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Adventureland (2009)
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It's the summer of 1987, and college graduate James (Jesse Eisenberg) is stuck in a dead-end job in an amusement park while his buddies go on vacation in Europe. He's pretty sure life is passing him by until the chance of romance arrives in the shape of co-worker Em (Kristen Stewart), who's having an on/off fling with the odd-job man (Ryan Reynolds). Despite being written and directed by Superbad's Greg Mottola, this coming-of-age summer comedy avoids teen gross-out antics in favour of something more heartfelt. Mottola himself worked in an amusement park while attending Columbia University, and the perfectly recalled 1980s setting and wistful tone have the feel of personal memories of being young and naive. Eisenberg is suitably vulnerable, a kind of gangly everyman for the nerds, while Stewart's smart yet melancholy heroine captures the silent suffering of adolescence brilliantly. It's a movie that radiates a warm, nostalgic glow, even with 80s hit Rock Me Amadeus on the soundtrack — and that's quite an achievement. JR
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Running time
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106min
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Country of origin
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US
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Genre
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Romantic Comedy Drama
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Original language
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English
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Screenplay
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Greg Mottola
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UK cinema certificate
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15
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UK cinema release date
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September 2009
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Film certification logos reproduced by kind permission of BBFC |
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