Ryan Reynolds: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked
3. Mike Connell - Adventureland
Although he only featured in a supporting role in Greg Mottola's superb coming of age drama, Ryan Reynolds turned in one of indie cinema's best portrayals of, well, a total jerk. Playing Mike Connell, the titular theme park's maintenance man come part time musician on the side, Reynolds absolutely nails it: be it sharking for girls with some dubious tales - he once jammed with Lou Reed, apparently - to scuppering Jessie Eisenberg's James Brennan on the quest for love, he is the loser of all losers to be beaten on screen. With an evocative, nostalgic soundtrack, smart turns also from Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart and a warming story that brings you back to those hazy days of the late eighties, Adventureland remains one of the best films Reynolds has ever starred in.
Shaun is a former contributor for a number of Future Publishing titles and more recently worked as a staffer at Imagine Publishing.
He can now be found banking in the daytime and writing a variety of articles for What Culture, namely around his favourite topics of film, retro gaming, music, TV and, when he's feeling clever, literature.
