Paper Towns Trailer Does Not Disappoint

Isabel Giovannetti, News and Opinion Editor

Almost a year after the movie adaptation of his bestselling novel, The Fault in Our Stars, Young Adult author John Green is at it again.

Based off of Green’s book, Paper Towns is the story of high school Senior Quentin Jacobsen and his mysterious neighbor, Margo Roth Spiegelman. Despite having a release date of July 24, the movie has already begun to create the uninhibited enthusiasm that John Green fans are known for.

Although often described as a romantic comedy, Paper Towns is truly much more than that. It is a coming-of-age novel which, by tackling important themes like perspective, impermanence and friendship, has gained the devotion of young readers everywhere.

And I am certainly not an exception.

In fact, I am what many would refer to as a “John Green fangirl,” meaning I own every one of his books, have posters of quotes plastered to my walls and, if needed, could recite several lines of The Fault in Our Stars by heart.

So, of course, when Green announced last week that he would be releasing the Paper Towns trailer on the Today Show, I got a little emotional.

What many people don’t realize is that, when a young adult novel is adapted into a movie, legions of us fans go through our own “7 Stages.”

The first stage is excitement. It’s a dream come true, your favorite story transformed into a visual experience. After a few months, though, the doubt starts to settle in. The cast is announced and although you love most of the picks, you quite frankly cannot get past the fact that the lead actress does not embody the “vibe” of her character (she’s supposed to be “spontaneous,” but she only seems “free-spirited.” Yes, there is a difference).

Finally, the trailer is revealed, the culmination of all of your concerns. It is the first test of the film’s faithfulness to the book, and this morning, fans across the country waited to see if Paper Towns would pass.

I must say, it did.

The trailer perfectly captures the essence of the book, in that it is a story about love in all of its forms, both romantic and platonic. The movie also appears to address the deeper topics discussed in the novel, such as perspective and what it means to imagine others complexly.

While the casting of Nat Wolff as Quentin received an enthusiastic response, many people were more hesitant to accept super model Cara Delevingne in the role of Margo.

However, after watching the trailer, I am confident that it was the right choice. In just the few scenes I saw of her, I can already tell that Delevingne perfectly portrays the eccentric, enigmatic character that is Margo Roth Spiegelman.

All that is left from now until July is to wait. For teenagers across the country, myself included, the anticipation of the coming months will be torturous. Paper Towns means so much more to us than just words on a page. One question will be on our minds: can this film actually do it justice?

Well, I am definitely optimistic.

 

Watch the trailer here: