Once upon a time, Hollywood bowed to the whim of the college demographic. For a brief moment in the late 60’s and early 70’s, as the nation’s disillusionment over the Vietnam War and President Nixon coincided with the confusion and uncertainty that seems to forever plague college-aged youths, the problems of wishy-washy twenty-somethings suddenly became the center of attention. Classics like “The Graduate,” “Easy Rider” and “The Last Picture Show” were born as studios yielded to our influence.

Lately, the target demographic has skewed younger, as millions upon millions of dollars are poured into films based on adolescent fiction (see: Harry Potter and Twilight) or even toys (the Transformers franchise, or this summer’s upcoming “G.I. Joe” flick). With the exception of 2004’s “Garden State,” there has been a serious dearth of films coming out of Hollywood that treat the college years as potential for anything other than gross-out comedy.

Riding to our rescue comes Greg Mottola, last seen working inside the Judd Apatow cabal when he directed 2007’s “Superbad.” This time, Mottola has taken on writing responsibilities as well, creating “Adventureland,” an affectionate coming-of-age tale based on his own experience working at a Long Island theme park. We are introduced to James (Jesse Eisenberg), fresh out of Oberlin College and preparing for the trip of a lifetime to Europe (where else?) with his best friend. But the family’s finances hit a snag, and in order to save up the money for Europe, James has to get a summer job. His major in Renaissance Studies has left him unprepared for any skilled or unskilled position, leaving as his only option an anti-skilled job working rigged games at Adventureland (moved here to Pittsburgh).

Forced to endure endless hours behind the ring toss booth, the employees of Adventureland turn to each other to alleviate the monotony. James’ attention soon turns to Em (Kristen Stewart), a beautiful and independent but slightly aloof girl who stands out among their alternately geeky, lazy and borderline psychotic co-workers. James is not the most suave of young men, but he has that certain nerdy charm women in movies seem to find infinitely attractive. His significant stash of pot is, presumably, just a bonus. Also hanging around is Connell (Ryan Reynolds), the park’s maintenance man. Connell appears to have resisted the geek virus that has infected all the other men in the park; he’s a musician who has supposedly jammed with legends like Lou Reed. Still, married life has left the rakish side of Connell’s personality unsatisfied.

“Adventureland” is certainly nowhere near the level of those 70’s classics — it offers few surprises, few shocks. But what raises it above many recent movies is the sincerity with which it tries to depict the lives of today’s youth. As you would probably expect from a coming-of-age film, crushes are formed, bad decisions are made and hearts are broken. In “Superbad,” Mottola dealt with the frustration of sex-obsessed high schoolers; here, he gives the audience very similar characters, only a few years older, exploring the next phase of life as they join the work force and fall in love. The real difference is that while “Superbad” was meant for laughs, resulting in hilarious but over-the-top situations, “Adventureland” grounds its humor in the more tender, awkward reality of youth (never fear, it still keeps more than its fair share of uproarious moments). There’s just something far more genuine about it all, a recognition that the confusion of young love does not detract from its authenticity. Some plot points do require a slight stretch of the imagination, however. In a move similar to “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” the audience is required to believe that a goofy, plain-looking guy (a virgin, no less) can attract the attention of not one, but two gorgeous women. At the same time. Right.

Still, these rare moments are excusable thanks to the sincere, heartfelt acting put in by the fantastic ensemble cast. Eisenberg takes on a very similar role to his character in 2005’s indie gem “The Squid and the Whale” and succeeds in making James easily identifiable and sympathetic. “Twilight” star Stewart once again proves that given half-decent source material, she can deliver, following up her memorable supporting role in 2007’s “Into the Wild” with a pitch-perfect portrayal of the conflicted, disoriented Em. Other standouts include Martin Starr as James’ Gogol-adoring friend Joel and Bill Hader and Kristin Wiig as the couple who run the park. But really there is not a weak actor in the bunch — even Reynolds, usually the star of forgettable romantic comedies, is surprisingly good at taking on a much more perplexing character.

The influences behind “Adventureland” in recent film are clear: it has the almost-precocious indie charm of “Little Miss Sunshine” and “Juno,” the quirky drama of the films of Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach, and the raunchiness of the Apatow school, a combination that ends up feeling closer to real life than any of those individual ingredients. The film’s tagline, “It was the worst job they ever imagined … and the best time of their lives” is a typical case of Hollywood over-simplification; as I continue my own search for a job this summer, I don’t really find myself wanting to follow James’ path so that I, too, can have the best time of my life. But I can’t totally dispel the thought that it’ll probably turn out something like his anyway.