Kelsey Ford Interview

If you have gone to see Adventureland this weekend you might be
shocked to see a familiar face. Originally from Medina, Kelsey Ford
stars as Arlene, the heart-breaker who provides the catalyst that
pushes the rest of the film. Not only is she a great young actress,
she is gorgeous, brilliant, and witty, and luckily for me, she gave me
the chance to ask her a few questions.

Q. What was appealing about taking on the role in Adventureland?

A. When the opportunity presented itself what I was most taken by was
the amazing cast involved in the film. It was my first major work and
I felt so lucky to be involved with a great group.

Q. How would you sum up your role?

A. Arlene is a genuinely great girl who is simply feeling suffocated
by her situation.

Q. What was your parent’s response to the film?

A. They were very loving and supportive. They have encouraged me
through the entire process and I can’t thank them enough for that.

Q. Who was the best person you got a chance to work with?

A. Greg Mottola. He has a great vision for everything and knows
exactly what he wants. He knew exactly what he wanted from me and that
made my job easier.

Q. What has been your biggest influence and or inspiration in your life?

A. I would have to say my family. Like I said before they have been
extremely supportive and loving throughout the entire process. They
always gave me the freedom to do what I wanted to do without passing
judgment knowing it would make me a better person in the future.

Q. What do you consider to be your perfect role?

A. That is a hard question to answer because sometimes the things you
like the most are the things that are the hardest to portray, but they
are also the most rewarding. However I do have a lot of interest in
playing a 1940’s journalist, in the vein of His Girl Friday or The
Hudsucker Proxy.

Q. Who is your favorite Actor or Actress?

A. Natalie Wood. No questions asked. I love how versatile and
vulnerable she can be.

Q. What is your favorite movie of all time?

A. Well right now it is Adventureland of course, but I really like The
Hudsucker Proxy a lot.

Q. If you could work with any director in the future who would it be?

A. I really like Gus Van Sant and Spike Jones, and it would be really
cool to work with the Coen Brothers.

Q. If you had one piece of advice to give what would it be?

A. Support people and their dreams. It is never your place or anyone
else’s to belittle others or deny them a chance at their dreams.

Q. What is on the horizon for Kelsey Ford?

A. I have a great Indie film in production called Broken Dreams
directed by David Crabtree, a webseries that you will be able to find
on www.hulu.com called Waxing Platonic, a short film called Acting
Class, and a webseries you can currently find on www.funnyordie.com
and www.vimeo.com called Overshare.

Whatever it is that Kelsey does in the future I’m sure there will be
many rooting for her to succeed. It is very hard not to root for
someone as well grounded and hard working as her. I look for her to be
the next great American Indie actress. The world is in front of her
and hopefully she will be seen as the great talent that she is. I look
forward to seeing more from her in the future.

Adventureland

For fans of John Hughes, yearning to relive the days of The Breakfast Club, Pretty In Pink, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and all the awkwardness that went along with it, fear not because Greg Mottola is fitting into that niche nicely.

James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg), thought his life was in order. He was graduating college, going to travel Europe, and then return to an Ivy League grad school. When his parents run low on funds and inform James that things aren’t working out as well as originally planned, he is forced to take a job at a rundown amusement park.

James is a virgin and an all around nice guy who has recently had his heartbroken (which I will come back to later), and he has a hard time controlling his feelings towards Em (Kristen Stewart) but it also doesn’t prevent him from giving everyone’s favorite, Lisa P. a try.

Although the park seems like the summer job from hell it isn’t without its charms. The owners are quirky and hell bent on making and conserving money at all cost, they rig games, give away crappy prizes, and refuse to throw out the spoiled corn dogs. His friends are socially awkward and obsessed with Rush, pipe smoking, and fists to the groin. It’s the women who make the summer bearable however and it is the constant pursuit of sex that seemingly makes life worth living.

Unlike Mattola’s earlier work in Superbad, which was quite good, this isn’t a sexual romp fest, but more of a journey of self-realization. For all the sexual overtones, the drugs, extra-marital affairs, and overall perversion, this is truly a story about none of those things. It is about overcoming and becoming. There isn’t a character in the film without a demon and it is all the other things that are simply bandages to hide the wounds they kept within. Overall this one is a winner 3 1/2 out of 4.

On a side note: In the first scene of the film James has his heartbroken by a familiar face. Kelsey Ford (Arlene), originally from Medina, proves to be the distant and heartless ex-girlfriend who provides the spark to the sexual angst that carries James’ desires throughout the film. Although her performance is small it provides a great look at a career that is destined for bigger things.