Mavis Gary: I'm going to a
rock concert with an old flame and I think there is a chance we may reconnect.
Sales Lady: Let's show him what he's been missing.
Mavis Gary: No, he's seen me recently. He knows. But his wife hasn't seen me in a while, so.
Sales Lady: Let's show him what he's been missing.
Mavis Gary: No, he's seen me recently. He knows. But his wife hasn't seen me in a while, so.
 |
| Director: Jason Reitman (2011) |
Everyone knew someone like Mavis Gary when they were in high
school. Mavis (Charlize Theron) is that stereotypical homecoming queen, bitch
to everyone and obsessed with her image, the girl that no one wants to see
after graduation. The only difference between this bitch and the star of young
adult is that Mavis is 37, divorced and is a mildly successful ghost author for
a young adult series. If nothing else, it’s apparent that not everyone grows
up.
Theron is absolutely brilliant here as Mavis, the
depressed/alcoholic book writer who returns to her home town in order to steal back
the heart of teenage flame Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson). While she does this
while knowing that he is married and has just had the arrival of his first
child, she doesn’t care in the slightest. Mavis’ goal for her trip back to the
town of Mercury perfectly portrays the kind of character she is, a totally
selfish bitch. She’s obsessed by this goal and possesses destructive intent in
order to try and win Buddy back. If I were to add to her colossal list of
faults, ‘attempted home wrecker’ would certainly be top of the list. Yet her
role as the antagonist is exactly what makes her captivating, there's no way
anyone could perceive her as the good guy in all this. She's selfish, mean,
bitter and immeasurably self centered, as an audience we should abhor her, yet
instead we fall in love with her charm and audacity. She’s rooted completely in
her prom queen past, stuck in a time when looks and popularity were the only
things that mattered. Her writers block is overcome by basing her latest book
on the films events, and this gives us an unsettling glimpse of her perspective
on proceedings.
While back in town Mavis also meets Matt (Patton Oswalt) a
victim of a hate crime while in high school and Mavis’ locker neighbor, something
that she doesn’t recall. She informs him of her return to Mercury is to win
back Buddy’s (Patrick Wilson) heart, not for real estate. While the script is
excellent throughout Young Adult, it’s none more evident than in its dialogue,
especially between Mavis and Matt. Diablo Cody (also of Juno fame) can craft
moments of genuine hilarity, but can also give the film emotional weight when it’s
needed. An excellent example of this is a scene where Mavis accuses Matt of
holding onto the past, using his hate crime induced injuries as an excuse for
not making something out of his life. Its hard hitting stuff that’s bitterly
ironic, considering Mavis’ only goal on returning to Mercury is to get back
with Buddy.
Young adult isn't perfect however, and has its fair share of
flaws. Characters like Mavis’ parents are severely underdeveloped, suffering
from too little screen time and purpose. Buddy and his inability to acknowledge
that Mavis is enamored with him shows him as innocent initially, and a complete
moron every time after that. This cannot be faulted to Patrick Wilson, but
rather one of very few flaws in the script. Still, young adult is an incredibly
charming film, showing that this Jason Reitman/Diablo Cody partnership won’t be
running out of steam any time soon.
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