Dark comedies are some of my favorites movies, but this one got a little darker than it probably should have. On the other hand, the drama in Young Adult felt like it came from a real place. Fortunately, the good slightly outweighed the bad.Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron) is a professional ghost writer. She helped author a once-popular series of teen literature that dealt with drama in a small town. On a whim, this 30-something decides to leave the bright lights of Minneapolis and head to her hometown in an attempt to get her high school sweetheart once again. Problem is, Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson) is a happily married man. Mavis doesn't care. All she cares about is getting Buddy back. While back in town, she runs into another old classmate. Matt Freehauf (Patton Oswalt) now needs the help of a crutch after being savagely beaten while in high school. Both of them form this odd friendship that revolves around their past lives. Mavis can't shake the adolescence and downright bitchiness she had in high school, while Matt will forever be labeled as the town cripple. In the end, they can only go so far out of their comfort zone to get past their hangups.
Theron gives a great performance, but that's to be expected of her. The real star of the movie was Patton Oswalt. His subtle bravado and intensity shine through in certain scenes and it's really terrific to see. Patrick Wilson, who I'm normally not that fond of, does a good job at playing flabbergasted. My problems with the movie involved certain aspects of the plot. Certain scenes and certain characters just seemed contrived, or even unnecessary. But those didn't happen often enough to throw me off. Jason Reitman directs another good movie, but this one may be his most polarizing. Grade: B
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