Young Adult

My review of Young Adult is in this week's WE.

YOUNG ADULT

Starring Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt
Directed by Jason Reitman
Depending on which side of twee you fall, director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody’s acclaimed debut, Juno, was the love-it-or-loathe-it film of 2007. Their acid-tongued, gut-punch follow-up, Young Adult, is an entirely different beast — though likely no less divisive.

Charlize Theron stars as Mavis, a 30-something mess of a woman who managed to prolong her high school glory years by ghostwriting a popular teenage book series. But the books have fallen out of fashion — no vampires — and Mavis can’t crack writing the series finale. Luckily, a distraction arrives: her happily married high school boyfriend, Buddy (Patrick Wilson), sends a group email blast about his new baby, prompting Mavis to return home — beautiful and blond with big city glamour — to win him back.

The reunion doesn’t go as smoothly as planned. Buddy’s now a small-town dad who loves family-friendly restaurants and his bland, big-box existence. But Mavis is hellbent on seducing him, much to the chagrin of fellow barfly Matt (Patton Oswalt), the schlub she can barely remember despite being locker neighbours for four years. Two decades later, Matt’s still notorious as the guy who survived a vicious beating by jock assholes his senior year and Mavis is still the psycho bitch prom queen who “should” be happy but isn’t. They’re kindreds in arrested development and the reason why Young Adult resonates so deeply, despite its bitter surface.

In less capable hands, Mavis could be terribly one-note, but Theron fills out the edges of her character’s abhorrent behaviour, bringing Mavis to a believable breaking point where she briefly lets her barbed-wire guard down. It’s a fascinating performance, and Oswalt matches her every move, particularly in a devastating monologue as Matt recounts his horrific attack.

In a traditional movie, this moment would mark Mavis’ breakthrough, her grand catharsis where she starts to finally heal. That ain’t Young Adult’s style. The film’s beauty is that when it finally offers a glimpse of her fractured soul, it just as quickly snaps shut again. It’s not interested in a big emotional reckoning or tidy resolution. Rather, Young Adult knows all too well the frustrating truth about growing up — most of the time it’s two steps forward, one step back. — Andrea Warner

Patton Oswalt

My quick Q&A with Patton Oswalt ran in last week's WE. The full transcription of our interview will be posted soon.

MOVIES: Patton Oswalt makes leap to ‘Young Adult’

Posted By: Andrea Warner

Comedian/actor/writer Patton Oswalt has put his trademark on the funny schlub role (King of Queens), but he’s garnering serious Oscar buzz for reaching outside his comfort zone in the new ink-black comedy, Young Adult (opening Dec. 16), Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody’s first post-Juno collaboration. The film stars Charlize Theron as a 30-something writer who comes home to win back her high school boyfriend — who’s now happily married with a new baby. Oswalt plays Matt, the equally damaged voice of reason who becomes her confidant. WE caught up with Oswalt in person at the Whistler Film Festival last week, where he received a best supporting actor award — likely the first of many this awards season — for his Young Adult performance.

It seems more natural for comedians to transition into acting than vice versa. Did it feel natural for you?
Well, not at first. The transition began around ‘95. I think I was lucky enough that I hung around with people who were like, ‘Just because you’re doing well at stand-up right now, acting, writing and stand-up are all completely different disciplines, so approach them all as if you were at ground zero and square one.’ Do not assume ‘Oh, I’ve got other skills, how hard could this be?’ And it goes both ways. There are plenty of actors I’ve seen go, ‘How hard could stand-up be?’ and honestly, they are completely different disciplines and they are equally difficult to pull off.

So why did you want to do Young Adult?
I wanted to do it because they offered it to me. I don’t have a lot of choice right now about what I do. (Laughs) It’s not like, “Tell Spielberg I’ll get back to him! I want to read this Cody thing first.” It was offered to me, but I was so excited I was being given such a difficult script to do. A script that could have easily gone the wrong way if the tone wasn’t right. I wanted the challenge. I wanted to know if I could do it.

Do you have the Hollywood glaze of trying to stay away from too much lip service?
I have the glaze of not having slept in three weeks. I’m very, very lucky. I know this is going to sound so fucking cheesy, but it’s so true: my wife is so fucking awesome at spotting the ‘you don’t need to think about this’ or ‘ignore this.’ And also, I have a circle of really amazing comedian friends around me who all we do is bust each others’ balls. No matter what I do, movie or TV-wise, they’re there to remind me next week I have to go on stage again and be funny. So, no matter what you do now, you gotta just keep working, keep doing stuff, don’t get wrapped up in one fucking thing ‘cause that will kill you.

Oscar Predictions Part II

Who I want to win!

Picture: Juno
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Actor: Daniel Day Lewis
Actress: Julie Christie
Supporting Actor: Tom Wilkinson
Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett
Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody
Adapted Screenplay: Sarah Polley
Animated Film: Persepolis

Oscar Predictions

The Academy and I don't really see eye to eye every year. But, there were some tremendous films in 2007 and while I'm still lamenting the fact that everyone forgot Zodiac, I'm very curious to see what happens on Oscar night.

Today I'm posting who I think will win. Tomorrow I'm going to post who I want to win. And then the countdown begins!

Picture: There Will Be Blood
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Actor: Daniel Day Lewis
Actress: Julie Christie
Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem
Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett
Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody
Adapted Screenplay: Joel Cohen and Ethan Cohen
Animated Film: Ratatouille

Juno Review

The compact review:

Juno

Juno, the remarkable movie from director Jason Reitman and first-time screenwriter Diablo Cody, tells a thoughtful and brutally funny story about what it means to be loved via the catalyst of unplanned teen pregnancy.

The film stars an excellent Ellen Page as Juno, a witty and wickedly astute 16-year-old who decides to have sex with her best friend Paulie Bleeker, played by Michael Cera with more of his lovely brand of the awkward, gentle flower. When Juno opts to keep the child and give it to a stylish suburban couple (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman), she’s drawn into an entirely different world where she’s forced to grow up in a way that has nothing, and yet everything, to do with having a baby.

Juno isn’t entirely without flaws. The first ten minutes of exceedingly hip dialogue is supposed to feel authentic from a modern teen mouth, but feels more like what someone thinks teens sound like. But this is a small complaint, because what Juno accomplishes in is nothing short of fantastic: the audience isn’t given a sermon on teen pregnancy, but rather a uniquely feel-good look at growing up, regardless of how old you are.

xx
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