Mavis (Charlize Theron) is miserable, bored, down on her luck. Heck, she’s even only a ghost writer so she writes books for somebody else. “Young adult” books which ironically resembles her personal life. Recently divorced, she is sent a “she’s here” baby photo of an infant born to her high school sweetheart, Buddy (Patrick Wilson.) Part delusional and definitely determined,
Mavis hops in her car and heads back to Mercury, Minnesota to relive her teen years and get her man. Except her man, Buddy,
is married. To Beth (Elizabeth Reaser.)
But none of that matters…..as the way Mavis sees it, Buddy is hostage to a life gone wrong, and Mavis expresses that to another high school chum Matt (Patton Oswalt) who has a really serious set of his own issues. The movie is “Arrested
Development” on speed and the lead character never likeable, which is surprising as this is written by very likeable Diablo “Juno” Cody.
Does a thirty-seven year old really ever pine for their high school sweetheart? Maybe. Not in New York where adults are at the top of their game, but maybe in middle America they do. One can’t be sure what the message is but Theron comes off icy. It’s Oswalt we turn out falling in love with. Two Tiaras