Few 1980s coming-of-age films — and there are dozens — manage to overcome their own dead weight.

“Adventureland” contains over-obvious time period signifiers such as Madonna-aping material girls, Reagan on the television and lame hair metal cover bands. Then there’s the plot clichés of the genre: the loss of virginity, a smart alecky, though silently suffering best friend and the dreaded summer job. “Superbad” director Greg Mottola’s latest film manages to contain these elements while still being smart, funny and touching.

The film stars Jesse Eisenberg as James, a young man freshly graduated from college ready to depart on the European trip of a lifetime before his family’s financial setbacks leave him marooned in the sleepy East Coast town of his upbringing. Realizing he has to make some money on his own if he wants to fulfill his dream of attending graduate school, James reluctantly accepts a position at a nearby amusement park named “Adventureland.”

At Adventureland, James meets a slew of interesting characters, each with their own excuses for being cursed with the dead end job: Ryan Reynolds as the dreamy maintenance man-slash-aspiring musician, riding a reputation based on former, possibly false, glories; Martin Starr as the sarcastic, philosophizing Joel and Kristen Stewart as James’s pretty, but troubled love interest.

“Saturday Night Live’s” Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig provide the film’s most outright hilarious moments as the park’s overly-motivated managerial couple.

“Adventureland” works because of its natural tone. All of the humor comes from witty dialogue exchanges and minor slapstick moments that never feel forced or over the top.

The cast is excellent, especially Eisenberg, who does the awkward Michael Cera thing spiked with a double dose of wit and a knack for projecting more rounded, realized emotions. The ’80s-ness is definitely there, yet works to support the storyline rather than get in the way of it.

The film’s love plot is complex and rewarding, proving it’s never as simple as boy meets girl, boy and girl live happily ever after.

There are always deeper psychological issues to iron out.

One of the film’s greatest strengths is its soundtrack, which goes beyond the obvious pop songs of the era by including tunes by such left-of-the-dial legends as The Replacements, Husker Du,

Big Star and Lou Reed, whose music provides a vital plot point in the film.

“Adventureland” is a coming-of-age tale that feels authentic and lived-in and was obviously a labour of love for writer/director Mottola.