At just 23, Emma Roberts is about the same age her aunt Julia was when she shot to stardom with the iconic hit Pretty Woman. But times have changed, and in Emma’s latest rom-com — Scott Coffey’s Adult World, which premiered last year at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival — she plays not a hooker with a heart of gold, but a virginal Syracuse graduate; what she lacks in life experience she makes up for in pluck and aspiration. Her inability to be self-sufficient will feel familiar to a lot of 20-somethings, as today’s economy has created a state of delayed adulthood; coming-of-age so rarely happens at 18 anymore. Amy discovers the work of Rat Billings (John Cusack), an alcoholic has-been writer. After some won’t-take-no-for-an-answer stalking, he reluctantly agrees to mentor Amy, while not-so-politely discouraging her from pursuing her dreams. Cusack’s whole performance is a sly wink at an audience that fondly remembers his oeuvre, and he’s still got it in spades.
Watch the full interview here:
Emma Roberts Talks ‘Adult World,’ Working With John Cusack & More
