Charlize Theron in 'Young Adult': movie review
‘Young Adult’ is a character study of childishness and cynicism in middle age.
Charlize Theron stars as former prom queen Mavis Gary in the new film 'Young Adult.'
Carlo Allegri/Reuters
If you can believe Charlize Theron as a loveless layabout then you'll probably buy into "Young Adult," the new movie from director Jason Reitman and screenwriter Diablo Cody, the team that brought us "Juno." Actually, Theron does a fairly convincing job. It's the movie surrounding her that isn't quite so convincing.
She plays heavy drinker Mavis Gary, divorced and pushing 40, who lives in a messy Minneapolis apartment and ghostwrites a popular teen novel series. When she discovers her old high school flame Buddy (Patrick Wilson) and his wife, Beth (Elizabeth Reaser), have a new baby, she uses that information as an excuse to return after many years to her Minnesota hometown and lure him back.
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