Film Adaptations

Some times more than others I become aware of just how many books are used as money-making fodder for the film industry. This year alone the Academy Awards hosted several film adaptations: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Reader," and "Slumdog Millionaire," to name a few. After hearing rumors about upcoming adaptations of a few of my favorite books, I investigated what else was due later this year.

1. My Sister's Keeper (Jun. 26, 2009)

Author: Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors, even if this particular novel is not my favorite of hers. This is not much to the disadvantage of the book, since all of her novels are well-written and encompass a controversial topic in one form or another. In this novel, the younger daughter of a family is engineered to be a genetic match for her older sister, who has leukemia. The parents had engineered their younger daughter as a donor for the elder. Picoult treats such touchy subjects with finesse, which yields complex and captivating reads.

However, the complexity of any Picoult novel has no hope of being adequately portrayed via film. Literary works allow for the audience to comprehend characters' internal moral conflict. This subtlety is lost in film. Furthermore, the story feels cheapened when big name stars portray these characters who are supposed to be thoroughly normal and identifiable. Sure, it can be fun to see Cameron Diaz in romantic comedies and Abigail Breslin is such a sweetheart in "Little Miss Sunshine." Even Alec Baldwin can be funny, though I think his role in "30 Rock" is overrated. But I am highly skeptical that these actors can lend the depth that these characters need. HIGHLY skeptical.

Furthermore, I will probably have to see the movie so I can be rightly indignant that it fails to meet my high expectations. Already I am disappointed by the preview. From the look of it, yes, I am going to be highly disappointed especially with Diaz's performance.

(Trailer)

2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Jul. 17, 2009)
Author: J.K. Rowling

True, everyone already knows that this adaptation is coming soon. It is the most likely of these six adaptations to receive the most hype in the coming months. It is also most likely my favorite chapter in the Harry Potter series (to be highly specific, chapter 2 of this book, "Spinner's End," is my favorite chapter of the series). Translation: I really hope Warner Bros doesn't screw this one up.

It bodes well for the film that it has the same director as the fifth installment. I was rather impressed and satisfied by the darkness of the fifth film, which was highly refressing from the cheesiness of most of the fourth. Hopefully this film continues in the same vein, since the sixth book does have rather dark passages and some disturbing images. The darkness of the story builds even throughout the seventh book; hopefully the movies will continue to follow suit.

I particularly look forward to seeing more of Alan Rickman (Severus Snape) and Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), who I think were underrepresented in the fifth movie. It would be rather impressive if they had equally few scenes in this adaptation.

(Trailer)

3. The Time Traveler's Wife (Aug. 14, 2009)

Author: Audrey Neffeneger

If this is not my absolute favorite book, it is at least one of my top 5. Does this mean that I will be unduely critical toward the film adaptation? Perhaps. It feels like such a moral dilemma: to see the movie or not?

I highly recommend reading this book before seeing the film. As with Jodi Piccoult, there is no way that a film can capture the complexity of the characters in this novel. That being said, I do think there are ways that this film could be done very well and there are ways in which it could be done very poorly.

All around I am simply not impressed with casting choices. I do not know enough about Eric Bana to judge whether or not he will do well portraying Henry. That, I think, will be the most important performance of the film. However, Rachel McAdams is not Clare Abshire. She doesn't even have red hair! Furthermore, she is too movie-star pretty whereas I pictured Clare as more unconventionally beautiful.

The rest of the cast is filled in with other actors and actresses that are each too goodlooking for their respective roles. At first blush this is dissapointing and I largely hope that I will be pleasantly surprised by their performances. I'm sure I will at least keep a close eye on the progress of this production and keep you posted.

(Trailor not yet available)

4. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Sept. 18, 2009)

Author: Judi Barrett

Illustrator: Ron Barrett

If done well, this children's book could translate into a really cute, funny family film. I might need to see the film on a full stomach, though - those meatballs and giant olives always did look appetizing.

Like any other animated flick, this adaptation will host several well-known voices: Anna Faris, Bill Hader, and Mr. T, to name just a few. Faris is perhaps best known for exaggerated roles. Example: she plays a ridiculously self-involved pop sensation in "Just Friends." It will be interesting to see how she does in a film aimed at a younger demographic. This is true of Hader, too -- I know him best for college-age comedies such as "Superbad" and "Adventureland." He is a funny guy; hopefully that can translate into animated film.

(Trailer)

5. Where the Wild Things Are (Oct. 16, 2009)
Author: Maurice Sendak

This is another childhood favorite. Perhaps I should re-read this book before screening the film... All I remember of the story is that a young boy goes to bed without supper and dreams of monsters. I also remember being vaguely creeped out by some of the pictures...

Again, one of the benefits of adapting a children's book is that it is extremely easy to include everything in the original story. The downside is that this means the film has less, if any, excuse to exclude things.

(Trailer)

6. The Lovely Bones (Dec. 11, 2009)

Author: Alice Sebold

This is going to be a tough project to finagle. First, the premise deals with uncomfortable issues: the main character is brutally raped and murdered within the first chapter and Sebold spares few details. That alone will have to be dealt with carefully. If this project does not recieve an R rating, it requires at least a PG-13.

Another challenge for the filmmakers will be to portray Sebold's vision of Heaven. I really hope that filmmakers avoid being campy, using clouds and shimmery auras around the dead. There is quite a bit of interplay between the heroine in Heaven and those individuals she left behind. I will avoid explicit details, in case you want to read the book for yourself (as you should), but there is a sex scene that might be a little tricky to work out the details. I suppose a possible solution would be to eliminate this scene altogether in the film, though I hope this is not the route they take, since the scene is rather pivotal for the resolution.

One final thought: yay Peter Jackson for agreeing to direct this project. Though I have not seen any of "The Lord of the Rings" (please contain your shocked gasps), I hear that he is a talented artist. This should bode well for the vision of the film.

(Trailer not yet available)

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In way of a conclusion, I do want to note that obviously any of these adaptations will fail to meet at least some expectations garnered from reading the books. However, you probably will see me in the theaters of each production, whether grumbling about poor performances or smiling in pleasant surprise.

Spoilers Save Time

(Lawrentian, published Apr. 6, 2009)


As a fellow Lawrentian, I know the importance of good time management. Since spring is finally approaching, I also understand that the sunny Main Hall green will become increasingly appealing. This leaves very little time to hunker down in front of a television for two hours. Allow me to provide you with a brief overview of some blockbusters that you undoubtedly will miss while sunning yourself.

I know that there are a number of you who still receive shocked gasps from friends when they hear that you have never seen “Fight Club.” You probably put the film on your to-see list, but every time you think about watching it, you hesitate and cringe at the thought of so much graphic violence. I understand; I used to be one of you.

Any movie-goer knows that the film hosts gay undertones. The sexual tension between Edward Norton and Brad Pitt is all too palpable even within the first 20 minutes. But it is a truly unexpected twist when we learn that Norton and Pitt are really fraternal twins, separated at birth. Now you have the satisfaction of knowing the big twist without sitting through all the bloody fights.

Perhaps another movie that has long sat on your to-see list is “The Sixth Sense,” which has arguably the most shocking ending of any film. No doubt you have been waiting for just the right opportunity to watch something with such high intensity. Wait in suspense no longer: the twist is that Haley Joel Osment is really an ulterior personality of Bruce Willis, created to offset his overwhelming loneliness. Yes, it is truly shocking to realize that these two characters were the same person all along.

I bet several friends were simply appalled to discover that you still have not seen the critically acclaimed “High School Musical 3.” True, the previews bill the film as complete fluff. However, it actually provides touching insight into the lives of American teens. I think we all shed a tear when Ashley Tisdale’s character is disowned by family and friends due to a teen pregnancy. And who is not shocked to learn that Zac Efron is gay?

I strongly encourage you to set aside time to view this piece of cinema history. However, if you decide that the film is not worth the time, at least you know the gist of the film and will understand some of the inside jokes popularly circulating among your friends.

In the coming months, I also expect there to be a lot of buzz about “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” Instead of waiting until July 17, allow me to alleviate the tension. Due to budget cuts and the desire to finish the series while all of the actors are still of appropriate age, Warner Bros has decided to kill Harry Potter in this film, ending the series without producing the seventh. Audiences will further learn that Dumbledore is the scorned lover of Lord Voldemort.

Now that you know the end of these films, there is no need to waste your time viewing them. Thus your only worry will be what to do with all your newfound free time. Now you can indulge that craving to screen “The Land Before Time 37.” Or you can return, guilt-free, to viewing old episodes of Spongebob Squarepants in German on You Tube. No need to thank me for providing you with the fundamental knowledge you need to stay hip on the staples of our pop culture.



Note: This entry was printed as part of the April Fool's edition of the Lawrentian. These are not actual spoilers.