I am proud to say that I was a John Green fan before he really "made it big." Here are pictures of me on October 20th, 2008, the day that I went to a book signing at Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, Georgia. He and Hank had the Nerdfighters blog up, which was gaining momentum, and I was the only person in the audience who had not yet seen it! I had read all of his books, though, long before they became movies. I love the wit of his words, and I think he could tell because as I was getting my books signed, he looked at me and said, "I need you to call my editor." I got to have a brief telephone conversation with Julie Strauss-Gabel about how the internet at the bookshop was having connectivity issues and that he might not get to show the Nerdfighters clip. I doubt Mr. Green himself would remember this, but to me, it was the closest 2 minutes of fame this shy academia gal will ever get, so I embraced it!
As for the Paper Towns film, I was pleased with it overall. The young man who played Quentin a.k.a. "Q" was spot on, I thought. The actress who played Margot did a solid job, although she was not at all how I pictured Margot physically. In the book, Q made it a point to say that Margot was not particularly skinny or particularly fat; she was average-sized. So, I was a little bummed that the movie Margot was super thin. However, I can forgive that casting choice because Q's friends Radar and Ben were so well casted, along with Lacey.
Watching the film made me want to go back and read the book again. It has been years, but my friend Alex has read it more recently, and she reminded me of some plot changes toward the end. I happened to really like the way the movie ended; it was appropriate. I won't spoil it, but Quentin shows up at an important event with his friends and is happy, even though he was essentially the fifth wheel. As someone who has been the fifth wheel numerous times in my adult life, I was proud to see Quentin make the best of the situation. It made me love his character even more. Aspects of Margot resonate with me, such as her need to go off by herself a lot during times in her life when she's trying to re-evaluate who she really is. I'm in a place like that myself right now, and yes, it can happen in your 30s in addition to in your teens. Therefore, I appreciate Margot's blend of extroversion and need for peaceful quiet and reflection. Q has always been my favorite, though: goal oriented, loyal to his friends, looks at the world with rose-colored glasses to a fault at times, but still lands on his feet in the end.
So go see the movie, my friends. It did not make me sob the way The Fault in Our Stars did, but it reminded me to appreciate my friends from all stages of life, along with the little moments. :) I think I will always be an adolescent at heart in some ways, so I will always fall in love with YA books and their movie versions.
Also, as a side note: a former middle school student of mine saw my picture with John Green and asked if he was my husband. :) Well, no, unfortunately, but a part of me hopes he has a clone out there who I will one day meet, as I so admire his wit and his nerdy charm.
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