Pluskylang Great Film overall

Gutsycurene Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Hayden Kane There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

email-05199 I'm a fan of movies and (especially) books with polarized reviews. It usually means that something about it offends people in a compelling way worth experiencing. This movie was the same. And also different. Theron does a brilliant acting job. Her subtle facial expressions, attitude and tone of voice are awe-inspiring. She makes this film. It's worth watching for as long as you can to simply appreciate how good she really is. It's why this film won its awards.If you begin watching knowing you won't make it to the end, you'll enjoy it a lot more. Part of the irony of this film is that the main character is so unlikeable that you give up on her - before the film is over. And, that is OK! More than OK. Watch it until the point that you become thrilled you are no longer in high school. That you're no longer trapped by high school immaturity. That you're past that phase of your life, and fortunate enough to NOT be living in that past. Then go have (just) one glass of wine to celebrate. And be happy you didn't turn out to be the emotionally stunted, depressed alcoholic played brilliantly by Theron. If you stop one third of the way, you'll probably want to give it eight stars. For each 1/6 of the way longer, you'll want to drop it by a star. So stop while you're ahead and just appreciate the acting. And your life as it is now.

Caroline Phillips Charlize Theron has never been better as Mavis Gary, a depressed alcoholic ghost writer of a young adult book series who finds her career opportunities drying up as the end of the series draws near. To make matters worse, she receives word that, Buddy, her former flame, has invited her to a baby shower for his newborn child. Thinking this is a cry for help, Mavis heads back home to rescue Buddy from a world of suburban anguish.You can't help but feel bad for Mavis and she gets herself into cringe-worthy scene after scene. It's a testament to Theron's gifts as an actress that we should care about this destructive monster one iota. Theron, with writer Diablo Cody, creates a monster so real, so raw, and so vulnerable that you won't be able to stop thinking about her for weeks afterwards.Also excellent is Patton Oswald as Matt, a former classmate of Mavis, who was beaten up for being gay (he wasn't) and now has to walk with braces. In many ways, Matt is the eyes of the audience - drawn to a revolted by Mavis at the same time.The ending does away with typical morality and lessons found in Hollywood films and is all the better for it. Some people never will change.Young Adult is a fresh, funny, disturbing, and raw comedy that's sure to become a cult favorite in the years to come.

Margaret Dumas Since the film Juno, director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody team up again to create this seemingly light-hearted comedy. Charlize Theron stars as a struggling, middle-aged author of a failing book series. After a failed marriage, whiskey, and one- night-stands Mavis Gary feels displaced and unloved. She heads back to her humble hometown of Mercury, Minnesota to pursue her high school sweetheart, Buddy Slade, a happily-married father of a newborn baby.After checking into a hotel in her hometown, Mavis heads to a local dive bar, where former classmate Matt spots her pounding shots of Maker's Mark whiskey. Matt starts a conversation with her, questioning her about why she left her lavish life to come back to their dumpy town. After a few shots of whiskey, Mavis reveals that she is there to win back Buddy. After this Matt thinks she is crazy, but eventually realizes that they both share a painful and spiteful attitude toward life, due to the repercussions of high school. They start spending a lot of time together drinking whiskey and complaining about their lifelong mishaps and the melancholia that comes with growing old. Her relationship with Matt begins to unfold after a confrontation in the woods next to their high school. Matt, who was deemed handicap after a horrible beating from the jocks in school, begins to feel angry toward Mavis for not understanding how hard things were for him in high school; how hard life still is now and how he spends his free time making booze and painting action figures. Without knowing it their bond grows due to the resentment they both hold for the things of the past.About midway through the viewer realizes that Mavis is, unbeknownst to her,writing about her adolescent years and her failed relationship with Buddy Slade. In one scene she leans into Buddy and confesses that one of her characters is based on him, or the image of, in his high school years. After her binge-drinking and driving in her Cabriolet from her high school days, we start to see the pitfalls of Mavis' life, and her struggle to let go of the past.Ultimately Mavis Gary's delusions about her old flame lead her to try to break him up with his wife by being overtly sexual toward his unassuming self. After a drunken kiss seen by Buddy's baby sitter, the locals of the town, including Mercury High School alumni, start to notice Mavis' ambiguous behavior. The rumor about Mavis' toxic behavior is solidified in a scene at Buddy's baby naming party. After her drink was spilled onto her silk dress, Mavis explodes at Buddy's wife and eventually reveals to everyone at the party about a miscarriage she had in high school with Buddy's child. She confesses that her jealousy about the baby is what drove her to Minnesota to win back her ex boyfriend, baby and all. We discover that Mavis, once a perfect and popular high school student has grown up to become an alcohol- abusing middle-aged woman angry about her unfortunate fate.This once light-hearted comedy becomes a dark depiction of the resentment in life that comes with growing old and letting go. As a viewer I was able to relate to the sadness of the characters; the realization that the slow slump, which comes with age, is a common human denominator and an integral part of growing up.The preview for this film made it out to be another light- hearted, dumb comedy about love which didn't really appeal to me. If it weren't for my appreciation of the director and writer I wouldn't have watched this film. It was a pleasant surprise that pulled on my heart- strings and thoroughly entertained me.

juneebuggy Charlize Theron was very good in this. The movie itself is quirky, weird and darkly funny. One of those feel-bad movies. with a nothing sort of story that follows a (YA) author who returns to her hometown to try and relive her glory days and seduce her happily married ex. Along the way she (drinks heavily) and forms an unusual friendship with a former classmate who hasn't quite gotten over high school either.This has been simply filmed, showing raw honesty on the part of 'Mavis', and Theron is excellent, fascinating and almost excruciating at times to watch as she goes about sabotaging her life. This is a woman in pain. Patton Oswalt also puts in a touching performance. I was left a bit worried about that dog though. 11/18/15