Written by: Diablo Cody
Starring: Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt, Patrick Wilson, Elizabeth Reaser, Collette Wolfe
Rating: [3.5/5]
High School served as a time when some peaked and others dreaded due to the limited ideals of what gets deemed successful during this time of life. It gives those who peaked during this age an overinflated sense of self that deteriorates when they step into the real world. We all know someone who fits into this category and no one exemplifies this more than who we follow in Young Adult, a film that builds a massive amount of discomfort while driving home a resonant story.
Once deemed a popular prom queen in high school, Mavis (Charlize Theron) has hit a point in life as a divorced alcoholic whose career is going down the drain. When she sees news about her high school boyfriend having a child, she decides to go back to her hometown to try and shake things up and start over despite the obvious obstacles in her way.
Navigating a story like Young Adult where we have a deplorably selfish person at the center runs quite the risky game of having to connect with someone so self-absorbed it fails to leave room for anyone else to care. However, it comes as no surprise Diablo Cody managed to pen such a crisp script in the way it explores Mavis’s insecurities but also what gives her the unmitigated gall to walk back into the lives of these other individuals and seemingly seek to have her way.
This air of superiority sits deep with her where she has this feeling that no matter how down she may be, she still sits far above these individuals she left behind in Mercury as opposed to her living out the big-city Minneapolis lifestyle. She saunters right in and believes that if she gives any of these yokels even a glance they will remember her and the popularity she once held, which would lead to adoration but time tells the real truth as proved by who she interacts with, they all hated her. What she did back then let her gain this popularity but did not maintain any connections that would last, which includes her ex-boyfriend Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson), the person she seeks to take right back.
Underneath all of this arrogance demonstrates a truly sad character and Diablo Cody’s script incisively cuts through all of this to show the true nature of Mavis and it makes for some hilarious moments but also those that make you wince. Moments of discomfort that would make anyone run away from embarrassment but she continues to carry on because she has this laser focus on getting what she came for on her visit back.
The one relationship she builds in this film comes with Matt Freehauf, who sat on the complete opposite spectrum than Mavis in high school. He endured merciless bullying that ended up disabling him. It makes her triumphant return to her small town hit a bit differently when she gets relegated to mostly spending time she would not be caught dead with back in her heyday. Patton Oswalt plays this character so well as he states the truth others have too much courtesy to tell her directly. He calls her out on her terrible behavior and becomes the sobering voice she needs to hear at this stage in her life.
With such a tricky role to play, Charlize Theron unsurprisingly shines in her portrayal of Mavis. Playing a character this immature and emotionally stunted and still making her captivating to watch speaks to her talents as an actor. She plays up both sides of this character where she can flip the switch from downright mean to quite charming when she needs to be. For all of the moments of cringe, she ensures we cannot keep our eyes away from what she will do next and she helps ensure we never tire of this character no matter how infuriating she can be in the way she treats others.
Vicious when necessary and poignant as a whole, Young Adult works through its apt title about someone who navigates the world as an adult in name only. In this film, we follow a character who succumbs to all of her desires without giving a second thought to how it would impact anyone else. You almost have to watch it through your fingers in moments but it all comes as part of the experience Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody want for us as they collaborate once again quite successfully.
Films with Josh 
