Review: Adventureland

Review: Adventureland

Rating: ***

Nonna's Rating: $$

Rotten Tomatoes: 88%

One critic complained that movies about boring people with boring lives are boring -- and not worth making. Probably true, but I certainly didn't find these character boring people. Adventureland is a coming of age story. Like any bildungsroman, it is necessarily formulaic. A callow youth will grow from child to adult. He will be restless at first, discontent and somewhat cynical about his life as it is. As time passes, he will grow, usually making mistakes along the way. He will spend a good deal of time bashing his head against societal mores, but, eventually, he will be incorporated in that society in some meaningful way -- finally at peace. Well, maybe I'm claiming too much for this film, but I did not find it boring. It's a sweet, funny story with a great 80s soundtrack.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it