Young Adult

Three out of four ain’t bad. After a trio of movies that nabbed ten Academy Award nominations, plus an Oscar for screenwriter Diablo Cody for the treacly slangfest Juno, seriocomic auteur Jason Reitman delivers his first misfire. It’s not his fault, completely: The direction is crisp, the performances—by Charlize Theron and Patton Oswalt—compelling, and the overall tone light but mournful. What’s left? Ah, yes: the script.