On Oct. 6, Syracuse International Film Festival attendees gathered outside the Landmark

Theater waiting for the festival’s wrap up. The crowd buzzed with anticipation to enter the venue. Families, couples and groups of friends could be seen lining the block. Some chose to dress up in suits or little black dresses, while others chose a more casual jeans and shirt route. Ages ranged from teenagers to seniors. It was impossible to categorize the crowd. It seemed as though the only commonality was excitement for the film that would close the festival.

The screening of Adult World came with a lot of expectations. As a graduate of Jamesville-DeWitt High School, producer Justin Nappi had a lot to prove to the “folks back home.” On top that, by  filming directly in Syracuse, director Scott Coffey had the potential to create criticism for the film. If the film wasn’t received well by locals, then it would probably never make it much further than the film festival.

Fortunately for the creators of Adult World, this wasn’t the case. From the moment the film started, cheers could be heard throughout the theater. Audiences applauded familiar scenery such as the Syracuse University campus and Clinton Square. The cheering wasn’t limited to a biased appreciation of setting. The film kicked off with recent college grad, Amy [played by Emma Roberts], struggling to become a published poet and trying to manage college loans at the same time. To do this, she applies to the “adult” retail shop, Adult World, a store which Syracuse natives may recognize more than they would wish to. Roberts’ character quickly became a source of laughter with her oh-so-typical, high-strung female chattering. The audience laughed at her antics, so much so that it was difficult to hear the next piece of dialogue.

When the recognizable face of John Cusack finally appeared on screen, it came in the form of a witty, and somewhat cynical, former famous poet. Cusack’s character, Rat Billings, served as a source of both comedy and awareness. Billings took on the role of reminding Amy that not everyone is talented and that you aren’t always good at the things you want to be. Billings became Amy’s reality check.

This spoke as a message to the youth of today, claiming that they are over-validated, expect too much and possibly believe a little too deeply that they can be anything.

The film was a combination of this serious epiphany and comical relief, creating the perfect balance of reality. There were no parts of the film that were unbelievable or hard to follow. Audience maintained interest throughout the entire film. When the film finished, applause echoed through the theatre and excited babble of acceptance was heard throughout the aisles.

Nappi, Coffey, and writer Andy Cochran created a beautiful film that perfectly captures one of life’s hardest realities. Syracuse was represented wonderfully, and they managed to make even the snow seem enticing.