Adult World

There is a scene in Scott Coffey's Adult World involving a transgender male and a devout and somewhat psychotic poet riding a bike made for two chasing after an elusive poet who is speeding away in a car so that the psychotic poet can make another attempt at talking to her biggest influence and showing just how weirdly intrusive she can be.

Stating that scene and that scene only to a person would make them think said film is nothing but a desperate little comedy, when in reality, Adult World is another one of those films that is actually wise and thoughtful but dressed up in stupid people's clothes. Seems I'm running into this unfortunate predicament a lot. The problem with this kind of filmmaking tactic, whether it's intentional or unintentional, is that it has the potential of alienating those who need to see the film the most.

The film focuses on a recent college graduate named Amy (Emma Roberts, whom I never tired of seeing). A poetry major who has racked up over $90k in student loans, Amy wishes she could make a living verbalizing whatever comes to her mind and carry on with a relatively safe but fulfilling life. However, reality - and her parents - prohibit this dream from happening, so Amy must get a real job, and with little options, she accepts a job at Adult World, the local provider of vibrators, sex dolls, pornographic movies, sex toys, lube, etc.

Amy is repulsed at first, as she's always kind of sheltered herself from the icky realms of human pleasure and sexual exploration, but she quickly befriends the charming Alex (Evan Peters), who shares some of her interests as well as her circumstances. Amy, however, is desperate in trying to win the attention of Rat Billings (John Cusack), one of her favorite poets who has recently come to town. She pesters Rat, constantly invading his privacy and bugging him, until he offers her a position as his assistant at Syracuse University.

The three main actors rarely misstep in their performances, however, the character of Amy is definitely skating on thin ice in terms of acceptability. Amy, when by herself or with Alex, is fine, but when she's in the company of Rat, she becomes obsessive, hyper, and borderline psychotic. The problem with that is not only is that this side of her is annoying but it lessens her realism as this fanatical behavior is not the kind you'd think she'd be doing. It's almost like she suffers from multiple-personality disorder.

And again, there's a sort of convention to the material, despite the film's characters being relatively unique. Then there's a transgender character that is nothing more than a character to have to muster up some shock amongst audience members. But the thing that sets Adult World apart from other dramas is that it doesn't hesitate to explore the blessing and the curse that is being creative in contemporary America. In a country that is advanced predominately by scientific, mathematical, and technological milestones and achievements, opportunities, let alone viable ones, for liberal arts, poets, English, or writers are scarce. It's almost as if in an increasingly complex world, those who attempt to define it aren't wanted.

It's a sad fact and Adult World pleasantly recognizes it, giving us a likable protagonist who is good at what she does - confident, amiable, and always friendly - but burdened by a lack of opportunities. She has bravely majored in poetry, but is now facing reality in that the only potentially-lucrative job for her is a published author, but good luck getting someone to read your work. And, oh yeah, here's a bill near six-figures for that college education too.

I plan on attending college this fall as an English major with a minor in a business field, perhaps marketing. I'm completely unsure of where those fields will get me and those like me are probably equally unsure. Adult World is a film for those types of people to see - people who know what they want to be, know what they like, and have found a passion at a young age, but are tragically low on opportunities.

Starring: Emma Roberts, John Cusack, and Evan Peters. Directed by: Scott Coffey.

Amy Anderson (Emma Roberts - We're the Millers) has just graduated from a nice university and has much of her life already planned out. She is going to be a celebrated, world famous poet and YOU will know her name! This Sylvia Plath fan girl wants to write like Sylvia, feel the world like Sylvia and love passionately like Sylvia ... only Amy's life isn't going as planned as she has faced rejection after rejection after rejection since her college graduation. She has even thought of making an overly-dramatic Sylvia Plath-like exit from life but Amy's stove is unfortunately electric! And so ... Amy finds herself living back home with her parents as she is in serious debt from student loans and her poetry degree severely limits her job opportunities as she has no experience in the working world. She takes the only job she can find at Adult World, an adult video/book store where she befriends a clerk (Evan Peters - 'American Horror Story') with his own outlook on life.

While Amy has realized she must work to make some money, she hasn't given up on her dream of writing and so has decided to stalk an aging punk poet with a bad attitude named Rat Billings (John Cusack - 2012) who she hopes can mentor her and help her eventually one day get published. The reclusive writer doesn't take well to being followed but Amy doesn't let that stop her from absorbing everything she can from this man she highly admires ... most likely because he is nearby and has been published. Yes ... poor Amy.

The film is nothing spectacular but it kept my interest during its entire (short -- just over an hour and a half) runtime as it is a cross between High Fidelity and Wonder Boys (although not as good as either of those). While Amy may annoy, we can still feel her plight as she is welcomed into the Adult World and begins learning the lessons of life that actually matter.

Cloris Leachman co-stars as the quirky (surprise!!) owner of Adult World. And Cusack -- who seems to only make straight-to-DVD titles anymore -- has one of his best roles in years here.

There are always films that seem to define the youth of the decade. In the 1980s, you can make an argument for any of the "rat pack" movies but I remain the closest to John Hughes' The Breakfast Club (1985). In the 1990s, the hilarious and raunchy American Pie (1999) that bookended a great decade of dramatic and comedic cinema. Scott Coffey's newest endeavor Adult World starring the talented and adorable Emma Roberts is a touching and uproariously entertaining comedy about a recent college graduate Amy that believes she's destined to be the next great poet. When things don't go in her favor, Amy gets a job at an adult book store called "Adult World."

Written by Andy Cochran, who has written episodes for MTV's "Teen Wolf" and "Super Sweet 16: The Movie," the first-time movie screenwriter assembles an assortment of creative and unique characters with genuine deeds that feel credible and realistic. Director Coffey does a commendable job transporting the audience through the story , inserting varieties of colors, beats, and instances of emotional connection. It's one of the best films seen at the Tribeca Film Festival and could one of the crowd-pleasing films of the year upon release.

Emma Roberts, best known for her whimsical turns in films like Nancy Drew (2007) and Scream 4 (2011), charms the pants off the audience in her role of Amy. Roberts is head-over-heels hilarious and manages to capture the hearts of all. It's an interesting conundrum that Roberts creates for the viewer, as her piercing voice that should make you pull your hair out, manages to be her supernatural fairy dust that magnetizes our cinematic senses to her cutesy persona. It's a performance that will define her as a capable leading lady with a possible Golden Globe mention to prove the theory down the road in awards season. Roberts is completely lovable.

Roberts cannot take all the credit as the terrific cast that surrounds her are just as remarkable. As the awkward and misanthropic poet Rat Billings, John Cusack delivers one of his better works as of late. Playing extremely well off of Roberts, Cusack's character choices and mannerisms are simply comic genius. Taking a break from the creepy, serial killer that we have grown to love about Evan Peters on FX's "American Horror Story," he plays the sensitive and charming Alex with wonderful restrain. Completely stealing the show and delivering my favorite supporting turn of the year so far is Armando Riesco. Best known for his brief roles in Garden State (2004) and Che (2008), as the flamboyant and lovable Rubia, Riesco commands the screen and steals focus from every actor on set. It's a memorable and dedicating turn by an actor that was in need of a big break into the hearts of viewers. I believe he's found it.

Adult World is a must-see comedy. Heartwarming and beautifully tender, the only flaw the film suffers is being a smidge too long. One of the great things that the Tribeca Film Festival offers, Adult World is an absolute delight.

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Don't go to this movie and expect a grand comedy, the jokes are not piled on to one another with just enough room between them for you to catch your breath.

I had never heard of this movie and just watched it because I love John Cusack, and when I became aware of it's existence I didn't read anything about it before watching (I like to do that, go in to a movie blank in mind, not expecting anything) and I found it to be a sweet movie. It's not the best movie ever, but it is not the worst. It had it's LOL- moments but they were few although not out of place, when I later watched IMDb and saw it was ranked as a comedy and not a drama I was dumbfounded. I would rank it as a comedy/drama at least.

Emma Roberts character felt a little ambiguous at times. And it was weird but actually really refreshing to see John Cusack in the role of the asshole, not a role he often plays without humor attached to it.

It's a movie well worth the watch, if you only keep an open mind to it going in. And I really liked it for what it was, a sweet movie about a girl trying to follow her dreams.

ADULT WORLD is an odd whimsical comedy about Amy (Emma Roberts), a naive, sheltered,recent college graduate with an impractical degree in "Poetry" who yearns for publication and recognition but doesn't seem able to impress anybody anywhere. In desperation, she takes a low-paying job as a clerk in a sex store, which, though it serves as a symbolic backdrop for the story, isn't the real focus. This film is all about growing up, facing the world, and becoming, for better or worse, an "adult."

Mood-wise, ADULT WORLD reminds me a bit of SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK: There's a name for this type of humor, but I'm not sure what it is. I wasn't digging it at all for most of the first hour. As others have noted, the characters seem more like cheap caricatures, and Amy in particular is treated as a glib joke of a person. But the way life (and this film) seem to be constantly laughing in her face gave me compassion for her, and I'm sure others will have the same reaction. We've all been there, haven't we?

For most of its length, ADULT WORLD's storyline seems as unfocused as its character development. Yet, again, it meanders its way to a conclusion that is both meaningful and touching, and again, therein lies its magic.

An interesting assortment of supporting characters, most of whom initially seem as cardboard as Amy herself but blossom as the film goes. Particularly noteworthy are John Cusack as reclusive a-hole writer Rat Billings and Evan Peters as nice normal guy coworker Alex. Austerely beautiful cinematography of the smaller town upstate New York setting. Good thematic soundtrack.