PAPER TOWNS Trailer

Paper Towns is the anticipated adaptation of John Green’s novel of the same name. The film has been penned by the same screenwriting team that adapted Green‘s hugely successful The Fault In Our Stars, Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, and is directed by Jake Schreier. Nat Wolff stars as the film’s protagonist, Quentin, with Cara Delevingne as the enigmatic Margo Roth Spiegelman. Quentin is in his last months of high school, although he has few friends and keeps his head low. His great obsession is Margo Roth Spiegelman, his beautiful and popular neighbour. One night she comes to Quentin for help, but the next day she mysteriously disappears. The story follows his attempts to find her.

On the basis of what I know about the Paper Towns production, I’m not entirely confident about its success as a film. This is only the second feature made by director Jake Schreier, his only other being Robot & Frank, which I didn’t rate highly. I was also not a great fan of the Neustadter and Weber adaptation of The Fault In Our Stars. Doing away as they did with a lot of that book’s depth, I do worry for Paper Towns.

I read the novel of Paper Towns after I’d heard about the casting, so my own personal images of the characters were slightly tainted. That being said, there are things that now still jump out at me. Ben is supposed to be olive skinned, and Margo is actually supposed to be much heavier. But these are things I can live with in the face of a good performance. I must admit I was very weary when it was announced that the British model Cara Delevingne would be playing Margo. I have since realized that she has a certain charisma which is very appealing. In reality, I know all these worries will not amount to much in the end, as Nat Wolff is the perfect choice for Quentin, and he is the most important part of the film.

Now for the trailer itself. This is something of a spot-the-difference game for those of us who have read the book. Quentin is supposed to live next door to Margo, but in the film they live across the street from one another. Well, I suppose that’s fine. On the night Margo sneaks into Quentin’s room she’s plastered in camouflage make-up. It’s funny because she’s wearing it for quite a good while. But that’s gone. They cover someone’s car in cling film? Well, that didn’t happen in the book, but that’s okay. It looks cool.

In terms of narrative there looks to be two major differences. Firstly, the car trip that takes up so much of the third act apparently now has a new passenger. Angela does not come with them in the book. But, y’know? I actually thought she belonged there so I can go along with that. But what’s this dance at the end of the trailer? Does Quentin go to prom in the film? I can’t imagine how that will fit in without greatly altering the narrative.

As you can tell, I have a strong memory of the book, but while all these differences are notable for me I can’t imagine that they’ll impact greatly on the story. And it is the story that I hope has been preserved, even with the alterations made. Paper Towns is more than just about Margo Roth Spiegelman; it is about Quentin assessing what he really wants out of his life, and what he is prepared to sacrifice or wants to pursue. Ultimately, Paper Towns is about self-realisation and growing up, and I do hope that this is something that isn’t lost in the film’s desire to be a easy going “Teen Summer Romance.”

It is perhaps serendipitous that when I think about adaptations these days I remember the words of John Green himself. Green says that when we read a book we all create our own individual worlds, with our own visual images of those characters. When a film is made, the film itself reflects the filmmakers’ own personal imagined view of the book. So, of course, it’s not going to be just like any of our own perspectives. With that in mind, I’m going to be open to the possibilities, hope for the best and try to enjoy this version of Paper Towns, even if it isn’t mine.

US Release Date: 24th July 2015. UK Release Date: 21st August 2015. To find the release date in your country, click on the link.

Have you read Paper Towns? What do you think of the trailer?

(top image source: 20th Century Fox)