I’ve seen Young Adult twice now. Once in theaters with a friend and once with my brother. Both viewings held an equal amount of “Oh God” around every awkward, warped turn.
Charlize Theron plays Mavis Gray, a young adult novel ghost writer living in the “big city” of Minneapolis, MN. She goes home to try and take back her old high school/college boyfriend who, by the by, is married and just had an infant. Everything Mavis does you will find yourself exclaiming “What the fuck!” “Oh no” and “Oh My GOD.” It sounds outrageous, but believable at the same time. Depression, alcoholism and loneliness wrapped into husband stealing, hometown fun. Goody!
Charlize Theron’s performance is amazing. She does these really subtle facial expressions that in one second give off entire rooms inside this character’s complex yet simple personality. Patton Oswalt is awesome, depending on if you like Patton Oswalt. I love him. He seems like the kind of guy you can have belly laughs with around a bon fire, and then go watch a John Hughes movie. And Patrick Wilson is great too, not to mention supa fine.
This movie is definitely worth your time. Yes there are awkward moments, and yes you cringe like every 5 minutes. But it’s a great character study and a flashing red warning of how NOT to act when you go back home, no matter what you think you had with someone a decade before.
And FYI, nobody beyond the age of 40 would ever refer to Minneapolis as the “Mini Apple.” I heard it once in middle school and it was just as lame then as it is now.
2PF 