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
Denver & Delilah Productions
Indian Paintbrush
Mandate Pictures
Mr. Mudd
Paramount Pictures
Not part of a collection.
Everyone gets old. Not everyone grows up.
A divorced writer from the Midwest returns to her hometown to reconnect with an old flame, who's now married with a family.
CinemaSerf
Feb 24, 2023 · via TMDB
The premiss is that Charlize Theron ("Mavis Gary") is an erstwhile successful novelist, now divorced, borderline alcoholic and bored. She heads back to her home town in Minnesota to catch up with her parents - and, more importantly, to hook up with her now married ex-boyfriend, who now has a baby... When she arrives, she initially meets up with the guy whom everyone thought was gay at school, and was (very) badly beaten up, who warns her off her intended - "Buddy Slade" (good looking, but wooden as a skateboard Patrick Wilson). To be honest, I found this quite a hard watch - Theron is so convincingly odious as to make me want to throttle her. Add to that the nauseatingly forgiving nature of the townsfolk whose lives she would willingly have wrecked and it made me even more annoyed! Not sure who this is actually for, this film, but it certainly wasn't for me... A thing of shallowness.
DoryDarko
Feb 19, 2017 · via TMDB
Young Adult tells the story of 37-year-old Mavis Gary – a pathologically unhappy, immature, egotistical girl in a grown woman's body. Upon hearing of her ex-boyfriend's new born baby, she decides that they are still meant for each other, and the fact that he is now happily married to The Perfect Woman is but a minor detail on their road to eternal bliss. More simply put… Mavis is bat s*** crazy. Going into this movie, I thought it was going to be a hilarious comedy, full of LOL moments. Actually it is nothing of the sort. Thinking about it, seeing the way this "adult" woman lives out her life (sleeping till noon, living in a pigsty, forgetting to take care of her dog and playing children's video games), is really incredibly sad. No, it's pathetic. She is the author of 'young adult' books, which in any other case is a perfectly fine job, except in hers it basically means she vicariously lives the life of her main character – a high school girl. This is the emotional level Mavis is stuck in. Hearing about her ex-boyfriend's baby stirs an awkward obsession in Mavis. She packs her bags and returns to her small hometown in Minnesota – completely convinced that she and her ex Buddy are destined to be together. Back home, it's obvious the people she left behind know her a little better than she knows herself. Basically, everybody knows her… and everybody hates her. And who can blame them… Mavis is quite simply the most childish, entitled, RIDICULOUSLY selfish woman there ever was. Thankfully there's at least one old acquaintance from her past who's willing to look beyond all that. His name is Matt, he walks with a crutch because he once was the victim of a horrible hate crime, and he is the only one who listens to her. What I love about this story is the fact that, although it starts out as a comedy, it gradually flows and meanders into a beautifully crafted, delicate character drama. Mavis, at first sight, is a hysterical character, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that this woman has some deep seeded issues, no matter how hard she tries to cover up for it. Mavis is played wonderfully by Charlize Theron, who delivers one of her most hilarious, yet at the same time, understated performances to date. She could have easily gone overboard with this character, but somehow manages to humanize this completely unlikable woman. In fact, I'm willing to state that about 80% of Young Adult 'works' because of her. She displays some of her best work in two very intense scenes, where Mavis' sky high ego comes crashing down, leaving her remarkably exposed and vulnerable. That right there was some truly wonderful acting on her part. Matt is played very amiably by Patton Oswalt, who seems to be the only character in town with any emotional intelligence. Although this character may be a bit of a cliché (the wise, sympathetic loser with a physical disability and a traumatizing past), that's OK because it works. Oswalt's acting clearly takes a shot at versatility and he passed with flying colours, as far as I'm concerned. I love the script. Penned by Diablo Cody (writer of Juno), it's full of sharp, sassy character traits and dialogue, while remaining very subtle and human. As a story, it doesn't honestly have that much to offer but it's a joy to watch for the high quality of 'human relatableness', I guess I could call it. Actually, I can't really think of any major flaws. It has an awesome soundtrack, all the actors are very well cast and the direction was placed perfectly in the very capable hands of Jason Reitman. This is a small film, about basic, non-glamorous human behavior and a big girl who might find happiness yet, if only she wants it badly enough. Highly recommended. _(January 2015)_
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
fuboTV
Paramount Plus Premium
Paramount Plus Essential
Paramount+ Amazon Channel
Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel
JustWatch TV
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Spectrum On Demand
Charlize Theron
Mavis Gary
Patton Oswalt
Matt Freehauf
Patrick Wilson
Buddy Slade
Elizabeth Reaser
Beth Slade
Collette Wolfe
Sandra Freehauf
Jill Eikenberry
Hedda Gary
Richard Bekins
David Gary
Mary Beth Hurt
Jan
Kate Nowlin
Mary Ellen Trantowski
Jenny Dare Paulin
Nipple Confusion Bassist
Louisa Krause
Front Desk Girl
Elizabeth Ward Land
Sales Lady
Brian McElhaney
Book Associate
Hettienne Park
Vicki
John Forest
Wheelchair Mike
Rightor Doyle
Babysitter
Brady Smith
Date Man
Tim Young
Champions Server
Erin Darke
Teen Employee
Jee Young Han
Teen Employee
Ella Rae Peck
Girl
Aleisha Allen
Girl
Orlagh Cassidy
Party Guest
Charles Techman
Parking Attendant
Emily Meade
Denny's Waitress
Neil Hellegers
Young Dad
Michael Nathanson
Champions Greeter
J.K. Simmons
Mavis' Publisher (voice) (uncredited)
Joel Thingvall
Businessman in Skyway (uncredited)
Rosemary Howard
Guest at Baby Naming Party (uncredited)
Kevin Thompson
Production Design
Eric Steelberg
Director of Photography
Peter Bucossi
Stunt Coordinator
Shawnna Thibodeau
Stunt Double
Jason Reitman
Director
Dana E. Glauberman
Editor
Suzanne Smith Crowley
Casting
Helen Estabrook
Executive Producer
John Malkovich
Executive Producer
Nathan Kahane
Executive Producer
Steven M. Rales
Executive Producer
Diablo Cody
Producer
Jason Reitman
Producer
Mason Novick
Producer
Mateo Messina
Original Music Composer
Rolfe Kent
Original Music Composer
Jacob Ribicoff
Sound Effects Editor
Eric Hirsch
Sound Re-Recording Mixer
Diablo Cody
Writer
The Moth
Skin Flick
Pulp Fiction
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Central Station
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Stalker
Comedy of Divorce
American Beauty
Getting Gertie's Garter
Blade Runner
Tokyo Godfathers
Raging Bull
Rio Bravo
Stand by Me
Anatomy of a Murder
Gloomy Sunday
Brazil
The Last Samurai
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Custody
The Rules of the Game
Adam's Apples
Trouble in Paradise
American Psycho
Grease
The Magnificent Ambersons
Belle de Jour
In China They Eat Dogs
Lovers of the Arctic Circle
2046
Withnail & I
The Talented Mr. Ripley
The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
Bed and Board
Desert Hearts
Together
Coast to Coast
The Tin Drum
Revolutionary Road
The Unloved Woman
The War of the Roses
Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner
Policewoman
The Great Love
Dreamgirls
This Sweet Sickness
Twister
The Married Couple of the Year Two
The Bank Dick
The United States of Leland
Mars Attacks!
Shall We Dance?
13: Game of Death
Black Bear
Sex Drive
Banu
Visitor Q
I ♥ Huckabees
Blondie of the Follies
Jamon Jamon
Eat the Rich
Hollywoodland
License & Registration
A Simple Story
Blind Date
Cockles and Muscles
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee
I Love You, I Don't
Maggie Moore(s)
Chasing Yesterday
The Foot Fist Way
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
The Beach Bum
Strangers with Candy
The Good Night
Berlin is in Germany
The Flintstones
PUSSYCAT
Broadway Bad
American Loser
Massacre on Aisle 12
Gold Digga
Olivos Sangrientos
Exit Wounds
Herzensschrei
Crystal Cross
Blasphemy
Black Sheeps
Kiss My Axe
Apóstata
P*ssy Wagon
My Name Is Max
The Lily and the Rose
El Tigre escondido
Love Bite
The Woman Upstairs
Sunset Boulevard
Fatherhood
My Girl
Manhattan Murder Mystery
Fathers and Daughters
Another Year
Aziz Ansari: Buried Alive
Educating Rita
Swingers
The Gift
My Favorite Year
Don't Think Twice
Hero
Woman Times Seven
Please Give
My Own Love Song
Thunderstruck
Throw Momma from the Train
SubUrbia
Wild Oats
A Thousand Words
The Middle Man
Little Sister
A Dog Year
Duplex
Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins
The Cable Guy
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
She-Devil
The Meddler
Better Living Through Chemistry
Ping Pong Playa
The Big Fix
Dec 9, 2011
Dec 16, 2011
© 2025-2026 MovieNight. All rights reserved.
Versus
Sign in to play →
Bicara Cinta
2020
The Pied Pipers of Harlow
1965
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 →
Bicara Cinta
2020
The Pied Pipers of Harlow
1965
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.