Young Adult was one of those movies that had Oscar buzz. It got some Critics Choice love early in the awards season, but it faded away by February with an isolated Golden Globe nomination for Charlize Theron. But having now seen it, I can say I'd much rather have been watching this movie than suffering through War Horse or The Tree of Life.
This movie is the epitome of a dark comedy. Charlize Theron is charged with bringing to life the character of Mavis Gary, a 37-year old who is divorced, has a drinking problem, and ghostwrites a formerly popular young adult series reminiscent of Sweet Valley High. As she struggles to write the final book of the now unpopular series, she gets an e-mail from her high school boyfriend, Buddy Slade, with pictures of the baby he has just had with his wife Beth. Given the twisted nature of our heroine, Mavis decides this is a sign that she is meant to be with Buddy. So she sets off for her small hometown of Mercury, Minnesota on a quest to win back Buddy Slade.
Mavis has no redeeming qualities. She is aptly described by a former high school classmate as a "psychotic prom queen bitch," and nothing she does in this film will convince you otherwise. In Mercury, she runs into Matt, the guy who had the locker next to hers in high school and was disabled after some jocks beat him up because they thought he was gay (turns out he wasn't so the national media dropped the story as it was no longer a "hate crime" - if that isn't dark comedy I don't know what is). Matt (played by comedy genius Patton Oswalt) is the schlubby voice of reason in this film, horrified at Mavis's plans and trying to figure out if this woman has any moral compass whatsoever (no, she doesn't). For her part, Mavis is busy being the perfect prom queen, carefully making herself up and dressing in perfect ensembles in her bid to outshine Buddy's wife Beth (the adorable Elizabeth Reaser who does a great job in this small role). For his part, Buddy (Patrick Wilson) is just a sensible smalltown guy, happy with his family, and eager to engage in discussions about how Mercury is no longer a hick town because they're getting a new Chipotle. Wilson gives the character enough ambiguity that you won't be exactly sure what he thinks of Mavis until the very end.
Young Adult is a wonderful departure from banal feel-good comedy. Screenwriter Diablo Cody (she of Juno fame) has done a masterful job of creating a world and characters that feel more real and engaging than almost anything else you'll see in the movie theatre. You can't sympathize with Mavis or root for her (well you could if you're as apathetic/amoral as she is), but you can still enjoy watching her journey and trying to figure out whether she's going to get out of this mess with any shred of dignity. The movie's ending is consistent with the tone of the entire enterprise - let's just say Mavis learns how to deal with her life, but not in any way that you can really advocate.
You may not feel like you learned anything, but you'll certainly feel a lot better about yourself after watching this film. It's no surprise that it got snubbed during awards season - in a year dominated by feel-good, "oh aren't movies grand?" fare, Young Adult is the reminder that movies aren't always hearty romps that fill your heart with gladness. Sometimes they contain unlikable characters, thorny scenarios, and no real life lessons. But they can still make you laugh and entertain you for 90 minutes. They just won't get an Oscar.
This movie is the epitome of a dark comedy. Charlize Theron is charged with bringing to life the character of Mavis Gary, a 37-year old who is divorced, has a drinking problem, and ghostwrites a formerly popular young adult series reminiscent of Sweet Valley High. As she struggles to write the final book of the now unpopular series, she gets an e-mail from her high school boyfriend, Buddy Slade, with pictures of the baby he has just had with his wife Beth. Given the twisted nature of our heroine, Mavis decides this is a sign that she is meant to be with Buddy. So she sets off for her small hometown of Mercury, Minnesota on a quest to win back Buddy Slade.
Mavis has no redeeming qualities. She is aptly described by a former high school classmate as a "psychotic prom queen bitch," and nothing she does in this film will convince you otherwise. In Mercury, she runs into Matt, the guy who had the locker next to hers in high school and was disabled after some jocks beat him up because they thought he was gay (turns out he wasn't so the national media dropped the story as it was no longer a "hate crime" - if that isn't dark comedy I don't know what is). Matt (played by comedy genius Patton Oswalt) is the schlubby voice of reason in this film, horrified at Mavis's plans and trying to figure out if this woman has any moral compass whatsoever (no, she doesn't). For her part, Mavis is busy being the perfect prom queen, carefully making herself up and dressing in perfect ensembles in her bid to outshine Buddy's wife Beth (the adorable Elizabeth Reaser who does a great job in this small role). For his part, Buddy (Patrick Wilson) is just a sensible smalltown guy, happy with his family, and eager to engage in discussions about how Mercury is no longer a hick town because they're getting a new Chipotle. Wilson gives the character enough ambiguity that you won't be exactly sure what he thinks of Mavis until the very end.
Young Adult is a wonderful departure from banal feel-good comedy. Screenwriter Diablo Cody (she of Juno fame) has done a masterful job of creating a world and characters that feel more real and engaging than almost anything else you'll see in the movie theatre. You can't sympathize with Mavis or root for her (well you could if you're as apathetic/amoral as she is), but you can still enjoy watching her journey and trying to figure out whether she's going to get out of this mess with any shred of dignity. The movie's ending is consistent with the tone of the entire enterprise - let's just say Mavis learns how to deal with her life, but not in any way that you can really advocate.
You may not feel like you learned anything, but you'll certainly feel a lot better about yourself after watching this film. It's no surprise that it got snubbed during awards season - in a year dominated by feel-good, "oh aren't movies grand?" fare, Young Adult is the reminder that movies aren't always hearty romps that fill your heart with gladness. Sometimes they contain unlikable characters, thorny scenarios, and no real life lessons. But they can still make you laugh and entertain you for 90 minutes. They just won't get an Oscar.
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| Getting ready to steal back her man: yay? |
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