Adventureland Review

Although Judd Apatow is currently one of the biggest comedy directors and producers working in Hollywood today, his legacy actually started back in the ’90s working as a writer on a number of TV shows. It was the often-praised yet criminally short-lived series, Freaks and Geeks, which he co-created with Paul Feig that truly showcased his touch for crafting stories that were both endearing and hilarious (and, in fact, launched the careers of almost everyone involved with it).

So why am I bringing up Freaks and Geeks in a review of a film that Judd Apatow had nothing to do with? Well, it’s because Greg Mottola’s Adventureland contains all of the same elements that made Freaks and Geeks such a beloved classic — even moreso than any of Apatow’s own films. Freaks and Geeks alumni Martin Starr also has a great role in the film, and while Mottola himself didn’t work on F&G, he did direct a number of episodes of Apatow’s follow-up series, Undeclared.

None of the characters in Adventureland are cartoon characters; instead they are based in reality as the movie itself is semi-autobiographical. This is, I think, ultimately what makes Adventureland such a special film. You can tell that it is based on Mottola’s own experiences because it is crafted with so much care and attention to detail, and the emotions never feel artificial.

Even though Adventureland is not directly reminiscent of my own experiences growing up, it has an incredibly infectious sense of nostalgia. There’s something about hot summer days and teenagers hanging out at cheesy amusement parks and pondering the future that seems almost universal to me. As a result, the movie will probably connect more with viewers that are a little bit older than the characters in the film. I just hope people don’t go in with expectations of another Superbad because it’s not all about sex jokes and people getting hit in the crotch (although it does have that as well).