Mavis Gary, author of a once-popular series of young adult novels, is 37 years old. What that probably means, even though Jason Reitman's new film doesn't address it explicitly, is that she's just a year shy of her 20th high school reunion. With that in mind, many of the events of Young Adult feel like a last ditch attempt to prepare for going back home and facing friends with impending middle age suddenly feeling uncomfortably and uncontrollably close. The years that seemed like eons to accomplish her ambitions vanished, and, in the grips of alcoholism, arrested development, and cold sweat panic, Mavis (Charlize Theron) decides the best course of action is to retreat from the big city for a little while and head back to the her small town roots. Oh, and while she's there, to steal her high school sweetheart away from his wife and infant daughter. If she could pull it off, she'd sure make a splash at that hypothetical reunion next year. more ›

Patton Oswalt’s career as a writer and actor has been on an ascending curve over the last couple of years, most notably since he provided the voice (and inspired much of the character) of Remy, the rat who dreams of becoming a gourmet chef, in Brad Bird’s terrific 2007 PIXAR film, Ratatouille. He plays his first on-camera leading role in Big Fan, written and directed by Robert D. Siegel — the former editor of The Onion, and the writer of last year’s critically adored The Wrestler — which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last month. more ›

Aimee Mann never seemed like one of pop's 500 likeliest candidates to release a Christmas album, but last year’s One More Drifter in the Snow was a tasteful, minor-key treat, and her “1st Annual Christmas Show” at the Birchmere last December was one of the best concerts of 2006. As she promised she would at the end of last year’s freewheeling interfaith revue, she's hitched up the sleigh again this year for a monthlong yule-tour that landed for the first of two shows at the Birchmere last night. As before, the show mingled seasonal fare with secular material from Mann’s deep songbook, music with comedy, and Christmas with Hanukkah. Kind of. more ›