Adventureland directed by Greg Mottola

• Plot summary: James Brennan was supposed to spend the summer between undergrad and graduate school traveling through Europe, but when his dad gets demoted at work, James must find a summer job to make some extra money to pay for school. Because of his lack of job experience, James ends up working at a local amusement park narrating the action of various carnival games. Though not the job he had hoped for, James makes a lot of friends and has a lot of fun, even going so far as to fall in love with his coworker, Em. But Em's life is complicated and she's not looking for anything too serious at the moment. Can James handle a relationship as casual as Em says she wants?
• Critical evaluation: This humorous tale about James summer after graduating high school is both humorous and and touching. It seems that up until now, James has stuck with his bubble of intellectual colleagues but truly seems to enjoy being in the company of people he never would have met had it not been for his summer job at Adventureland. The complicated layers of friendship, romance, and sexuality that occur between an unlikely combination of people is expertly combined in a way that is just a little awkward but enjoyable enough to stick out the tough moments. Though this movie is about people who are not young adults, I believe many young people like to imagine what their life will be like after high school or after they are "legal".
• Reader's annotation: When James has to forgo his graduation gift of a trip to Europe, he embarks on an adventure to find gainful employment. Sort of.
• About the director: Greg Mottola has been involved in projects such as Superbad, Arrested Development, and Undeclared.
• Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance
• Curriculum ties, if any: None
• Reading level/interest age: This film is rated R and intended for people 17 or older, however I think this might appeal to people 15 and up.
• Challenge issues: Sexuality, substance usage, minor violence
• Why was this item included? This was a popular movie this past summer for young adults.