School is almost out and summer is around the corner, so what better time to host the Summer Magic edition?! Summer Magic is beautiful weather, good friends, relaxation, new adventures, and the stories you can’t wait to share when school starts up again. We selected 3 movies that capture the best elements of our favorite time of the year:

Amusement park antics and romance with Adventureland.

Sand, surf, and girls run the world with Blue Crush.

Baseball unites new friends and neighborhood misadventures ensue with The Sandlot.

And the winner was…

Adventureland
2009 ‧ 1h 47m
Director: Greg Mottola
Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds

FINAL RATING: 6 out of 8 slices

Here’s what the teen audience had to say…

Every PaaM night, we ask our teens to give us their honest reviews of the winning movie. We then select voices that capture the range of opinions and critiques. Read what Susan (NYPL Teen & PaaMer), Nerissa (Return PaaMer), Madison (Reigning PaaM Reviewer), and Desjah (PaaM Newbie) thought about this awkward 80s teen flick.

Choose three words to describe this movie.

Susan: TYPICAL, ROMANCE, CURSING.
Nerissa: SIMPLE, COMEDIC, PASSIVE.
Madison: AWKWARD, ANGSTY, SUBDUED (interestingly enough because it’s set in an amusement park).
Desjah: HUMOROUS, ADVENTUROUS, VINTAGE.

What was your favorite scene? Bonus: Why? SPOILER ALERT!

Susan: When James got Frigo back at the end.
Nerissa: My favorite scene was when the protagonist goes up against the antagonist (his summer crush) and fails to express himself. Not only does it characterize the protagonist, but it also challenges the stereotypical climax of a movie. The moment when James gets out of the car makes the audience excited, yet he hardly expresses his feelings. There is really no climax in the film. The exposition is comedic.
Madison: When Em told Sue off with a very liberal and modern standpoint. Why? Because that was very 2017 of her! And she told it like it was! And she was the most relatable @ that point!
Desjah: I liked the scene when Em and James were at the bar and Connel and his wife came in because you can sense tension and jealousy being visually exchanged.

Would you recommend this to a friend? Why or why not?

Susan: No, I don’t like [the movie] but I don’t hate it.
Nerissa: I would recommend this film because in general the story is sweet and fun to watch.
Madison: Yeahhhh… if they wanted an awkwardly true romantic movie because this is most certainly one of those!
Desjah: Yes! I loved Pizza and a Movie night and the movie fit the theme perfectly. The movie showed the typical teenage summer.

Join us for the next FREE Pizza and a Movie!

^{FRIDAY JULY 7TH}

RSVP @ https://teens.artsconnection.org/paam/

 How to RSVP for Pizza and a Movie Night:

Seating is limited, so you must lay claim to your seat & slice by selecting “Free Ticket- RSVP HERE” on the Pizza and a Movie event page at https://teens.artsconnection.org/paam/ Fill in your information and you will receive a reminder email the day before the event. Please let us know exactly how many people you’ll be bringing. If you have any questions, feel free to email Briana, Teen Programs Assistant at Successfully Encoded

 PLEASE NOTE: This is a TEENS ONLY event.