Tag: Young Adult

THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES – Review

So what’s one of the biggest complaints about modern movies (aside from pricey concession snacks)? Much of the grumbling concerns the many sequels to successful films, often leading to a franchise. Last week we had THE MARVELS and there’s another TROLLS romp bouncing into the multiplex this weekend. In a bit of convoluted logic, many studio execs may think, “If you’re sick of sequels, how about a prequel, instead?”. Yes, it’s semantics but it’s a way of bringing in fans of the original while not having to pay the big salaries of those older pricier casts. Now, we’ve got that “master candy maker” waiting in the wings to spruce his chocolate factory right before Christmas, and for Thanksgiving, we’re going back to that dreary dystopian future of a quartet of flicks we thought had concluded eight years ago. But since the author of its source books took a look back at its history, we’ll now get to see if “the odds” are still in their favor (Lionsgate Films) with THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES.

As the story begins we’re back on the mean streets of the Capitol of Panem as two children search for food. Dodging dangerous wild dogs they make it back to the squalid apartment they share with their Grandma’am (Fionnula Flanagan). Flash ahead seven or so years and the young boy, Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) gets ready for his high school graduation. He’s hoping he’ll be awarded the Plynth award which would take care of the expenses for Grandma’am and his older cousin Tigris (Hunter Schafer). But he’s in for a shock at the ceremony when Dean Highbottom (Peter Dinklage) announces that to get this cash prize, he and his classmates will have to be “mentors” to the winning “tributes” competing for survival in the televised tenth-annual Hunger Games. Oh, and the mentors can increase their chances by coming up with new ideas (the ratings are slipping) to head game maker Dr. Gaul (Viola Davis). Soon Snow meets his assigned pair of tributes, one of whom is the beautiful, but defiant songbird from impoverished District 12, Lucy Gray Baird (Rachael Zeglar). She expresses her rebellious nature by crooning ballads that may earn her viewer support, but does she have the killer drive to eliminate her violent rivals? And what happens when the venue arena is nearly destroyed by undercover rebels? Will the crafty Snow find a way to give Gray the needed “edge”, especially as their emotional bond becomes more intense?

Handling the most pivotal role in the film, the character with the strongest connection to that original trilogy of books (stretched to four movies) is relative big-screen newcomer Blyth. We know “Corie’s” future, so Blyth must subtly give us a bit of behavioral foreshadowing. He appears noble, and we’re rooting for his budding romance, but there’s that “ultimate fate” that Blyth conveys well. It helps that he has chemistry with the Gray character, given spunk and song by Zeglar in a big switch from the sweet Maria in the recent WEST SIDE STORY remake. Early on she shows us that Lucy doesn’t have that murderous instinct, and must rely on rallying the masses with her music. Zeglar displays that panic in combat, but is in complete control as she becomes a country crooning crusader, reminding us of many “Nashville belles” like Patsy Cline. As for the “game bosses”, Davis channels a bit of her Amanda Waller persona from the DC “movie verse” (supposedly she’ll survive the recent “purge”) as the cruel devious, mad-scientist Gaul, sporting a single blue eye to make her more “alien”. Dinklage is a sneering sod as the equally cruel and deceitful academic, chugging tiny tubes of booze as he weaves his web of evil. The story’s only real comic relief role is deftly handled by Jason Schwartzman as the smarmy unctuous host of the televised global death match, weatherman/magician “Lucky Flickerman”, an obnoxiously flamboyant phony. The superb character actor Burn Gorman shows up in the film’s last half as a strict military man, but he’s given little to do other than to hover ominously over Snow and Gray.

To offer another connection to the previous quartet of films, their original director Frances Lawrence returns to helm the screenplay adaptation by Michaels Lesslie and Arndt of the Suzanne Collins novel. Once again he creates the look and feel of a grim, soul-crushing future world with desaturated colors as clouds drift over the double sword-wielding statue at the center of Panem. And that may be part of the many problems in that we’ve seen it already, four times over. While the original “opened up the story” by having the skirmishes occur in the more pleasant countryside, this one’s “game” is played in an empty concrete arena filled with slabs of stone and dark hallways. Then, when we believe a “conclusion” has happened, the film jumps ahaead to a new setting for a “B” plot that feels more like an entirely new tale. And it’s not nearly as interesting making it seem as though it will never really finish. The final “epilogue” has so many “future jumps” and foreshadowing (and a subplot that’s left unresolved) that the casual viewer will feel hopelessly lost and unsatisfied after such a long investment of time. Perhaps it would’ve worked more coherently as a streaming app miniseries. This certainly won’t gain any new followers of the franchise as only the hardcore fans will embrace the rambling, uninvolving THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES.

One Out of Four

THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES is now playing in theaters everywhere

ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET – Review

Rachel McAdams as Barbara Dimon and Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret Simon in Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Photo Credit: Dana Hawley. Courtesy of Lionsgate

Judy Blume’s beloved 1970 classic young adult novel finally makes it to the big screen in a sweet film of the same name, ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET. The biggest question with this charming film version is what took it so long? Maybe it was waiting for writer/director Kelly Fremon Craig, who has crafted a marvelous film adaptation, that balances the novel’s honesty with a lightness and entertaining touch appropriate for the character’s age. An excellent cast, and perfect music from the era, complete the picture.

The film offers plenty of moments pre-teen girls will recognize, but this film is for everyone regardless of age or gender. It also has nostalgic treats for parents who read the book when they were young, but one does not have to have read Judy Blume’s classic novel to enjoy this delightful film.

Set in 1970, the film opens as 11-year-old Margaret Simon (Abby Ryder Fortson) is just returning from summer camp. She is glad to be back home in New York City, but her parents Barbara and Herb (Rachel McAdams and Benny Safdie) have big news: they are moving. To the suburbs in New Jersey, no less. It is a big change and Margaret is upset, particularly because her beloved paternal grandma Sylvia (a wonderful Kathy Bates) will no longer be so close by.

But they do move to the land of lawns and lawnmowers, because her dad got a promotion that gives them more money. Her mom Barbara, an art teacher, is actually looking forward to being just a housewife, and having more time with her daughter and to participate in school activities like the PTA. Plus they will have a bigger house and a yard. As soon as they move in, a girl from next door, Nancy (Elle Graham), knocks on their door and invites Margaret to her house to run through the sprinkler, a new experience for city girl Margaret. Plus Nancy has a cute brother. Maybe it’s not all bad.

While Margaret copes with all the changes the move brings, she also faces all the typical worries and concerns of a girl who is 11 going on 12. Margaret worries about her changing body, if she should buy a bra, if she is “normal,” about fitting in, as she navigates new friendships. She witnesses bullying, has questions about religion, and has budding romantic feelings, all as she starts to explore who she is. The film, like the book, deals with these real-world questions in an honest way but with an age-appropriate touch.

The actual Judy Blume makes a brief appearance near the film’s start, shortly after the family moves to the suburbs. Judy Blume’s classic children’s novel deals with a number of real-world problems pre-teens and teens face, as does this fine film adaption. When the book was published in 1970 (the same year in which this film is set), “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” was ground-breaking, a big departure for children’s literature, by dealing with honesty with the real-life concerns of a girl of her age but written in an age-appropriate and entertaining style. The novel became a huge bestseller and also created a new literary genre: the young adult novel. Over the years, “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” has remained popular but also often the target of book banning. Judy Blume fans might also like to know there is a new documentary about the author coming out, JUDY BLUME FOREVER, to go along with this film release.

The film’s visual style perfectly captures the 1970s era where it is set, and that is perfectly paired with excellent music choices drawn from the era. songs that often punctuate moment with just the right feeling. The film has bright lighting and candy-color period sets and costumes, complemented by that marvelous period-appropriate score. The score delights again and again, underlining things Margaret is coping with, often adding a touch of humor with its spot-on choices.

One of the most charming parts of this sweet coming-of-age film is Kathy Bates as Margaret’s loving grandma Sylvia. Bates is funny and cute as the typically New York Jewish bubbe, a role she plays extremely well. Actually, she steals the show at several points, standing up for her granddaughter, providing love and support, and a refuge from all the changes Margaret is facing.

The film is sweet and appealing, with a fine cast led by young Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret. Audiences may recognize Fortson from her previously role as Paul Rudd’s daughter in the Ant-Man movies. Here, Fortson gives a nice, likable performance, capturing nuances of Margaret’s inner struggles on her expressive face. Rachel McAdams is very good as Margaret’s mom, who faces her own crises in this story, and is well supported by Benny Safdie as her husband. But often it is Kathy Bates as grandma Sylvia who steals the scenes, and acts as Margaret’s anchor in the storm. The young cast members who play Margaret’s friends, Elle Graham as Nancy, Amari Alexis Price as Janie, Katherine Mallen Kupferer as Gretchen, and other characters, played by Isol Young, Landon S. Baxter and Aidan Wojtak-Hissong, all give well-crafted performances.

This is a sweet, charming adaptation of a beloved children’s classic that both younger audiences and parents can enjoy, even if they haven’t read the Judy Blume book.

ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET opens Friday, Apr. 28, in theaters.

RATING: 3.5 out of 4 stars

THE HATE U GIVE – Review

(L-R): Megan Lawless, Amandla Stenberg, and Sabrina Carpenter in Twentieth Century Fox’s THE HATE U GIVE. Photo Credit: Erika Doss. Courtesy of Fox (c)

 

THE HATE U GIVE tackles serious issues about race with heart and honesty through the experiences of a black teen girl from a poor neighborhood trying to fit in at a mostly-white private high school, a balancing act upended when she witnesses the killing of a black friend by a white cop.

This is a powerful, engaging drama that everyone should see, for its effective balanced handling of some of society’s most difficult topics in our present society, as well as it’s moving story and wonderful performances, particularly by young Amandla Stenberg. It is particularly essential viewing for white audiences, for the insights and perspectives it offers.

Based on Angie Thomas’ young-adult novel, THE HATE U GIVE rises far above other movies based on young-adult novels. There are no star-crossed lovers with one suffering a fatal disease, no dystopian world saved by teens, and the problems young Starr Carter (Amandla Stenberg) grapples with are far bigger than the usual high school ones of popularity and budding romance.

The film is different from the typical young adult movie from the start, opening with Starr’s father giving his three children “the talk” about how to behave when stopped by the police. The initials of the film’s title spell “THUG,” and are drawn from lyrics by Tupac Shakur describing in raw terms how hate harms children.

Starr lives life in two worlds, constantly “”code-switching” between them: one the poor, mostly black neighborhood where her family lives and the other the mostly white, affluent to rich private high school to which her devoted parents send her.

At school, she is “Starr 2,” an easy-going popular teen who smiles a lot and does her best to fit in through “code-switching.” While her white friends use terms they know from hip-hop, Starr never does because, as she tells us, white kids using black slang makes the feel cool while if she used the same words, it would make her seem “ghetto.” She ignores small slights and racist micro-aggressions to fit in at school, smiling and shrugging them off. She has a white boyfriend (KJ Apa) but refuses to let him know where she lives.

At home, she reverts to just Starr, fitting in with the other black people in the neighborhood, a place where her business-owner father is a respected figure. She is surrounded by family and friends but also poverty and crime, where one of the few ways to make money is working for the local drug lord King (Anthony Mackie). In her neighborhood, Starr code-switches to cover up her school persona, while not feeling entire comfortable in either world.

That balancing act is upended when Starr witnesses the killing of her childhood friend Khalil (Algee Smith), an unarmed black teen, at the hands of a white policeman during a traffic stop. Starr faces pressure from all sides as she grapples with doing the right thing.

The story, which reflects recent real-world events including Ferguson, allows the film to explore a number of sociopolitical topics in an organic way through characters and their interactions. Early on, the film has a certain lightness and humor, particularly around the warmth of the family, before the tale is turned darker by tragedy. Director George Tillman Jr. handles both brilliantly, working from Audrey Well’s script. and is greatly aided by the fine cast. Because this is a young-adult story, the focus is on its strong moral message about family, community and doing the right thing, rather than just the violent moments, which are kept more at arm’s length.

Amandla Stenberg glows as Starr, her innocent wounded gaze and sensitive nature making her tug at our hearts. As her parents Lisa and Maverick, Regina Hall and Russell Hornsby are also wonderful, fierce in their protectiveness and commitment to their children. They paint a compelling portrait of ideal parenting while still allowing room for human foibles and even humor. Common, who plays Lisa’s policeman brother, offers the unique viewpoint of a black cop, as well as the perspective of a black man who made the choice to move out of the neighborhood into suburbia.

THE HATE U GIVE is a unique film, both moving and thought-provoking while thoroughly engrossing, and one that everyone should see, teen and adult, black and white. It may well be a star-making turn for Amandla Stenberg, an inspiring tale of courage and family that may be both an awards contender and a popular hit – which is quite a combination.

RATING: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

WONDERSTRUCK – Review

Millicent Simmonds as Rose in WONDERSTRUCK. Photo credit: Myles Aronowitz. Courtesy of Amazon Studios and Roadside Attractions ©

WONDERSTRUCK is a beautiful clockwork creation filled with intricate, delicate details, but a film where the parts are greater than the sum of the whole. Like an elaborate cuckoo clock or a old-fashioned doll’s house, it is packed to the roof with little flourishes and charmingly magical images that matter more than the story they are decorating.

Director Todd Haynes’ mystery/drama is divided into two stories of runaway children on a quest, one set in the 1920s and the other in the 1970s, but both taking place in New York and often in the same locations. In this adaptation of Brian Selznick’s young adult novel, the two children have their own mysteries to solve but the additional mystery is what links their two stories besides location. Brian Selznick, who also wrote this screenplay, wrote the novel that was the basis of Martin Scorsese’s film HUGO, and this story also has a little of the same child’s magical-world feel and sense of wonder.

The 1920s story, presented as a black-and-white silent movie, tells the story of Rose (Millicent Simmons), a 12-year-old deaf girl who seems obsessed with a famous silent movie star Lillian Mayhew (Julianne Moore), pasting clippings about her from fan magazines into a scrapbook. After a confrontation with her stern father (James Urbaniak), Rose runs away from her comfortable but confining suburban New Jersey home to look for the actress in New York, where she is starring in a play at a Manhattan theater. In the 1970s story, ten-year-old Ben (Oakes Fegley) runs away from his rural Minnesota home after the death of his mother (Michelle Williams) and following a freak accident that left him deaf, in search of the father he never knew, a quest that also takes him to New York.

The film alternates between the two children’s journeys, which have several parallels. Both Rose and Ben are lonely and are dreamers seeking something more in their lives. Each child’s search takes them to some of the same Manhattan locations, particularly the American Museum of Natural History. Both characters are deaf but neither knows sign language, so navigating the city alone is particularly fraught, yet both find allies along the way. The parallel stories also both touch on bits of New York history in their time periods.

The silent 1920s story is the stronger of the two by far, thanks in large part to the performance of Millicent Simmons, who is herself deaf, as the spunky Rose. Simmons has remarkable screen presence and has no trouble transmitting critical information visually, through small gestures, posture, expression or even a glance. She conveys a mix of touching lonesomeness, sweetness and determination that is irresistible. Haynes shows impressive skill in silent movie visual storytelling, conveying ideas, feelings and plot points clearly without excessive title cards.

The 1970s story is less effective and less polished as storytelling, although it does a good job of capturing both the gritty feel of New York in the ’70s and the charm of an old corner bookstore. Oakes Fegley does a good job with his role as Ben but the plot is far more clunky in the 1970s story. The plot is packed with details and seemingly-meaningful iconography (paper boats, Ziggy Stardust, shooting stars) that ultimately lead nowhere. Several scenes, particularly between him and Jaden Michael as a boy who befriends him, seem contrived and force the young actors into unconvincing dialog and moments that do not feel true. The fault is not in the young actors but an awkward script and direction that seems more intent on hurrying along to the next visual wonder.

 

A story featuring deaf children is a welcome thing. The film does offer a bit of history and some advocacy for the deaf. The stronger 1920s silent movie story highlights how deaf people were treated in an earlier era, shut off from society and isolated, even in an affluent family like Rose’s. The film also touches on the fight for advances like the transition from lip-reading to the use of sign-language, and continues that thread into the story that takes place 50 years later, showing changes in the lives of deaf people.

As worthy as that is, the plot of the stories themselves are not the strongest (although the 1920s story is much better than the overstuffed, less-believable 1970s story) and the mysteries they pose are not very hard to figure out. But it does not matter much, as the plots mostly exist as a vehicle for a little focus on the deaf, and as an excuse to explore little historical tidbits and to immerse the audience in the time periods.

The major appeal of WONDERSTUCK is likely its intricate, delicate beauty, the studiously accurate period recreations and all the lavish little historic details embedded in the beautifully photographed images. Story definitely takes a backseat in this very pretty film, filled with a history buff’s banquet of near-forgotten bits of New York history. Among the historic delights are a museum exhibition on the pre-cursor to museums, the cabinet of curiosities, displayed at the American Museum of Natural History, a room-filling model of Manhattan created for a World’s Fair and preserved in the 1970s, and even the 1970s blackout.

There is a precious, doll-house feel to much of the movie, as lovely as it is and as worthy as the social commentary is. Haynes seems to be reaching for Wes Anderson charm and whimsy but doesn’t quite achieve it. Still, it is lovely to look at, and the little bits of history are delightful.

WONDERSTRUCK offers a myriad of visual delights and a complete immersion in two time periods, but it is more a tour of wondrous sights than great storytelling.

RATING: 3 out of 5 stars

15 Young Adult Novels Turned Into Movies

THE MAZE RUNNER

THE MAZE RUNNER will finally hit theaters this Friday, September 19th.

Published in October 2009 and based upon the first book in a bestselling series by James Dashner, the novel became a New York Times Best Seller and captured the imaginations of readers around the world. Fans have described it as a combination of Lord of the Flies, The Hunger Games, and the legendary television series Lost.

Books to film – especially young adult adaptations – are big bucks at the box office. Lionsgate’s THE HUNGER GAMES and THE TWILIGHT SAGA franchises have collectively grossed more than $5 billion at the worldwide box office, and THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE is the 10th highest-grossing film of all time.

Over the weekend, Variety reported:

The 20th Century Fox release racked up a strong $8.3 million across five markets last weekend, with debuts that compared favorably to another young adult hit, “Divergent.” “The Maze Runner” is expected to make $30 million when it touches down stateside on Sept. 19.

While some missed the mark and others were successful in their crossover from page to screen, here’s a look at 15 Young Adult Novels that were turned into films.

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THE FAULT IN OUR STARS

(June 6, 2014)

Hazel (Shailene Woodley) and Gus (Ansel Elgort) are two extraordinary teenagers who share an acerbic wit, a disdain for the conventional, and a love that sweeps them — and us — on an unforgettable journey. Their relationship is all the more miraculous, given that they met and fell in love at a cancer support group. THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, based upon the number-one bestselling novel by John Green, explores the funny, thrilling and tragic business of being alive and in love.

Review

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THE GIVER

(August 15, 2014)

The haunting story of THE GIVER centers on Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. The film is based on Lois Lowry’s beloved young adult novel of the same name, which was the winner the 1994 Newbery Medal and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide.

Review

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THE HUNGER GAMES Series

(March 23, 2012; November 22, 2013)

In the film versions of Suzanne Collins’ best selling futuristic young adult novel THE HUNGER GAMES, a dystopic Capitol requires its twelve subjugated districts to pay tribute in the form of a teenage boy and girl who are forced to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. When Katniss Everdeen’s little sister is chosen in the lottery, Katniss volunteers to take her place. Although persevering through hardship is commonplace for Katniss, she must start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love in order to win the games and return home.

The success of THE HUNGER GAMES and THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE marked the first time the first two installments of a franchise have each topped $400 million at the domestic box office, and both films now rank among the top 15 domestic film releases in history. CATCHING FIRE also grossed $428.8 million internationally for a worldwide box office total of $838.2 million in its first seven weeks of release compared to $691 million worldwide box office generated during the entire run of the first Hunger Games film.

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 1 will be released worldwide on November 21, 2014 and THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 2 opens November 20, 2015.

THE HUNGER GAMES Review

CATCHING FIRE Review

Trailers

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THE PRINCESS DIARIES

(August 3, 2001)

Starring Oscar winners Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway, and Hector Elizondo, THE PRINCESS DIARIES is a cool, comical Cinderella story that will touch your heart. For teenager Mia Thermopolis (Hathaway), just surviving each school day is an adventure. Then the shocking news arrives that she’s a real-life princess! So begins a comical transformation towards poise and princess-ness, including a media storm, jealous schoolmates, and a plot to take over her country. Based on Meg Cabot’s 2000 novel.

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DIVERGENT

DIVERGENT

(March 21, 2014)

The thrilling action-adventure film is set in a world where people are divided into distinct factions based on human virtues. Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) is warned she is Divergent and will never fit into any one group. When she discovers a conspiracy by a faction leader (Kate Winslet) to destroy all Divergents, Tris must learn to trust in the mysterious Four (Theo James) and together they must find out what makes being Divergent so dangerous before it’s too late. 

The first film in the DIVERGENT franchise grossed $117 million at the domestic box office in its first three weeks of release, and it continues its international rollout this weekend with openings in France, Germany, Russia, Australia, Scandinavia and other major territories. Book sales of the best-selling Divergent series continue to skyrocket with total sales nearing 20 million worldwide.

Lionsgate will release a total of four DIVERGENT films on its Summit Entertainment label, with the next film, INSURGENT, which begins production next month, slated for release on March 20, 2015 and ALLEGIANT — Parts 1 & 2 scheduled for release on March 18, 2016, and March 24, 2017, respectively.

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Review

HARRY POTTER

(Eight films: 2001 – 2011)

“Dark and Difficult Times Lie Ahead“

It all begins when Harry Potter learns on his 11th birthday that he is the orphaned first son of two powerful wizards and possesses magical powers of his own. At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry embarks on the adventure of a lifetime.

Fans watched as Harry’s, Hermione’s and Ron’s lives were filled with the Triwizard Tournament, dragons, the high-flying sport Quidditch, a thrilling game with living chess pieces, platform nine and three quarters, Ollivanders Wand Shop in Diagon Alley, Death Eaters and Horcruxes – all the while facing the threat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

Based on the seven novels by J.K. Rowling, it all ended with “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2″ – the final adventure in the Harry Potter film series. In the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the wizarding world escalated into an all-out war. 

A Look at the Films

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ERAGON

(December 15, 2006)

In a mythical time, a teenage boy becomes a dragon rider with the help of a wise old man, and with his newly-hatched dragon, avenges the murder of his uncle, rescues a beautiful warrior, and battles a tyrannical king. The film starred Ed Speelers, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Guillory, Robert Carlyle, Djimon Hounsou, Garrett Hedlund, Joss Stone, Rachel Weisz and John Malkovich. Directed by Stefen Fangmeier, the film is based on the novel of the same name by author Christopher Paolini from his Inheritance Cycle series.

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NICK AND NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST

(October 3, 2008)

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist is a comedy about two people thrust together for one hilarious, sleepless night of adventure in a world of mix tapes, late-night living, and, live, loud music. Nick (Michael Cera) frequents New York’s indie rock scene nursing a broken heart and a vague ability to play the bass. Norah (Kat Dennings) is questioning pretty much all of her assumptions about the world. Though they have nothing in common except for their taste in music, their chance encounter leads to an all-night quest to find a legendary band’s secret show and ends up becoming the first date in a romance that could change both their lives.

Screenplay by Lorene Scafaria, based on Rachel Cohn and David Levithan‘s book.

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TWILIGHT Series

(2008 – 2012)

THE TWILIGHT SAGA film series stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner and tells the story of 17-year-old Bella Swan who moves to the small town of Forks, Washington to live with her father, and becomes drawn to Edward Cullen, a pale, mysterious classmate who seems determined to push her away. But neither can deny the attraction that pulls them together…even when Edward confides that he and his family are vampires. The action-packed, modern day vampire love story Twilight, the first film in the series, was released in theatres on November 21, 2008 to a blockbuster reception. The second installment of the film franchise, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, was released November 20, 2009, followed by the third installment The Twilight Saga: Eclipse on June 30, 2010. The final two installments, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Parts 1 & 2, were released on November 18, 2011 and November 16, 2012 respectively.  All films, which together grossed more than $3.3 billion at the worldwide box office, were written by Melissa Rosenberg based on the novels in author Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” series.

Watch how it all began HERE.

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PERCY JACKSON Series

(OLYMPIANS: February 12, 2010 and SEA MONSTERS: August 7, 2013)

In PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF, a trouble-prone teen Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of school — but that’s the least of his problems. The gods of Mount Olympus and assorted monsters seem to have walked out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology texts and into his life — and they’re not happy. Zeus’ lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Now, Percy and his friends must return Zeus’ stolen property and unravel a mystery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Based on the publishing phenomenon, PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS continues the young demigod’s epic journey to fulfill his destiny. To save their world, Percy and his friends must find the fabled and powerfully magic Golden Fleece. Embarking on a treacherous odyssey into the uncharted waters of the Sea of Monsters (known to humans as the Bermuda Triangle), they battle terrifying creatures, an army of zombies, and the ultimate Evil. Based on the series by Rick Riordan.

OLYMPIANS Review

SEA MONSTERS Review

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VAMPIRE ACADEMY

VAMPIRE ACADEMY

(February 7, 2014)

Based on author Richelle Mead’s worldwide bestselling series, VAMPIRE ACADEMY tells the legend of Rose Hathaway (Zoey Deutch) and Lissa Dragomir (Lucy Fry), two 17-year-old girls who attend a hidden boarding school for Moroi (mortal, peaceful Vampires) and Dhampirs (half-vampire/half-human guardians).

Rose, a rebellious Guardian-in-training and her best friend, Lissa – a royal vampire Princess – have been on the run when they are captured and returned to St.Vladamirs Academy, the very place where they believe their lives may be in most jeopardy. Thrust back into the perils of Moroi Society and high school, Lissa struggles to reclaim her status while Rose trains with her mentor and love-interest, Dimitri (Danila Kozlovsky), to guarantee her place as Lissa’s guardian.

Rose will sacrifice everything to protect Lissa from those who intend to exploit her from within the Academy walls and the Strigoi (immortal, evil vampires) who hunt her kind from outside its sanctuary.

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I AM NUMBER FOUR

(February 18, 2011)

Three are dead. Who is Number Four? From director D.J. Caruso (Disturbia), producer Michael Bay (Transformers) and the writers of TV’s Smallville, comes this gripping, action-packed thriller. John Smith (Alex Pettyfer) is an extraordinary teen masking his true identity to elude a deadly enemy sent to destroy him. Living with his guardian (Timothy Olyphant) in the small town he now calls home, John encounters unexpected, life-changing events — his first love (Dianna Agron, TV’s Glee), powerful new abilities and a secret connection to the others who share his incredible destiny. Based on the novel I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore.

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THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES

(August 21, 2013)

Clary’s life is turned upside down when her mother is kidnapped and it’s revealed that she and her mother are actually shadowhunters – billed with protecting the world from downworlders such as vampires, werewolves and demons. Clary must discover her talents and save her mother. Based on the Best-Selling YA series by Cassandra Clare.

Review

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BEAUTIFUL CREATURES

BEAUTIFUL CREATURES

(February 14, 2013)

A strange recurring dream haunts Ethan Wate in his sleep, but he prefers anything to his waking life. Trapped in a small, conservative Southern town with his withdrawn father, Ethan desperately wants to escape. Then the beautiful Lena Duchannes arrives at his school, and mysterious events begin to occur. Lena has a secret: She is a Caster with powers beyond her control. Worse, when she reaches her 16th birthday, she will be claimed by either the Light or the Dark…and there is no escaping her fate in this supernatural love story. Based on the young adult novel written by authors Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl and the first book in the Caster Chronicles series.

Review

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sisterhood

THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS

(June 1, 2005)

Coming of Age Adventure based on Ann Brashares’ best-selling novel about a special 16th summer in the lives of four lifelong friends who are separated for the first time. On a shopping trip, the girls find a pair of thrift-shop jeans that fits each of them perfectly and they decide to use these “magic” pants as a way of keeping in touch over the months ahead, each girl wearing the jeans for a week to see what luck they bring her before sending them on to the next. Though miles apart, the four friends still experience life, love and loss together in a summer they’ll never forget.

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CD GIVEAWAY – Win The YOUNG ADULT Soundtrack Available From Rhino

To start off 2012, WAMG has more fun movie stuff to give away to you. You can win the YOUNG ADULT Soundtrack Available From Rhino. The fifteen-track disc features Diana Ross, Mateo Messina, The Replacements, Lemonheads, Dinosaur Jr., Teenage Fanclub, Cracker, 4 Non Blondes,Veruca Salt, Diana Ross, Suicidal Tendencies, and a score by Rolfe Kent.

“Young Adult” soundtrack tracklist
1. When We Grow Up – Diana Ross
2. What’s Up – 4 Non Blondes
3. Achin’ To Be – The Replacements
4. It’s A Shame About Ray (Remastered Album Version) – Lemonheads
5. Seether – Veruca Salt
6. The Concept – Teenage Fanclub
7. Pledge Your Allegiance – Suicidal Tendencies
8. Feel The Pain (2007 Remastered LP Version) – Dinosaur Jr.
9. Low – Cracker
10. Why Buddy? – Rolfe Kent
11. Epic – Mateo Messina
12. Even Flow – Mateo Messina
13. Where It’s At – Mateo Messina
14. Big Me – Mateo Messina
15. Black Hole Sun – Mateo Messina

OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE A US RESIDENT. PRIZE WILL ONLY BE SHIPPED TO US ADDRESSES.
2. FILL OUT YOUR REAL NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS BELOW.
3. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: YOUNG ADULT reunites Jason Reitman, Academy Award® nominated director, and Academy Award® winning screenwriter, Diablo Cody. Give us the name of the 2007 movie they worked on.
WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN FROM ALL QUALIFYING ENTRIES. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PRIZES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED.

Academy Award® winner Charlize Theron plays Mavis Gary, a writer of teen literature who returns to her small hometown to reclaim her happily married high school sweetheart (Patrick Wilson). When returning home proves more difficult than she thought, Mavis forms an unusual bond with a former classmate (Patton Oswalt) who hasn’t quite gotten over high school, either.

Visit the film’s official site: http://www.youngadultmovie.com/
“Like” it on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/YoungAdultMovie.
Follow it on Twitter: @YoungAdultMovie

Diablo Cody, Patton Oswalt & Charlize Theron talk YOUNG ADULT

Last weekend YOUNG ADULT opened on 8 screens with a solid $40k per screen average. Today it expands to theaters nationwide. I recently attended a press junket for the film written by Diablo Cody & directed by Jason Reitman. Below are the highlights from the press conference with Diablo Cody, Charlize Therom & Patton Oswalt. (Check out highlights from the Jason Reitman press conference right HERE)

DIABLO CODY on YA novels:  Well, I’ve been an avid consumer of young adult literature since I was one. And I think some people leave that stuff behind when they become old adults, but I never did. And I was always interested in the fantasy world created in those novels, and that I think is the kind of thing we see reflected in pop culture more now than ever, with reality shows and these weird, fully made-up people living these fake fairytale lives on camera. And I think the idea of somebody whose priorities were completely screwed up, who wanted to live in that world, even though it’s completely unattainable, that was intriguing to me.

 

DIABLO CODY on research:  You know, I actually, I didn’t talk to anybody, which is probably pretty lazy of me.  But the feedback I’ve gotten has been really interesting. I actually, since we’ve started showing the film, I’ve heard from a couple people who are not only young adult writers, but are in the position that Mavis is in, where they are writing books that are credited to another person or to a creator. And they were very enthusiastic about the movie, and said that I nailed it, which felt good.

 

DIABLO CODY on Francine Pascal:  You know, I’ve – kind of working with Francine right now.  I wrote the “Sweet Valley High” movie that is currently progressing toward production, I hope.  So I was kind of inspired by that world – the idea of anonymity behind art.

PATTON OSWALT:  And you did like a Hard “R” “Sweet Valley High”, too, which I thought was really courageous of you.

DIABLO CODY:  We’re hoping for the Hard “R”.

CHARLIZE THERON on Mavis Gary: I’ve never been a fan of labels, you knowI just, I think it’s very easy to kind of look at somebody and just kind of throw a label on them, they’re crazy or they’re – you know. And I’m not a big fan of overly justifying bad behavior, or why people are the way they are.  I think that it’s a cop-out. And I don’t have a lot of empathy for that. So I didn’t really think of her – I thought the things that she did were pretty despicable; but then again, not like to the point where I was like disgusted by her. I never had a hard time not liking her  I would love to go and have a beer with her. I mean, I would never let her hang out with my boyfriend. But I would love to hang out with her. I think she, you know, she’s entertaining about all of her stuff

 

DIABLO CODY on women behaving badly: I’m certainly not going to call it a step back, because that would be the opposite of what I’m trying to do as a writer, and also as a female. I feel like maybe – it’s funny, when people talk about “Bridesmaids”, they always talk about, “Oh, we’re seeing raunchy women.” And I say, “No, you’re just seeing women.” Like that’s what feels fresh about this, is you’re actually seeing women in complicated, funny situations where you would normally see male characters. So I don’t really see it as – seeing women behaving badly so much as just seeing more multi-faceted female characters.  And I hope there will be more of that, because I’m enjoying it.

PATTON OSWALT on women behaving badly:  You have finally made progress as a group if you can be depicted as fully – as the full spectrum.  Usually, any kind of sub-group or smaller group in a movie goes from being made fun of and victimized.  And then it swings too hard the other way, where they’re like amazing and always positive, which is just as dehumanizing.  And then you finally like, “Hey, a single individual can be a hero and a villain and funny and an asshole at – well, just like we all are every second of the day.  So you know, that’s definitely progress, too.

 

CHARLIZE THERON on a possible Academy nod: I know it sounds so unbelievably cliché, but I haven’t worked in three years. And to have the opportunity to come back and do something like this, with Diablo and with Patton, with Jason, who I really, really wanted to work with, and this kind of material – and to see people respond to it, has been the greatest gift. And so I can’t, I can’t even like think beyond anything like that.  It’s just really nice to have people come up to me and have these little tiny anecdotes with like what they connected with in the movie. And the movie kind of puts them in this, a little bit of a Mavis mood, so they feel like really free to kind of, you know, admit that they’ve done things like Mavis – which is just so endearing. And I love it so much because I just feel like that is proof that we all kind of set out to do the thing that we wanted to do, and that we succeeded in that. And so that is really the greatest gift for me. Plus, I have an Oscar, so – [LAUGHTER] That was such an asshole thing to say.

PATTON OSWALT: Keep in mind, you don’t have an Oscar for the “Guest House”, so just keep that in mind.

CHARLIZE THERON:  True, that.

 

DIABLO CODY on music selection:  That’s what was so fun about it, was getting to sit down with Jason, and – Jason and I are the exact same age, so we were able to say, “Do you remember this one?” “Do you remember that one?” And when characters enter a space in this movie, a lot of this time, there’s like music playing, and it’s almost always a song from the 90’s, which was Jason’s wink at the genre.  But yeah, it was – in fact, I was just thinking about that Teenage Fan Club song that Mavis is totally obsessed with and listens to in her car. And like that was probably my favorite song when I was 19 or 20, and I was a college radio DJ, and I would just play it constantly. Plus, it’s like six minutes long, so you could go to the bathroom.

 

PATTON OSWALT on his high school mix tape: I’ve got to say my high school mix tape would be, for me, when I was growing up, would be just the Repo Man soundtrack, because that is – that is such a mix tape for safe, suburban rebellion. And also for me, that was ten years behind punk, and I got to spend the summer of ’84 letting people in on, “You’ve got to listen to these punk bands.” Like, “Patton, we know, we – it’s been around since ’79.” “No, you don’t know, man, there’s this band called Black Flag.”  “Yes, we know.  Patton, they’ve already broken up.” “No, listen.” So it was just that kind of – that was my high school experience, is being ten years behind everything. That’s my mix tape right there.

 

DIABLO CODY on getting the film made:  I really don’t think this film would have ever come into existence if it weren’t for, you know, the combined power of Jason Reitman and Charlize, and Patton.  And –

PATTON OSWALT:  I had no – trust me, – what, my Twitter followers helped get this thing made?

DIABLO CODY:  Patton’s vast Twitter following willed this movie into being. [LAUGHTER] And so on my own, it would have been a no go. I mean, it’s a challenging movie; it’s a small movie. I feel like there has been – I have felt this pressure to write a big budget, romantic comedy, basically since I rolled into town. And I try, and it’s – it just doesn’t seem to be in my skill set. I just write small and weird.  And so I did sense some resistance, but at the same time, you know, I’ve been fortunate enough to work with people who believe in me. And then when Jason gave the material his vote of confidence, that meant a lot, because he is, you know, very selective about his material, and the guy has never made a movie that’s less than great, in my opinion.  So suddenly, we had a little more firepower.

CHARLIZE THERON on a high school crush: I didn’t have any boyfriends, but I had a massive crush on this guy who – this interviewer, that just did a story on me for Vogue, actually found, and –

PATTON OSWALT:  What?

CHARLIZE THERON:  Yeah, he found the guy that I had said – this guy did not know I existed, by the way, in school. And then he was all, like, “Yeah, tell her the crush was mutual.”  Fuck that.

PATTON OSWALT:  Yeah.

[LAUGHTER]

CHARLIZE THERON:  The crush was so not mutual.

PATTON OSWALT:  What was his name?

CHARLIZE THERON:  And then he was like, “Oh, and I remember, she wore those glasses.” And I was like, “Hrrrmmmm.”

PATTON OSWALT:  What was the guy’s name?

CHARLIZE THERON:  Oh, I can’t do it.  I’m –

PATTON OSWALT:  Tell me the name.

CHARLIZE THERON:  No, this guy’s gonna get hunted down.

PATTON OSWALT:  Oh, okay.

CHARLIZE THERON:  I can’t do it.

DIABLO CODY:  It’s in Vogue; you can –

PATTON OSWALT:  Oh, is it in Vogue.

CHARLIZE THERON:  Hint, hint.

PATTON OSWALT:  I have a subscription.  It’s waiting in my house right now, I – it’s my Bible, people.  I mean, look at how I’m dressed.

DIABLO CODY on UNITED STATES OF TARA cancellation: You know, it was one of those things that wasn’t a – it wasn’t shocking, because we never really had the audience that we wanted, in terms of numbers. And so I honestly was really grateful that we survived as long as we did, and really grateful to Showtime that they would support something that was that offbeat and interesting. And it was, you know, some of the most satisfying work that I’ve done. But it’s – you also have to understand that when you’re dealing in the realm of small and weird, like things don’t always survive. So you just appreciate them as long as you can, and treasure the experience, I guess… sometimes I think about the, like mythical fourth or fifth season, and where it would have gone.  And I think we still had a lot of stories to tell. But I think it wrapped up nicely, considering we didn’t know that was going to be the last episode.

 

PATTON OSWALT on reading with Charlize:  We were – we kind of got along right at the first table read.  We were teasing each other and kind of, you know – we just, there was just something, a kind of a rapport there.

CHARLIZE THERON:  Yeah, I don’t like rehearsal and Jason doesn’t like rehearsal, either. And I hate table reads. I hate anything where you have to say the words out loud.

PATTON OSWALT:  And I can’t read.

CHARLIZE THERON:  Yeah.  [LAUGHTER]

PATTON OSWALT:  So –

CHARLIZE THERON:  That was a huge problem.

 

CHARLIZE THERON on the Africa Outreach Project:  Thank you. It’s going great.  My director is actually down there right now, looking at three new projects. And we’re just continuing to find projects that are really encouraging prevention care. And it’s just – I don’t know, I think if you do this kind of work, it’s like anything in life – if you don’t love it, you shouldn’t do it. And I just – I really love what we’re doing, and I really believe in it. I – you know, growing up in a country like that, and seeing how prevalent AIDS is, and understanding the immediate need, but feeling this kind of horrible neglect for people who just have no tools to understand how not to become HIV positive, just seemed so wrong to me. And it felt like a missed opportunity. And so we’re just really trying to encourage already existing NGOs to really support prevention care.  So it’s been great.

 

PATTON OSWALT on comedy: Well, I mean, you were talking about how much you love Jason Reitman’s movies. And you watch his movies. And I think because you know you’re in the hands of someone that knows how to edit a film and how to edit a scene, and so when you – because we just knew, subconsciously, we were in such good hands, directing-wise, that we could relax enough. And that relaxation is what I think gets – the comedy was never needy. It was just like – we were never going for a laugh; it all came very naturally. And a lot of times, what was so great about the way that she played Mavis, was the laugh comes from her not giving me any response, and then I get more nervous, which is a really real thing, that a lot of actors really don’t have the balls to do.  They don’t – like, they always want to be saying something or listening and reacting.  And she was able to just go, “You know what?  My character’s just not engaging in this scene at all.” And that is where the humor came from.  So again, it was – you know, it came from knowing we were working with a good director. I got to play off somebody that really understood human nature, which is – that’s what’s important to comedy.  Not knowing – comedy is knowing human nature. And then, so all of that kind of swirled together, and created a thing, and fade to Golden Globe. [LAUGHTER] I don’t know what I’m saying.  I literally, I lost my own train of thought.  But you know what I’m saying there?  You asked a really smart question, and I answered it so stupidly.

 

PATTON OSWALT on choosing roles:  Well, first, thank you for implying that I have any control over my career, that I get to choose projects. “Tell Spielberg to get ready to be disappointed; I’m going with Reitman on this.” I was very lucky to be offered this script. I was there at the – I got to know Jason through just, we both love film; we both own French bulldogs. So that’s kind of how we got to know each other. And then I started doing these table reads early for the script, so you know. But as far as my intentions, I just – I’m so beyond like genre, drama, comedy – I just want to do really good, interesting projects. And that can mean something like this script, which was so good when I read it, so good; or something like that little adult swim show that I just did, which was the most bizarre, but also a great script and a – just stuff that constantly rolls the dice down the felt and just goes for it. And this – man, this script went for it.  So I was, you know, I – hopefully, someday, if I’m ever at a point where I have the luxury of intention, I will make the right choices.  But so far I’ve been lucky enough that the choices I have been given have been really, really good.

 

PATTON OSWALT on meeting Jason reitman: We met at an awards ceremony and we were just gabbing about movies, and I was presenting an editor’s award. And I actually knew all the editors. Like that’s how much of a nerd, like those guys are like rock stars to me. And you could – it’s like the music geek that knows the bassist’s name, like that’s how excited I was.  So then we started talking.  And then he was – he saw on my phone, I had a picture of my French bulldog.  And he goes, “I have a French bulldog,” and we started showing back and forth.  This is – this is like the lamest.

 

PATTON OSWALT on getting the role: [Reitman] has these screenings at his house every Sunday. And then it just kind of led – basically, you know what, I did all the early readings, so I got this movie the way a squatter gets an apartment. I was just there. You know, like, “Ah, he’s got his mattress and his hot plate. Let him have it. He’s nice. The kids like him. He sweeps up the hall. Come on.” So, yeah.

 

For the final question, someone asks if the main character’s name is a reference to Lyla Garrity on FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS. Diablo corrects him that the name is actually Mavis Gary and not mavis Garrity.

PATTON OSWALT: Let’s have a different final question, because he kind of got the Garrity thing wrong.

CHARLIZE THERON:  Yeah. Way to end this press conference, dude.

PATTON OSWALT:  Wow, Dude. Her name is Mavis – her name is Mavis Vader – is that a – no, it’s not Vader.  Oh, sorry.

 

So they allowed one more question, which lead to the most aimless & conversational answer of the night. What would you do if you could add 10 more minutes to the end of the film?

CHARLIZE THERON:  I don’t know if I could add it straight on to this movie, because I like that Mavis leaves Sandra.  But I do like the idea of like Sandra eventually, like in a sequel, Sandra and Mavis finding each other and taking that little fucked up Mini, on like a Thelma and Louise – Like, the two of them just like cross country driving, just damaged, just –

PATTON OSWALT:  They just have an eye-rolling spree.

CHARLIZE THERON:  Carnage.

PATTON OSWALT:  They just –

CHARLIZE THERON:  Yeah.

PATTON OSWALT:  – drive, you know, and just roll their eyes at things, until the police –

CHARLIZE THERON:  Yeah.

PATTON OSWALT:  – kill them.

[LAUGHTER]

CHARLIZE THERON:  Yeah.  No – yeah.  Nobody gets raped or anything like that.

PATTON OSWALT:  yeah.

CHARLIZE THERON:  They just like roll their eyes in the –

PATTON OSWALT:  “Oh, great.”

CHARLIZE THERON:  Yeah.  Yeah.

PATTON OSWALT:  Well, you know, every screening I’ve been to, people will come into the lobby and I’ll watch them talking.  Here’s what I love about this movie, is that everyone has very specific ideas as to what happens [at the end]. They’re all completely different, and they’re all right.  Like, it’s one of those movies where people keep – so – and then what – like what happens in the next scene, it makes – this is a great like, go to see the movie and then hang out and go, “What do you think she did?”  “Oh, she totally is on the way down.”  “Oh, I think she makes it.” Like that’s, again, that’s a testament to the writing, and to the – her performance.

CHARLIZE THERON:  But seriously, Diablo, what are you going to write for the sequel?

PATTON OSWALT:  Yeah, what is the sequel going to be?

DIABLO CODY:  You know, I think, if I – you said specifically, I could add only ten minutes to the movie. I think I would do the Mini – either the Mini flying off a bridge and pausing in mid-air, a la Dukes of Hazard or Thelma and Louise.

PATTON OSWALT:  [SOUNDS LIKE] Thank you.

DIABLO CODY:  Or crazy credits.

CHARLIZE THERON:  Crazy credits?

DIABLO CODY:  Like funny credits for that ten –

PATTON OSWALT:  Oh, nice.

DIABLO CODY:  Like bloopers.  Does that count for my ten minutes?  Yeah, like an out take reel.

CHARLIZE THERON:  That’s just lazy; you didn’t write that.

DIABLO CODY:  I know.  You see how I operate.

CHARLIZE THERON:  You have to write it.

DIABLO CODY:  Like –

PATTON OSWALT:  Well, we’ll see you guys in 20 years for the Grumpy Old Adult panel. We’re very excited and we’re already working on that now.

 

Jerry Cavallaro – www.JerryCavallaro.com

YOUNG ADULT – The Review

Why is it that some people never grow up? Unfortunately, I do not have the answer to this question, but it does serve to explain the premise of YOUNG ADULT. This most recent screenplay written by Diablo Cody (JUNO, JENNIFER’S BODY) is directed by Jason Reitman, the man who brought us films including JUNO, THANK YOU FOR SMOKING and UP IN THE AIR.

Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron) is a struggling author of a once popular series of young adult fiction. Think something along the lines of the “Wimpy Kid” series, but for high school girls, rather than Harry Potter or the Twilight series. Mavis is currently writing the last book in her discontinued series, but is experiencing writers block. As an adventure, or more accurately as she sees it, as a calling of fate, Mavis returns home to her small hometown to win back Buddy Slade, played by Patrick Wilson (INSIDIOUS). Buddy was Mavis’ high school sweetheart, but he’s now married with a new born child.

One thing we learn about Mavis early on is that she’s not exactly a role model of being a responsible, well adjusted adult. YOUNG ADULT as a title refers both to the genre of fiction she writes, as well as the state of mind within which Mavis is perpetually stuck. However, when it comes to winning Buddy back, Mavis proves as unstoppable as a Juggernaut. The first person Mavis runs into upon returning home is Matt Freehauf, played by comedian and actor Patton Oswalt (BIG FAN). Matt is what you might easily define as a grown up nerd. He lives with his sister, reassembles and paints action figures as a hobby along side running his own home whiskey distillery. Matt also has an unfortunate handicap, the story of which plays a crucial role in defining his relationship to Mavis.

YOUNG ADULT has Mavis and Matt become the unlikeliest of friends. Matt serves as Mavis’ unwanted and questionably successful conscience, while Mavis serves as the closest Matt will ever get to having something special with the popular, attractive cheerleader type that never occurred in high school. The chemistry between this odd couple is wonderfully awkward, but natural. Both are damaged goods, but Matt realizes and accepts the truth. Mavis fantasizes about what her life is supposed to be versus what it has become, leading her to pursue a self-destructive path of volcanic proportions.

The dialogue is clearly Diablo Cody’s, sharp and quick, but more refined than in JUNO. This is a dark comedy based in ordinary life. The eccentric edge, or the wackiness factor of YOUNG ADULT is also a bit more restrained than we saw in JUNO or THANK YOU FOR SMOKING. Reitman’s direction is continually finding a more “grown up” edge – if you’ll permit the cliché – a shift which began with UP IN THE AIR. While the humor and tone in Reitman’s first two films are more playfully over-the-top, his last two films are more reserved and more focused on specific character development.

YOUNG ADULT also scales back quite a bit on the star factor. Sure, Charlize Theron is a major star and talented to boot – possibly even worthy of an acting nomination come Oscar season – but Patton Oswalt – as much as I love that little funny man – is still a relative unknown for most people outside of the geek culture. Aside from this, Patrick Wilson and a brief role from veteran Mary Beth Hurt, this does not feature the ensemble cast that Reitman’s previous films are known for. YOUNG ADULT is a comedy that may taste slightly bitter on your tongue at first, but given time to savor after seeing the film allows for the sweetness to emerge, as well as the fiery kick of the film’s ending.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Jason Reitman talks YOUNG ADULT

Last weekend YOUNG ADULT opened on 8 screens with a solid $40k per screen average and it expands to wide release tomorrow. I recently attended a press junket for the film written by Diablo Cody & directed by Jason Reitman. Below are the highlights from the press conference with director Jason Reitman.

JASON REITMAN on Charlize Theron:  I was only going to make this movie if I could make it with Charlize. I had read the script and I thought it was phenomenal, but I knew how tricky this character was and I knew how easily it would be to misinterpret this character.  You know on the page she was written perfectly. She was nuanced and complicated and she wasn’t just some mean girl.  She was a woman with deep wounds that like anybody wanted to be loved and was searching for her place in life who really only knew how to find it by going back to high school to the last moment where things kind of made sense to her, but she was looking for an on road, you know, an on ramp to the highway. And it’s one of those things that in the hands of the wrong actress would just be a mean girl.

JASON REITMAN on Patton Oswalt:  I needed someone who was going to be the accessibility point to this movie and I think this movie works because of Patton Oswald.  I think the audience strangely sees the movie through Patton Oswald.  He says the things that everyone in the audience wants to say and his rare combination of like brilliant comedy, but also his pathos, his ability to go to these really sad places makes the whole thing work.

JASON REITMAN on Movie Night: I loved that Scorsese probably screens these great Italian films for his cast and the only thing I ever sent Charlize was season’s one of The Hills of Laguna Beach. Oh yes. Following in the footsteps of giants. I have a movie night at my house every Sunday night and it really came out of my own embarrassment of the amount of films that I had not seen and I presumed that if there were a lot of films that I had not seen that my friends perhaps had not seen them either. So what I did was every Sunday night I show a classic movie that you’re supposed to have seen that I have not seen and I just invite my friends and say hey here’s a moment for us all to stop being embarrassed and start seeing these films. And it started a couple of years ago and we watch films like and now I’m going to embarrass myself for all of you.  Cool Hand Luke, which I had never seen, Patton I had never seen, Say Anything I had never seen.  I know, that’s always the shocker.

JASON REITMAN on Casting Patton Oswalt:  When I went to do the table read for this film I called on friends at first and Patton is a friend and I said hey would you read this role?   And watching him do it was just so – – he was so perfect and then when he read it with Charlize they had this unbelievable chemistry. It was actually the moment I realized this was a romance was watching the two of them together and a heartbreaking romance.  It’s like a Romeo and Juliet because it’s a romance that cannot be.  But anyhow yeah, that’s, that was the research and that’s how I know Patton.

JASON REITMAN on Diablo Cody: I have the rights to Diablo’s life. In a deal that really benefits me more than her. I always feel and I’m not sure if directors or writers will get more upset at me for saying this, but I feel like they’re all part of the same thing.  I see my job as storytelling and that starts with simply an idea, a feeling I want the audience to have and it travels through writing, directing, shooting, cutting, post, doing this to the whole thing.  And so if I don’t write the script I get to personally skip one part of the process.  And with Diablo, I don’t know, we get along so well and we trust each other so much, there’s never been a question of whether or not she was going to be on set.  So when she could be on set it’s great.  I put her to work, you know.  I say, you know, I need this, I need a line, I need a scene and she does it.  But there’s also enough trust that if she’s not there, she knows I’m not going to screw up her script.  And I’m a writer myself and I strangely feel as a writer on set the job is to be a tailor.  It’s to, you know, and I know Sorkin would be pissed if I said this, but if an actor can’t say the lines, in my opinion it’s not the actor’s fault.  If you put on a pair of clothes that don’t fit, it’s not your fault, it’s the clothes fault.  And the clothes should be tailored and that’s how I feel about dialogue.  If I’m with an actor and they’re struggling with the words, then I tailor the words for the actor.  Very rarely would I say this is the line, you need to say the line.

JASON REITMAN on directing theater:  You know I spent last year in New York making this film from start to finish, including post. And it was a great moment for me ‘cause for the first time in my life I had seen most of the shows that were playing and it was really exciting to be able to get into a conversation and actually know what I was talking about for a very brief nano-second and certainly looking at great plays made me want to try to direct a play.  That said I know nothing about theater so it’s a little presumptuous of me to think I could do it. But yeah, although on the other hand what I love about directing movies is I have the final say, you know. I get to cut the performance and the idea that you just hand off the play to your actors, that seems insane. I mean I would literally be on stage.  Let’s do that again.  You know let’s just hold on audience and it would be a ten hour play of just me all right one more time, all right that was great, continue the scene from there.  That would be like me directing.  It would be a boring play.

JASON REITMAN on Women Behaving badly: Women behaving badly is, excuse me, I’m not trying to be rude, I think is just kind off a cheap term and look, I’ve always been interested in making movies about women. They interest me far more than men.  And I’m interested in honesty in filmmaking and I think the darker moments are far more interesting than the cheerful ones.  And I guess that’s my approach and I don’t know why they made Bride’s Maids and I don’t know why they made Bad Teacher.  That’s certainly why I made this movie.

JASON REITMAN on the film’s message: First and foremost I don’t have a message in any of my movies.  You know if I have a message and hopefully there’s a continuity of that in all my films it’s think for yourself and come up with your own opinions and I certainly don’t want to tell you what to think. That is the core theme of Thank You for Smoking and since then hopefully people draw their own conclusions and that’s always been kind of the case. On Juno pro life people thought it was their movie, pro choice thought it was there’s and I’ve certainly got a variance of opinions of where George Clooney goes at the end of Up in the Air and that makes me happy. That lets me know I’m doing my job.  I really just want to – I’d rather inspire the conversation than tell you what to think.  So on this movie I’m certainly not saying this is my message to women.

JASON REITMAN on writing: As far as how we treat her life, I thought it was a fairly true and, you know, I’m speaking to a room of writers, point view on what it’s like to write, which is it’s a really lonely existence, man or woman. Often it feels like a trip to Office Depot, makes me feel as though I accomplished something today. I did something and it’s the only – – and you do it for the pure reason of if I didn’t do this it really would feel like I did nothing, but I had an adventure.  I picked up toner. And being a writer is tricky in that your sense of accomplishment is always so varied. Is it by page count?  Is it by that you wrote something special? Will anyone ever read this? Will anyone ever see this?  And I don’t think that changes no matter how much success you have. Every time I write I feel like this is awful, no one will ever see this or if they do they’ll think it’s, you know, they’ll never hire me again.

JASON REITMAN on parental advice: There were a couple times we’re on set she would say something that was so mean that we just had to cut the line of dialogue. It was just, at that point it wasn’t even interesting anymore, it was just that’s really bitchy. I mean, you can’t, you know, the audience is just going to hate her for no reason and it all of a sudden is actually out of character and dishonest because it’s just so mean. It’s mean for no reason. All of this always goes back to a piece of advice that my father gave me and he literally gave it to me the night before I started shooting Thank You for Smoking. And he said “always remember it’s not your job to be funny. Your barometer for comedy is nowhere as good as your barometer for truth. And the only thing you’re trying to achieve on set is honesty.” You look at a performance, you look at anything the way people interact, the location, the way you’re shooting it, does it feel truthful because you’re not going to be able to tell if it’s funny. Ever once in a while it’s okay that’s hilarious, but you always know when it feels like bullshit or not. Even with people you know when they’re being truthful with you and so it’s the greatest piece of directing advice I’ve ever gotten and it plays, it feeds everything and if I’m ever unsure I can always go back to that and think about what my father told me and say all right does this feel honest. And that plays into is this too mean because if it’s so mean that it feels otherworldly then it’s not right.

JASON REITMAN on music selection:  You know one of the great parts about working with Diablo is that she’s so specific in her writing; the production design, wardrobe, specific as her dialogue seems, the description work is even stronger and the songs are there. And so the only question there is then, you know, do I agree with them or not and I usually agree with them. And on this movie, even though we love the same music and we come from the same era, there’s a few songs that I’m not a huge fan of including the Teenage Fan Club song.  But I knew it was right for the movie so that’s kind of all that mattered. [The song mentioned is The Concept]

JASON REITMAN on tone: I wanted – – to do something that I hadn’t done in my other films.  And I think as a director I try to grow with each film.  I try to do something different to the audience.   In the first movie I just wanted to make people laugh.  Second film, I wanted them to feel romance.  In the third film I wanted them to feel lonely.  And on this one, I wanted people to feel uncomfortable.  I wanted them to look at the screen and be so in the moment that they felt like they were standing there on the lawn watching Charlize break down right in front of them and they don’t know what to say because you feel sorry for her, you’re not sure if you’re part of the cause of this.

JASON REITMAN on audience reactions: I know with my films I don’t want to judge anybody. I don’t want to judge any of the characters. It’s very important to me. If the audience feels as though they know how I – – my judgment of a character that I considered, then I think I failed.  I think my job at the end of the day is to create honesty and truth and real moments that instead of telling you to think, just push you to think about something. And nothing gets me more excited than an audience arguing over what I was trying to say or having a thoughtful conversation about the film rather than walking out. I would be much more disappointed by someone walking out of my film and thinking and now I believe this because that strangely isn’t my job.

And finally, this next quote isn’t an answer to a question but rather Reitman’s response to receiving some praise prior to a question. I wanted to include it because it was so genuine & I really enjoyed seeing this reaction in personal.

JASON REITMAN: Okay. First of all, thank you for saying those really kind things.  That means a lot to me. That’s nice to hear. Sorry, I just, you know, I just did an interview earlier. I was just talking about how I became a director and I just remember a moment where I thought I’ll be lucky if I ever get to direct a commercial and that’s a really cool thing to hear. Thank you for saying that.

Check back tomorrow for highlights from the YA press conference with Diablo Cody, Charlize Theron & Patton Oswalt.

 Jerry Cavallaro – www.JerryCavallaro.com

Win Passes To The YOUNG ADULT Screening In St. Louis

In another great performance, Academy Award® winner Charlize Theron plays Mavis Gary, a writer of teen literature who returns to her small hometown to reclaim her happily married high school sweetheart (Patrick Wilson). When returning home proves more difficult than she thought, Mavis forms an unusual bond with a former classmate (Patton Oswalt) who hasn’t quite gotten over high school, either.

WAMG is giving away passes to the advance screening of YOUNG ADULT in St. Louis, on Tuesday, 12/13, 7pm at Des Peres 14.

OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. FILL OUT YOUR NAME AND E-MAIL ADDRESS BELOW. REAL FIRST NAME REQUIRED.
3. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: Tell us if you’ve ever tried to rekindle a romance with an old high school flame. Was it a big success or a total crash and burn?

WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN THROUGH A RANDOM DRAWING OF QUALIFYING CONTESTANTS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PASSES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED. DUPLICATE TICKETS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED

YOUNG ADULT reunites Jason Reitman, Academy Award® nominated director of JUNO, and Academy Award® winning screenwriter, Diablo Cody.

Visit the film’s official site: http://www.youngadultmovie.com/
“Like” it on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/YoungAdultMovie.
Follow it on Twitter: @YoungAdultMovie