Coming-of-age is an interesting genre, as it often attempts a delicate balancing act of drama, comedy, and romance. This film certainly fits that description. In this case, the comedy is probably the strongest element, though it arrives primarily via the veteran supporting cast rather than the leads. Martin Starr, Bill Hader, and Kristen Wiig are all hilarious, often times performing what amounts to stand alone sketch comedy throughout the film ([spoiler]the unrefrigerated corn dog bit was a highlight[/spoiler]). Additionally, the film gets plenty of comedic mileage out of the budget amusement park setting. The romance and drama elements of the film are very intertwined. Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart share plenty of cute scenes, and I think they work well together as a somewhat awkward, unconventional pairing (the fact that they later starred together in _American Ultra_ suggests that they may enjoy working together and have some natural chemistry, which is always nice to see). The dramatic elements to the romantic story are a little bit tougher to pull off. Unlike your typical rom-com, this film's romantic conflict doesn't come from some benign misunderstanding or "will-they won't-they" element, but rather incorporates some more serious drama. While these elements are perfectly serviceable, they didn't quite mesh with the rest of the story for me. This really stood out toward the end of the film, as it took some predictable turns, weaving toward a cliché finale. It also felt somewhat rushed and unearned, as the dramatic fallout of characters' bad decisions was relatively short-lived, being quickly swept aside to make way for an optimistic conclusion. As a side note, I always find it interesting when plot threads are seemingly left hanging. In this case, the lack of resolution, or even acknowledgement of [spoiler]Mr. Brennan's presumed alcohol problem[/spoiler] definitely stood out. Makes me wonder if there was ever the thought to add something more there, or if it was always going to be a silent acknowledgement.

Great movie, unfortunately some idiot thought it would be smart to market it as a Superbad type movie, which it isn't at all, so people were disappointed when they saw it. It's far better on the second or third viewing than on the first so don't write it off after watching it once. And to the people who think that Kristen Stewart isn't a good actress, having subtle facial expressions is not a bad thing, she does an incredible job in this movie (and others like the Runaways and Into the Wild). Eisenberg is a shitty actor but he's bearable in this one. It also has one of the greatest soundtracks ever.

A whole 107 minutes I was wondering where I was looking at. Storyline is, in my opinion, crappy with no clue about what is going to happen and why it is happening. Thumbs down for me.

Not sure why in the late 00s people thought of Jesse Eisenberg as a romantic lead... He's not bad and it's not that it's just reserved for the Ryan Reynold types, but I have a hard time buying him creating a romantic connection

A legitimately beautiful, haunting film. Kristen Stewart is incredible.