REEL CRITIC:

It’s not often a film rated “R” for “drug use, language, and sexual references” can boast of an underlying tone of sweetness. Director and writer Greg Mottola, has created a coming-of-age film where the inherent decency of the characters overrides numerous youthful indiscretions.

“Adventureland” is the latest film from Mottola and follows the success of “Superbad.” While “Superbad” dealt with the exploits of soon-to-be high school graduates in the present day, “Adventureland” is set in 1987 and tells of recent college graduates working at a rundown amusement park in Pittsburgh.

Jesse Eisenberg stars as James Brennan, a brilliant but socially awkward aspiring journalist planning to attend graduate school at Columbia.

Additionally, James and a friend plan on touring Europe with the help of their parents during the summer. Unfortunately, James finds out at the last minute that his hard-drinking father (Jack Gilpin) has been demoted with a commensurate cut in pay.

His mother (Wendie Malick) has to break the bad news that they can no longer pay for his European vacation, and James won’t even be able to attend Columbia unless he finds a summer job quickly.

With no experience, the only job he can find is at the local amusement park, Adventureland, where a collection of misfits operate dangerous-looking rides and run rigged games of skill.

The only saving grace for James is his easy friendship with co-worker Emily (Kristen Stewart).

Em, as she is known, is sharp, funny and attractive.

Unfortunately, unbeknownst to James, she is having an affair with the older, married park maintenance man Mike (Ryan Reynolds).

Mike claims to have jammed with Lou Reed and is nearly idolized by the park’s employees.

Soon James is confiding in him, unaware of Mike’s conflict of interest when it comes to dispensing advice regarding his budding romance with Em.

James falls head-over-heels in love with Em and misreads her inner turmoil as rejection. Not knowing where he stands with Em, James is receptive to the advances of the attractive but self-absorbed Lisa P. (Margarita Levieva).

James is even more confused by Mike’s encouragement to pursue Lisa P. in spite of his relationship with Em.

All the young people portrayed in “Adventureland” are fueled by drugs and alcohol, probably a reality for many people of this age group.

Similarly, they are consumed with sex and relationships, which again is not unusual for people in their early 20s.

Nonetheless, most of the characters are very decent people trying to find their way in the world despite many comical missteps.

The cast is top-notch with real standout performances by Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig as the husband and wife owners of the tacky amusement park. Also fine is Martin Starr as Joel, James’ cynical philosophical co-worker.

“Adventureland” is not an uproarious comedy with a laugh coming every minute. Some scenes are quite funny, but the plot is essentially a “slice of life” offering three-dimensional characters in mostly believable situations.

Despite the age of its characters, “Adventureland” is a grown-up film with all that entails.

VAN NOVACK is the assistant vice president of institutional research and assessment at Cal State Long Beach and lives in Huntington Beach with his wife, Elizabeth.