Get the MovieNight app
Add it to your home screen — faster & full screen
Get the MovieNight app
Add it to your home screen — faster & full screen
Miramax
Sidney Kimmel Entertainment
This is that
Not part of a collection.
It was the worst job they ever imagined… and the best time of their lives.
It's the summer of 1987, and recent college grad James Brennan can't wait to begin his long-anticipated dream trip to Europe. Unfortunately, James' plans come to a screeching halt when his parents announce that they are unable to subsidize his trip. Forced to take a job at the local amusement park, James prepares for the worst summer ever, until he finds love with a captivating co-worker named Em.
John Chard
May 8, 2020 · via TMDB
Mottola strikes one from the heart. It's 1987 and James Brennan is home for the summer after earning himself a degree in Renaissance Studies. Which unsurprisingly isn't any use to him when trying to gain employment in this part of Pittsburg. Which is now a problem since his planned trip to Europe has fell by the wayside due to his father's enforced unemployment. So thus he finds himself working at Adventureland, a rusting time warp amusement park where only odd balls and idiots appear to frequent. But here James will make friends, learn life lessons and maybe just find true love?. Be under no illusions, Adventureland is no teen sex comedy reliant on crude jokes and cringe slap-stick moments to get its humour. Which as it's brought to us by the director of Superbad may come as something of a surprise. Greg Mottola is the said director, who here has crafted an ode to his own teenage strife's concerning first jobs and first loves. Though not really offering anything new as such, I mean the old "summer I came of age" film is hardly new is it? Mottola has however managed to blend youthful spirits with a serious kink and nicely cloak it in a bittersweet 80s haze. Some parts are clearly aimed at the guffaw teen viewers, awkward erections and friends who punch you in the testicles - tee hee hee, Adventureland feels, and is, a subtle film made by someone who clearly lived it. The care and thought that Mottola has put into it benefits the cast as much as it does the viewers. Jesse Eisenberg (James) is a splendid bit of casting, almost poetically slow, he nicely plays it to have the upcoming tribulations totally believable. Enter Kristen Stewart as Em, pretty and smartly essaying a girl, soon to be woman, trying to make sense in her off kilter world. Her scenes with both Eisenberg and the buff Ryan Reynolds, in a role that takes some skill to get as right as he does, are the highlights of the piece. While Martin Starr is the other performance of note as the pipe smoking intellectual, Joel. What youngsters that I know who have seen the film have had less than favourable reactions to it. This can probably be put down to two things. One is that the expectation of another Superbad-a-like comedy has not been met. Two is that, you know what folks? Mottola hasn't made this for kids, he's made it for those who were once kids themselves in a decade not so very long ago... 8/10
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
fuboTV
MGM+ Amazon Channel
Philo
MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel
YouTube TV
MGM Plus
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Spectrum On Demand
Jesse Eisenberg
James Brennan
Kristen Stewart
Em Lewin
Martin Starr
Joel
Kristen Wiig
Paulette
Bill Hader
Bobby
Ryan Reynolds
Mike Connell
Margarita Levieva
Lisa P.
Jack Gilpin
Mr. Brennan
Josh Pais
Mr. Lewin
Wendie Malick
Mrs. Brennan
Mary Birdsong
Francy
Matt Bush
Tommy Frigo
Paige Howard
Sue O'Malley
Dan Bittner
Pete O'Malley
Barret Hackney
Munch
Michael Zegen
Eric
Kimisha Renee Davis
Kelly
Vanessa Hope
Ronnie Connell
Kelsey Ledgin
Arlene
Todd Cioppa
Velvet Touch Manager
Adam Kroloff
Adult Contestant
Kevin Breznahan
Molly Hatchet T-Shirt Guy
Marc Grapey
Panda Con Dad
Andrew Ransom
Foreigner Tribute Band Member
Russell Steinberg
Foreigner Tribute Band Member
Eric Schaeffer
Foreigner Tribute Band Member
Alexis Ferrante
Nicky's Girlfriend
Joe Pawlenko
Nicky's Pal
Declan Baldwin
Male Customer
Ian Harding
Wealthy Prepster
Amy Landis
Mrs. Ostrow
Terry Stacey
Director of Photography
Melissa Toth
Costume Design
Greg Mottola
Director
Declan Baldwin
Co-Producer
William Horberg
Executive Producer
Sidney Kimmel
Producer
Ted Hope
Producer
Declan Baldwin
Unit Production Manager
Greg Mottola
Writer
Basketball Girlfriends
Second Encounters
Tableau d'honneur
Three Colors: Red
Donnie Darko
Magnolia
The Celebration
Billy Elliot
The Bad Guys
The Proposal
The Simpsons Movie
Clerks II
Wonder Boys
Closer
The DUFF
The Left-Hand Side of the Fridge
Bottoms
Muppet Treasure Island
Moffie
The Client
The Man Who Loved UFOs
Empire of Light
Sydney White
The Postman Always Rings Twice
The Firm
Ocean's Eleven
The 24th Day
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Mr. Destiny
Splash
10 Items or Less
Show Boat
Rita, Sue and Bob Too
Freaked
Maybe... Maybe Not
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
Loverboy
Fired Up!
Birth
The Other Side of the Bed
The New Guy
Bete Balanço
St Trinian's
Cold Pursuit
Beverly Hills Cop III
Saving Silverman
Savage Grace
Woman Without a Face
Land of the Lost
Holy Matrimony
About Adam
Next Day Air
The Informers
It Was Infidelity in the Beginning
And Then Came Summer
The Room
Alta infidelidad
Фарс с Зимовым — «Русским Поксоном»
.avi
Casey Makes A Mixtape
Annie Hall
His Girl Friday
Snack Shack
We Are Your Friends
Friends with Benefits
The Rebound
The Giant Mechanical Man
The Wackness
Hello, My Name Is Doris
The Good Girl
Tramps
Two Moon Junction
Extracurricular Activities
Meet Bill
Married to the Mob
The Last Summer
A Walk on the Moon
Romance & Cigarettes
Heartburn
The Flamingo Kid
Solitary Man
Alfie
Casino Jack
Young People Fucking
Jan 19, 2009
Sundance Film Festival
Apr 3, 2009
Aug 25, 2009
DVD / Blu-ray
© 2025-2026 MovieNight. All rights reserved.
Versus
Sign in to play →
Seven Dorms of Death
2015
Preview
1982
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
Trivia
Leaderboard →Playing as a guest — sign in to save your score and rank on the leaderboard.
Movie Trivia
Guess the movie from a clue — tagline, plot, cast and more. Pick from four posters.
What movie experience do you prefer?
What is your favorite movie genre?
Versus
Sign in to play →
Seven Dorms of Death
2015
Preview
1982
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
Trivia
Leaderboard →Playing as a guest — sign in to save your score and rank on the leaderboard.
Movie Trivia
Guess the movie from a clue — tagline, plot, cast and more. Pick from four posters.
What movie experience do you prefer?
What is your favorite movie genre?
We use essential cookies to run MovieNight, plus analytics (Google Analytics) and advertising (Google AdSense) cookies. By continuing to browse, you agree to this — or click No and we won't. See our Terms & Privacy Policy to learn more.