Whatever becomes of the beautiful, self centered, most popular girl in school after high school ends? The one that everyone hated, yet envied. The one who casts aside her small town constraints for the bright lights and big city to become the metropolitan everyone knew she was destined to become? Young Adult, the latest movie by Jason Reitman (who has already eclipsed his more famous director father Ivan, in terms of film making quality), provides a character profile into the disturbingly self-centered world of the high school princess who is past her glory days.
Charlize Therone, one of the most beautiful women in films today (and our favorite South African import), takes on this quintessential American caricature flawlessly. Charlize plays Mavis Gray, a writer who has achieved some level of success as a writer of a once popular series of Young Adult novels. Even though she is a ghost writer, her success is enough to ‘wow’ her hometown who view her as a big city success and the height of sophistication. After Mavis’s divorce, she decides to relive her glory days and returns to her hometown with plans to rekindle romance with her high school boyfriend.
Charlize could have played Mavis over the top, but this was a very restrained performance of a woman who never grew up past her glory days. A woman who still feels like the princess she was in high school even though everyone else in her life has moved on with their lives (as mundane as they might be). The director, Jason Reitman, is able to capture her depression and loneliness along with her feelings of superiority. She returns to the small town she hates to validate her self worth. She tries to be understood, but no one can relate (or tries to). Even her parents think she is just being dramatic when she confides to them that she thinks she is an alcoholic. It was a funny scene, but sad as we realize that her parents are out of touch with her and would rather gloss over uncomfortable issues than deal with them. She no longer has any human connection that she desperately seeks.
She runs into Matt Freehauf (Patton Oswald), while on a binge at a local bar. Even though he instantly recognizes her, she cannot recall the nerdy handicapped classmate whose locker was right next to her’s for their four years of high school. Matt’s character is there for comic relief, but their connection develops into some of the more poignant moments in the movie. He is the unthreatening nerd who she is able to confide all her secret plans to break up her ex-boyfriend’s marriage. He is her voice of reason, despite being totally enamored of her. He lives the pain of the unpopular and abused, yet still retains his innate goodness despite his anger.
Mavis plans to seduce her ex-boyfriend, Buddy Slade (played with boyish charm by Patrick Wilson). Buddy is a new father and blissfully happy in his role of family man. He adores his comparatively plain jane wife and lives for his new born daughter. Mavis cannot believe he is happy in his suburban life and seeks to rescue him from it. When Buddy tells her he is happily married, she tells him not to worry “It’s something she can help him get past”.
Again, this film had all the elements that could have made this an over-the-top silly ‘chick flick’. However; a combination of skillful directing by Jason Reitman (Up in the Air) and a smart script by Diablo Cody makes this a memorable if small film (it has an indie vibe to it). I thought that the ex-stripper Diablo Cody would be a one hit writing wonder after the success of her indie film ‘Juno’. She strikes again with this incredibly thoughtful and observant film and proves that she does have a voice worth listening to. Diablo doesn’t lay it out for you. She doesn’t allow us to make easy judgements or have tidy resolutions. She has a deep understanding of the feminine psyche and can critique it while at the same time respecting it. I greatly admire her talent and I will see anything she puts forward in the future.
This is a small, yet very well crafted film with lots of thought and emotion.
I give this film **** stars
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