Adventureland

Adventureland is a 2009 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Greg Mottola, starring Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart and co-starring Ryan Reynolds, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Martin Starr, and Margarita Levieva. Set in the summer of 1987, recent college grad James Brennan (Eisenberg) is making big plans to tour Europe and attend graduate school in pursuit of a career in journalism. However, financial problems force him to look for a summer job instead of traveling abroad, which places him at Adventureland, a run-down amusement park in western Pennsylvania and loosely based on the "Adventureland" local theme park in Farmingdale, New York. There he meets Emily Lewin (Stewart), a co-worker with whom he develops a quick rapport and relationship. Released on April 3, 2009, the film received positive reviews and earned $17.1 million worldwide at the box office. It was nominated for "Best Ensemble Cast Performance" at the 19th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards. Plot In 1987, James Brennan plans to have a summer vacation in Europe after graduating from Oberlin College. His parents inform him that their current finances will not permit them to support him and he will have to spend the summer working instead. James gets a job working the carnival games at Adventureland, a local amusement park in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where his childhood friend Tommy Frigo works. Another games worker, Emily "Em" Lewin, saves James from being stabbed by a cheating customer and offers him a ride home that night. With her father and stepmother out of town, Em throws a party. At the party, Em and James discover they share a similar taste in music. Em persuades James to join her in her swimming pool, but an unfortunately timed erection humiliates him in front of everyone. After the party, Mike Connell, who is married and has been having an affair with Em, comes over and they have sex. As the love triangle between Mike, Em, and James continues to develop, other romances blossom between their coworkers at Adventureland. James also has a brief romance with rides worker Lisa P.