Charlize Theron plays Mavis Gary, a troubled writer of Young Adult novels of the Gossip Girl variety. Mavis feels an overwhelming compulsion to reconnect with her high school boyfriend, Buddy. So she drives from Minneapolis to her hometown of Mercury, Minnesota to rekindle an old flame. Along the way, Mavis meets the nerdy guy whose locker was next to her’s in high school, Matt (played brilliantly by Patton Oswalt), who she completely ignored for four years. Matt plays the Greek Chorus in this movie warning Mavis her quest will end in disaster since her old boy friend is happily married and has a new baby. Director Jason Reitman makes the most of Diablo Cody’s edgy script. Yes, there’s humor here, but it’s mostly dark and ironic. GRADE: A-