'Young Adult' Stars Remember High School (VIDEO)

High school is one of the few experiences that never leaves us. Whether you're headed to the cafeteria this minute or making plans for your 50th reunion, you can't help but be affected by the days of lockers, standardized tests and first love.

In that spirit, The Huffington Post and Moviefone asked the creative team behind "Young Adult," the upcoming dramatic comedy from writer Diablo Cody and director Jason Reitman, to talk about their experiences in 9 through 12 and the impact it continues to have on them.

The movie is all about growing up -- or failing to do so entirely. Charlize Theron stars as Mavis Gary, former popular girl, still stuck in the past and on a mission to reclaim her old high school boyfriend (never mind his wife and brand new child). Patton Oswalt plays Mavis's geeky former classmate Matt Freehauf, who becomes her unlikely partner in crime. As the two cling to lives that have long since passed them by, it becomes clear that they never quite managed to emotionally graduate.

Luckily, it seems that the stars and filmmakers behind "Young Adult" have indeed put the hallways of adolescence behind them, though they certainly do have some vivid memories. In this exclusive video, they share a few of those recollections, imagine what their high school selves would think of them now and compare the teenage social hierarchy to that of ever-mature Hollywood.

Comments

[ligligl]

04:02 AM on 12/06/2011

What is it about blondes that just make me go limp...er, I mean...

[Elliot Miller]

03:59 AM on 12/06/2011

Charlize Theron's beauty is just intimidating. It makes me want to go into a corner and put my thumb in my mouth.

[shutzy56]

02:49 AM on 12/06/2011

I laughed out loud during the trailer of this movie in the theater. It's gonna be funny and it's gonna be good ... I predict.

[Moti]

12:38 AM on 12/06/2011

Gosh, look at that photo, Chaz B sure isn't aging well.

[shutzy56]

02:46 AM on 12/06/2011

Seriously? I think she looks great!

[Mikeeee]

12:00 AM on 12/06/2011

I'm so glad Charlize didn't end up on the "pole" as she so eloquently put it, but I have to admit I find the thought stimulating. Not only talented but one of the most naturally beautiful women I've ever seen.

[shutzy56]

02:47 AM on 12/06/2011

She's also produced her own indy film ... she'll be okay in the long run ... very talented lady!

[JaneaneTheAcerbicGoblin]

11:42 PM on 12/05/2011

The article starts out wrong. It starts "high school is one of the few experiences that never leaves us".

Yes, it does. Who gives a damn?

Seriously.

[shutzy56]

02:48 AM on 12/06/2011

It didn't leave me I blanked it out!!

[hopscotcher]

09:37 PM on 12/05/2011

Has anyone commented on how strange it is that this movie is called Young Adult and the stars of it are most certainly not young adults and at least border on Middle Age? That's what turns me off most about this movie, honestly. And I like Patton Oswalt and think the movie looks pretty funny. Is there some joke I'm missing here? They aren't actually supposed to be between 21 and 30 are they? Like how in Wet Hot American Summer there were people in their mid-20s early 30s playing highschoolers, but that was part of the joke.

[Jamal Young]

07:03 PM on 12/05/2011

http://adf.ly/43POd

[lexsird]

06:19 PM on 12/05/2011

Patton is what will make this movie. He's a real kind of person, and she is amazingly beautiful and hence "not real". It's like Tom Arnold in True Lies, he gave Arnold some debt of character by the stark contrast in stereo types played.

[Isabella85]

07:14 PM on 12/05/2011

Why can't beautiful people be real? That makes no sense. Good acting is good acting. Do you know anything about her character? Her beauty is used in a very interesting way in this movie. She's playing the former prom queen/pretty mean girl who never grew up and expects everything handed to her.

[lexsird]

07:56 PM on 12/05/2011

It's the mathematics of demographics. If you scale people on looks from 1 to 10 you will find that they group together. The vast majority of the population falls in the median and the curve is of course bell shaped.

Patton's looks are under the median, but he's funny and a successful comedian. This places him in an almost unique demographic to be contrasted with someone like her. If he wasn't funny, and was just another mundane he would not exist in this formula.

Movies are about making boat loads of money. Appealing to the median with this contrast is a good way to bring in more viewers.

Contrasting: It's also why some girls take along an "ugly friend" so they can have contrast. Or why you drag the fat friend along, you look good in contrast. It's why we put meatballs in spaghetti, or colored lights on dull dark trees at Christmas.

Geometrically pleasing, it all is.

[Djinn NY]

07:22 PM on 12/05/2011

Excuse me?! I am beautiful, and I'm definitely real.

[lexsird]

07:38 PM on 12/05/2011

But of course you are.

[mrmikes]

07:29 AM on 12/06/2011

Hey, me too.

[Alois SaintMartin]

05:23 PM on 12/05/2011

http://www.fmp666.com/apollyon/apollyon.html

[olookacookie]

04:10 PM on 12/05/2011

I adore Charlize but loath this new wave of "comedies".. unfunny and obnoxious ._.

[ScribL]

03:54 PM on 12/05/2011

I know so many people that relive their "glory" days of high school over and over, it's sad really. This looks like a pretty good flick, I'll probably see it.

[alagon]

02:18 PM on 12/05/2011

Beautiful blonde.

[haydengr]

02:08 PM on 12/05/2011

Great actors in this movie.

[ligligl]

01:39 PM on 12/05/2011

Don't lean over, Charlize...

[LiberalUnderYourBed]

02:18 PM on 12/05/2011

Shhhhhh!

[Jack Davies]

02:36 PM on 12/05/2011

Lean over! Lean over!

[ligligl]

04:00 AM on 12/06/2011

adhesive...