'Young Adult' DVD extra: Sneak peek!

When I watched the Oscars last month, I was only about 85 percent engaged because my two favorite performances of the year went unrecognized by the Academy. Ryan Goslings vengeful loner in Drive and Charlize Therons sauced former prom queen in Young Adult were bold, brave performances that never had a prayer with an Oscar membership whose reported median age is 62. Both films were unconventional in their own ways, and Young Adult, from the Juno team of writer Diablo Cody and director Jason Reitman, was unrepentant in its bitter follow-through.

The dark comedy, about a mediocre young-adult author who decides she wants her Minnesota high school boyfriend (Patrick Wilson) back after shes accidentally invited to his baby daughters naming ceremony, takes great delight in showcasing its protagonists spectacular flaws. Therons Mavis is a train-wreck, and the Oscar-winner never lets her character off the hook. Theres no Eureka moment for her, no escape hatch. If theres something that Charlize is known for, its going unflinching into every character she does, says Reitman, in the Blu-ray extra, Misery Loves Company: The Making of Young Adult. Shes fearless. Its exciting to be working with a fearless writer and a fearless actress at the same time.

Theron, whos been rewarded by Oscar for playing a different brand of ugly before (Monster) deserves a second look as does Patton Oswalts local loser wh! os equal ly trapped in the past. Her performance is so unnerving that shes a main reason her upcoming Snow White epic in which she plays the Evil Queen has an early edge, in my mind, on a rival project starring Julia Roberts in a similar role.

Take a look at a clip from Misery Loves Company, and plan your Drive/Young Adult double-feature when the latter comes out on home video Tuesday, March 13. Maybe the ides of March?