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ADVENTURELAND

What You Need To Know:

ADVENTURELAND is the story of James, a recent college grad who must take a job at a rundown amusement park when his plans for a European trip and graduate school at Columbia go down the drain. James falls for Em, a recent grad who’s very troubled. Em is having a clandestine affair with Mike, the park’s handyman and part-time musician who is also married. James tries to navigate his rapidly changing future, his feelings for Em, and the emotional fallout when Em heads to New York without telling him. In the end, James gets a new plan for his life and manages to lose his virginity, his goal for the summer.

ADVENTURELAND has some laughs, especially with the quirky characters who populate the theme park. However, there are strong Romantic elements in that nothing works in life for James, except he and Em getting together. ADVENTURELAND has much discussion about sex, adultery and implied scenes of sexual situations. The Romantic, pagan worldview assumes that sex with anyone, anytime is acceptable and to be desired. ADVENTURELAND also contains plenty of foul language, scatological jokes, groin punches, and other crude humor.

Content:

(PaPaPa, RoRo, LLL, V, SS, AAA, DDD, MM) Very strong pagan worldview with strong Romantic elements where emotional attachments are the key to happiness and sexual immorality is promoted; at least 78 profanities, most of which are the “f” word, and 15 profanities, plus some vomiting and other scatological references; man threatens with a baseball bat, teenage boy falls and some groin hits; implied sexual scenes, many dialogue references to sexuality, heavy kissing and groping, being a virgin is ridiculed, references to arousal, and college aged girl is having affair with a married man; no nudity; much drinking by characters including drunkenness, party scenes, alcoholic father; smoking cigarettes and much use of marijuana; and, promiscuity assumed “normal” along with lying, adultery, and a lax work ethic.

More Detail:

ADVENTURELAND is the story of James, a recent college grad who must take a job at a rundown amusement park when his plans for a European trip and graduate school at Columbia go down the drain.

James falls for Em, a troubled recent grad. Em is having a clandestine affair with Mike, the park’s handyman and part time musician who is also married. James tries to navigate his rapidly changing future, his feelings for Em and the emotional fallout when Em heads to New York without telling him.

In the end, James gets a new plan for his life and manages to lose his virginity, a goal he had for the summer.

ADVENTURELAND has some laughs, especially with the quirky characters who populate the theme park. Kristen Stewart as the romantic interest gives a terrific performance as does Martin Starr as the brainy, yet stoner, best friend. The story is uneven, however, and the directing merely competent. A highlight is nearly wall to wall music of pop songs popular in 1987, when the story takes place. The story attempts to create a deeper character arc about troubled Em, but it never rings true and ultimately falls flat.

There are troubling themes in ADVENTURELAND as well as negative elements. It contains strong Romantic elements in that nothing works in life for James, except he and Em getting together. Thus, emotional attachments with other people are the key to happiness.

The movie also contains much discussion about sex and adultery, with scenes of implied sexual behavior. In fact, the movie has a strong pagan outlook in that it assumes sex with anyone, anytime is acceptable and to be desired. There’s also plenty of strong foul language, puking, scatological jokes, groin punches, and other crude humor (please see the CONTENT section above for more information about what’s in the movie).